Project Assigned 3-2-15Mini Boat Model due 4/17/15

Report due 5-15-15

Project due: 5-18-15Race Date 5/18/15

Magnolia High School Cardboard Boat Regatta

Our Regatta will be held onMonday, May 18th. Our cardboard boat race is designed to be fun, culminating activity for students to help celebrate their hard work in Physics. Students will be part of a team comprised of 2 to 4 members. All members must be in the boat at the time of the race.

GOAL: To use physic principles and Design thinking to design and build a cardboard boat that can be paddled across the pool and back.

PERMITTED MATERIAL:

Corrugated Cardboard

Duct Tape

Waterproof Marker

*The material list is important to follow to protect the swimmers and pool equipment/filtration system. Failure to follow only the accepted material will result in a grade of a zero.

BOAT CONSTRUCTION RULES:

  1. Boats must be made entirely of corrugated cardboard and should fit your team
  2. Boats may be no longer than 8ft , no wider than 4 ft, and must be able to fit through the door (2.5ft)
  3. Joints and seams may be taped on inside or outside of boat
  4. Materials other than those listed above are prohibited
  5. Any tools may be used in the construction of the boat
  6. The name of each boat must appear above the water line in at least 4 inch letters in waterproof marker
  7. Boats can be decorated in any way with colored duct tape or waterproof permanent marker (Be careful, covering the boat in duct tape will result in loss of substantial points)
  8. All boat names, designs, themes, etc. should be school appropriate and approved ahead of race day.
  9. Rowers must be visible in the boat and cannot be enclosed above their shoulders (no submarines)
  10. You must be able to arrange for your boat to be delivered to the school on the due date!!!!!!
  11. Your boat must fit through the doorway!!!!

Design Tips from the PROS

Apply Archimedes Principle of Buoyancy as well as Newton’s Third Law

Come up with a design concept and build a small prototype out of index cards and tape to try in class.

A flat bottom boat is recommended. V shaped bottoms are more likely to tip over

The lowest center of gravity is the most stable. You are more likely to tip when kneeling or standing

For height , allow 18 inches to sit and paddle effectively

Design and build strength into the seams and corners

Don’t step on the cardboard to fold creases in it.

Learn to paddle as a group which means Practice, practice, practice

CONSTRUCTING YOUR TEAM’S BOAT

Make a small prototype model of your design out of index cards and tape (due 4/17/15)

Use your prototype as a scale model for each of your boat’s pieces

Create a pattern template out of newspaper before cutting your cardboard pieces

Affix each pattern piece to your cardboard before cutting, and then cut around the newspaper patter for each piece. Pay attention to the grain of the cardboard

Build the bottom of your boat first

Cut the sidepieces.

Affix the sides to the bottom with duct tape.

Decorate your boat, chose a theme, color scheme, or motif

Avoid Decorations that will fall off in the water

Your team should be dressed in costume or theme to match your boat’s theme

Paddles will be provided

Volunteers

A number of volunteers are needed to help run the actual race- timers, line-up crew, recorders, boarding help, photographers, life guards, and clean- up crew helpers. If you are interested in helping or your parents would like to help please volunteer.

GRADING

Each group will be receiving a group major grade for this project an all members are expected to be contributing in some way that can be documented. Students will take photos of their progress of making the model, testing models, and a making / designing the boat. Students who do not contribute significantly will be graded accordingly.

The grade will have the following components

  1. Boat design – rubric (10 pts)
  2. Boat race – time and rubric (40 pts)
  3. Report – rubric (45 pts)
  4. Team performance ( graded by teammates based on a rubric) (5 pts)

BOAT RACE RUBRIC

0 pts / Boat not complete
5 pts / Boat is completed according to the rules and is submitted on time but does not race
10 pts / Boat floats on its own but sinks when rowers get in or boat does not leave starting line
15 pts / Boat supports weight of rowers and navigates less than one length of the race before sinking
20 pts / Boat navigates at least one length of the race without sinking but design and theme is average
35 pts / Boat navigates full race without sinking and displays superior/exceptional boat design but not one of the top ten finish times of all the boats
40 pts / Boat navigates full race without sinking and displays superior/exceptional boat design and one of the top ten finish times of all the boats

Grading can be placed on a sliding scale if not all criteria for points are met.

JUDGES AWARDS

An additional 5 points will be awarded to all team members who receive a Judges Award for one category or more.

Swag Award- best looking boat design overall

Norseman Pride Award- most creative dress, theme, costume, or most spirited team

Titanic Award- most spectacular sinking

Team Physics Award- 1st, 2nd, 3rd place awards for overall fastest full lap completion times

Service Award- helping others clean up their boat and keeping pool deck clean

THE REPORT. The report is due Friday, May 15th!!!!!!!!!!

The report will consist of three parts each part worth 15 pts.

  1. Research on Archimedes’s principle of Buoyancy. Students must use proper APA format
  2. Discussion of how they came up with their design, reasons behind their design, and how their model worked when tested in class. If students needed to redesign boat after trial discussion of new design and data from the new test must be included in the discussion. Photos of students building the boat and the model should be included in this section
  3. Data from trial in class and pictures of the model being tested. Students will also have to make predictions about how much weight their actual boat can hold in scale with the model the students made.