Every afternoon in School-age 1 at RisingOaks Early Learning | John Sweeney we spend a short time researching a fun fact. Norah asked for us to research Ferry Boats. Through our fun fact, we learned Ferries can offer scenic routes and stunning views, making them a popular mode of transportation for tourists and leisure travelers. Ferries are also used as a part of the public transport systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than bridges or tunnels.
Together we created a poll of who has been on a Ferry boat. Only a few of the children in the program raised their hands. Other children added that they’ve been on different kinds of boats such as motor boats, canoes and paddle boats. I asked the children if they knew what caused the boats to float and some answers we received were, “Its just magic”, “The water makes the boats float”, “The water grass helps to keep the boat above the water”, and “The boat is to big to sink”. They were all very creative ideas and theories.
Next, I asked the children if they would be interested in creating boats. They all lit up with excitement and shouted “YES!” I inquired “What materials will we need to ensure our boat will float”. Some of the responses consisted of, “paper”, “glue”, “Popsicle sticks”, “marshmallows”, “tin foil” and “foam”. The following day, I gathered the materials and brought them into the classroom. Each child created their interpretation of a boat that would float. The children held important conversations and discussion regarding the buoyancy of the materials being used. “I think this will help it float” a child said when adding a popsicle stick flag to their design. Once all of the boats were completed and dry, we planned to test their creations in a large bin of water.
The weather was warm, the buckets were filled and the children surrounded the test zone. I asked each child to come up one at a time to place their boat in the water. Slowly each boat with a pater bottom began to float. We had a few boats that were created on tin foil, but after a few minutes they also began to take on water. “Why aren’t they floating?” One of the children asked. I explained that when paper gets wet, it begins absorb the water. The water was also beginning to cover the top of the boats, causing it to become heavy and sink. The tinfoil boats floated longer, but as soon as the water began to flow onto the foil it became to heavy and sank. We need to ensure there are sides to the boat in order to keep the water out. And the boats buoyant
We will research proper ways to create boats with the class and will try this activity again with the proper materials.
