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Ahoy there – would you like to join Evan for a rollicking adventure into tinkering on the high seas? For this activity, we’re looking at how to design and build a boat, one that can carry precious cargo as it sails across the water.
Follow the Think, Build, Test steps to see what you can create.
Tinker and Create is all about exploring and testing new ideas. If you are interested in the Tinker and Create methodology, watch this short video.
Think
Evan’s challenge is to make a boat that can do two things: it must be able to carry cargo, and be able to move.
Not ‘shore’ how to start? First, choose what you want to make your boat out of. ‘Sea’ what you have at home – there’s no limit to what you could use.
Then think about how the boat is going to be powered. Could you use sails, an engine, or a propeller?
Last but ‘naut’ least, sketch out your design. Watch how Evan breaks his boat down into individual shapes, thinking about how they will all fit together.
Build
There’s lots of different ways to test your boat. Does the engine work the way you predicted? How fast does it go – and in which direction? And of course, how much cargo can your vessel hold?
Think about the ‘load ratio’. This is the weight of the cargo your boat can carry, divided by the weight of the ship without any cargo in it. The aim is to have the biggest number possible.
How could you change your design so that your boat gets a higher load ratio? Experiment and see – you might find it’s ‘ferry’ impressive!
Test
You will have done lots of little tests as you’ve built your prototype vehicle – but now let’s see if it works they way you expected it to …
Does it move the way you thought it would? Try it on different surfaces to see what happens. How could you tweak your design to make it travel faster, or further?
