Greetings and happy Monday!
I hope you all had a restful weekend with your families.
Prior to the break we were working on the Deserted Island STEM Challenge and we missed the last one! Does Sir Harley Houndstooth III make it off the island? Gathering the materials that “Penguin Pete” aka your parents/guardians allow you to use, see if you can complete the last challenge!
The Story: (Read in your most dramatic voice possible)
Day 12: I am beginning to lose hope of ever getting home. At least if I am stuck here, I now have a safe shelter to sleep in, food to eat, and a way to fight off the pirates. I have done all of this with my bare hands and only the resources of this island! My family would be surprised and proud. Oh, my dear family. I miss them so! I am determined to find a way back. There is nothing left of the ship that brought me here; but perhaps I can build my own. Yes, a raft made of the very wood on this island will get me home!
For this challenge, you will plan, design, and build a raft with a mast that floats and holds weight.
You are suggested to use the following materials. Remember to try and not use too much of each supply – make it more challenging for yourself! If needed, I’m sure you can arrange for Penguin Pete to bring you more supplies! (Use whatever you have at your house! Preferably supplies that would otherwise be recycled or put in the garbage! Substitute for something similar if you don’t have one of the recommended supplies!)
- foil
- popsicle (craft) sticks
- rubber bands
- paper
- cardboard
- yarn or string
- masking or duct tape
- bottle caps
- small Dixie cups
- ruler
- glue or hot glue
- pennies for weights
- tub of water to test in
Design Requirements: Completed rafts must have a mast and a base no larger than 400 square cm
Performance Requirements: To be considered successful, the raft must be able to float while holding at least one penny.
Test each raft by placing it in the tub of water. After demonstrating the ability to float, teams will place one penny on the raft, adding more slowly to see how many the raft can hold while staying afloat.
Don’t forget to follow our STEM Planning steps!
- Describe the problem. What do you want to happen?
- Brainstorm your ideas
- List the materials you will need
- Draw and label your designs
- Write down the steps to your plan
- Test your design. Describe how you tested it and what happened
- Record your results
- How large is the base of your raft in square cm? (Remember we calculate area by multiplying the length X width)
- Does the raft float?
- How many pennies or coins did your raft hold before flipping or sinking?
- What worked and what would you differently next time?
Make sure you email me and let me know if you give the challenge a try and how it turned out for you!
Take care!
<3,
Ms. Yee
