Teacher Pages
Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Correlations to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
(6.2) Scientific processes. The student uses scientific inquiry methods
during field and laboratory investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement investigative procedures including asking
questions, formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting and using
equipment and technology;
(B) collect data by observing and measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct reasonable explanations
from direct and indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct graphs, tables, maps, and charts using tools including
computers to organize, examine, and evaluate data.
(6.3) Scientific processes. The student uses critical thinking and scientific
problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including
hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using
scientific evidence and information;
(C) represent the natural world using models and identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific thought, society, and the
environment; and
Purpose: The
purpose of this lesson
is to help students
understand that
intelligence is
malleable and can be
enhanced through
thinking and working
alone and in groups,
participating in new
activities, and
engaging in problemsolving activities.
Note: Some TEKS
statements printed
here end with a ; or
and and nothing
thereafter—this
indicates that further
TEKS statements
follow but are not
included here.
(6.4) Scientific processes. The student knows how to use a variety of tools
and methods to conduct science inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect, analyze, and record information using tools including beakers,
petri dishes, meter sticks, graduated cylinders, weather instruments, timing
devices, hot plates, test tubes, safety goggles, spring scales, magnets,
balances, microscopes, telescopes, thermometers, calculators, field
equipment, compasses, computers, and computer probes; and
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Teacher Notes About the TEKS
Students have been conducting investigations since they first entered kindergarten. Each year the
level of complexity increases, so students in grade 6 should be able to collect data and draw
conclusions based on their observations.
Background Information for the Teacher
Much research has been done examining the link between theories of intelligence (for example,
the idea of intelligence as fixed versus malleable) and achievement, including significant
research by Dr. Carol S. Dweck at Stanford University (see handout, Who Decides How Smart
You Are?). Many people believe that intelligence is an innate and fixed trait that has little chance
of being changed or increased. This belief in a fixed intelligence has contributed to a generation
of students who do not see the value of participating in learning processes. The belief that they
are not naturally smart results in a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure. On the other hand, students
who believe that intelligence is not fixed—that if they work hard they can become smarter—are
more willing to participate in new and challenging activities that lead to higher achievement
levels.
Problem-based inquiry is one way to give meaning to students’ work and to help them see
evidence that they can gain knowledge at levels higher than they may have previously believed.
This Off to the Races activity is designed to engage students in a problem-based scientific
inquiry that encourages them to use scientific process skills. As students work, they are guided
through a series of steps that helps them build on their previous knowledge and learn new
information as a result of their work. They will have opportunities to design and implement their
own experiment as part of a collaboration with their classmates. Because this activity uses model
boat-racing activities to show students how people work and learn, we provide links to some
short video clips of a sailboat race to help capture the imagination of students who may not have
had the opportunity to experience sailing or sailboats.
Resources
American Psychological Association. (2003, May 28). Believing you can get smarter makes you
smarter. Psychology Matters. www.psychologymatters.org/aronson.html. (Date retrieved:
November 2, 2007).
Spectacular sailing in the Northsea. video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8627961187760607213. (Date retrieved: November 2, 2007).
Trei, L. Fixed versus growth intelligence mindsets: It’s all in your head, Dweck says. [News
release]. Stanford University. www.stanford.edu/dept/news/pr/2007/pr-dweck-020707.html
(Date retrieved: November 2, 2007).
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Purpose
As a result of participating in this three-part activity, students will be able to
• follow a set of specific instructions to construct a paper boat that floats
• work collaboratively to construct a boat that exceeds their original design
• use electronic timers (stopwatches)
• collect and record data to be used to construct a bar graph
Materials
Fans with speed controls (2; must be identical)
1.5-m rain gutters with end caps (2)
Water to fill rain gutters
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Metersticks (2)
Blank transparencies
Transparency-marking pen
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Permanent marker (to label boats)
Materials to construct boats
Note: This activity takes place in 3 parts (that is, over three class days). For each part, the
materials used to construct the boats will vary. This list covers the materials for all 3 parts.
Transparent tape
Unlined copier paper (8½” x 11”; 5 sheets per team)
Sticky notes
10 cm thin metal wire
Unlined water-resistant paper (8 ½” x 11”; 2 sheets per student)
Included in the blackline masters for this activity
Instructions for folding a paper boat (1 copy for each student)
Boat-race results (data table; 1 copy made into a transparency)
Student pages (1 copy for each student)
Who Decides How Smart You Are? (reading passage with questions; 1 copy for each student)
Advance Preparation
1. Preview the video of a sailboat race from the link provided in the Resources section, or
download one of your own. Such video clips are widely available on the web but must first
be previewed, as some have music that may not be appropriate for the classroom.
2. For each student, print one copy of the instructions for folding a paper boat.
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
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How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
3. Set up the gutters with the end pieces across the tops of three desks or chairs or, better, on a
table large enough to support the entire gutter.
4. Mark one end of each gutter Start and the other end Finish. The two gutters are now your
racecourse.
5. Fill each gutter with water until the water level is about 3 cm from the upper edge of the
gutter.
6. Place one of the fans at one end of each gutter. Set the fan speed on low.
7. Assemble one paper boat as a model for students.
8. Make a transparency of the data table included in the blackline masters. Place the
transparency on the overhead and provide a transparency-marking pen for students to use as
they record the data collected throughout the activity.
Note: What follows are duplicates of the student pages for all 3 parts / days of this activity,
with notes for the teacher in italics.
Part 1
Read Before You Begin…
What determines how smart you are? How do you know what you can and cannot do? These are
very important questions to think about if you would like to be successful in learning new things.
Some people believe that everyone is born with a certain amount of intelligence and that nothing
they do can increase their ability to understand the world around them and benefit from new
experiences. Other people believe that the amount of intelligence each person possesses can
increase depending on how much effort they put into learning.
Objective
This activity is designed to give you a chance to use knowledge that you already have, as well as
information you just learned, to design a boat that is faster than the example boat. Give your best
effort, and you will increase your knowledge of boat racing and better understand how people
learn new things.
Materials
Fans with speed controls (2)
1.5-m rain gutters with end caps (2)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Metersticks (2)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Instructions for folding a paper boat (1 copy for each student)
Materials to construct boats
Transparent tape
Unlined copier paper (8½” x 11”; 5 sheets per team)
Discussion introduction: Some of your students may never have seen a sailboat race. Use this as
an opportunity to discover how much students already know about boats and their current
attitudes about learning. The following questions will begin to engage students in a discussion
that leads into this series of activities.
Questions
1. How many of you have been on a sailboat or seen a sailboat race? How could you learn about
a sailboat race if you have never had that opportunity?
Play a few minutes of the sailboat racing video clip as a way to capture student interest and
to inform students who have no previous knowledge of boat racing.
2. Watch the video of a boat race that your teacher will play for you. Now that you have had a
chance to see a boat race, what do you now know about sailboat racing or sailboats that you
did not know before?
3. How can new experiences help a person increase his or her knowledge?
Record answers on a sheet of chart paper for future reference.
4. How does the amount of effort that you give a task affect how much you learn from the
experience?
Procedures
1. With a partner, follow the instructions for building a paper boat.
Model how to fold the boat by having students make the folds at the same time that you make
your folds. After this first folding, students should be able to fold their own boats, using the
Instructions for folding a paper boat.
2. When you have completed your boat, give it to your teacher. Your teacher will mix up the
boats so each student team will test a boat different from the one they made.
As students place their boats in the designated area, check for any identifying marks on the
boats. The students should not be able to identify which student folded the boat they will test.
This helps students to make more objective observations later. After you have checked the
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
boats, place a number on the side of each boat for later use when students are collecting
data.
3. You will use a stopwatch to determine how much time it takes a boat to travel to the finish.
Let your teacher know if you need help using the stopwatch. Wait until the teacher gives the
signal before you start the stopwatch. Once the test begins, continue timing the boat until it
touches the Finish end of the gutter.
Students may need to be shown how to operate the stopwatch.
Start The Race
4. Place your boat in the gutter at the Start end. Place a meterstick across the racecourse in front
of the boat. This will keep the boat in place until you are given the signal to release the boat.
When you hear the signal, immediately lift the meterstick to allow the boat to begin its trip
down the course. Stop the timer as soon as any part of the boat touches the Finish.
5. In the data table located on the overhead projector, record the amount of time it took the boat
to reach the finish. Also record the amount of time on the bar graph that your teacher has
posted in the room. Record your data beside the number that matches the number on the boat.
As each team completes their race, they should record their boat’s time. After all boats have
been timed, identify the boats with the fastest and slowest times. Ask students to compare the
way the fastest and slowest boats were folded.
Questions
1. All the boats were folded according to the same instructions. Why aren’t their racing times
the same?
2. What could you identify on the boats that made some boats faster than others?
As students examine the boats, record any differences they observe. Tell them they will use
this information in the next portion of this activity, when they design their own boat.
3. How can asking questions help increase our knowledge about the world around us?
Add their answers to the chart paper reserved for this purpose.
Place the fastest and the slowest boat in a place where they can dry out. You can dispose of
the other boats or return them to the students.
Part 2
Remind students that they are attempting to build a boat that is faster than the original design
and that they are also learning how they can increase their knowledge of boat racing and how
people learn.
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November 2007
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Use the fastest and the slowest boat that you saved from Part 1 of this activity to again compare
structural features (as you did at the end of the last class). Remind students that they have the
opportunity to design a new boat to move across the water faster than the fastest boat in the first
race. Review the comparisons they made while looking at the fastest and slowest boats to identify
what made some boats faster than others. Ask them to suggest ways to make a new design that
will result in their new boat going faster than the original design. Write their design suggestions
on chart paper.
Questions
Answers will vary.
1. How does sharing ideas help to increase the probability that you can build a new boat that is
faster than the ones used in the original test?
2. How does the amount of effort that you put into designing and building your boat determine
how well it performs?
3. How does working with others and sharing ideas help to increase your ability to do new tasks
and learn about the world around you?
Explain to students that they will now begin to design a boat that they believe will move across
the water faster than the boat they previously used. They will be allowed to use any design that
can be constructed from the materials on their materials list. They may not use any materials
that are not on the list.
Materials
Fans with speed controls (2)
1.5-m rain gutters with end caps (2)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Metersticks (2)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Permanent marker (to label boats)
Materials to construct boats
Transparent tape
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Unlined copier paper (8 ½” x 11”; 5 sheets per team)
Sticky notes
10 cm thin metal wire
Procedures
1. Use the information that your class gathered about the boats used in the first test to draw a
design for a boat that is faster than the fastest boat used in the first test. (Note: do not build
the boat yet!) You are allowed to design any type of boat that can be built with the materials
on the list. You can change the design in any way that you believe will make the boat faster.
To record your design, write the title Individual Boat Design on a blank piece of paper. On
that sheet, make a sketch of your new design. Under your sketch, explain why you believe
that your design will be faster than the fastest boat from the first test. Once everyone is done
designing their individual boats, your teacher will divide you into teams for the next part of
the activity.
After students have had a chance to design their individual boats, divide the class into teams
of three or four for the next part of the activity.
2. Share your boat design with your team.
Circulate from team to team and listen to make sure that each student has the opportunity to
share his or her design.
3. As a team, you can use only one design. On a blank piece of paper, write the title Team Boat
Design. On that sheet, make a sketch of the boat design that the team decides will be entered
into the next test. Everyone must agree on this design and it must include some part of each
person’s individual design. Under the sketch, write down why this design was the one chosen
by the group.
Circulate from team to team to make sure that each new design has some element from each
individual team member.
4. Show your team design to your teacher for final approval.
Check the design to make sure that is can be made from the materials list and is likely to
float. After approval, give the students the materials to construct their teams’ practice boats.
Note: Give students only the materials on the list above; do not give students the waterresistant paper until after their teams’ practice boats have been tested.
5. After you receive your construction materials, build a practice boat. Place your boat in the
gutter racecourse and make sure that it will remain upright and float. Then make adjustments
to the design as needed. This is just a test; do not race your boat yet!
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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At this point, students are only checking to make sure that their boat will remain upright in
the water; they should not be racing their practice boats.
6. When you are satisfied with your design, build an identical boat for use in the final race. This
time your boat will be built with water-resistant paper that your teacher will give you.
Give each team water-resistant paper once their practice boats have been tested and refined
if necessary.
7. Use a permanent marker to write your team name on your water-resistant boat and turn it in
to your teacher.
Questions
Answers will vary.
1. How well did we team members share ideas with each other?
2. How can sharing ideas help make a design better?
3. How can sharing ideas help you learn about the world around you?
Add these responses to the chart paper you have reserved for this purpose.
Part 3
Remind students that they are attempting to build a boat that is faster than the original design
and that they are also learning how they can increase their knowledge of boat racing and of how
people learn.
Post the time to beat in a very visible location in the room. This is the time recorded for the
fastest boat in the first race. Record the results of this day’s races on the boat-race results data
table on the transparency.
Questions:
Answers will vary.
1. What is the advantage of using a boat that was designed by several people working together?
2. How is the method that we used to design the boat for this race similar to methods used by
scientists when they are attempting to solve a problem?
Hand back to each team of students their water-resistant boat that they made at the end of
Part 2. Before beginning the time trials, remind students of how to use the stopwatch. One
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November 2007
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team at a time should bring their boat to the racecourse. For this race, only one boat will be
in the water at a time, because today’s race is against the clock.
Materials
Fan with speed controls (1)
1.5-m rain gutter with end caps (1)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Meterstick (1)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Water-resistant team boats made in Part 2 of activity
Procedures
1. When your team is called, take your boat to the racecourse. One person on the team should
explain your boat’s design to the class.
2. One member of the team will then place the boat at the Start end of the racecourse. Place the
meterstick across the racecourse to hold the boat in place until your teacher gives the signal
to start.
3. Two members of you team will use stopwatches to time the movement of your boat. Begin
the timers when the start signal is given and continue until any part of the boat touches the
Finish end of the gutter racecourse. Compare the times taken by both timers and take the
average.
4. Record the time in the data table and graph your time on the bar graph.
After all teams have had the opportunity to time their boats on the racecourse, instruct teams
to discuss the results and answer the following questions. Arrange the boats on the
racecourse table so they will be available for students to examine.
Questions
Answers will vary.
1. Examine all the boats that were faster than the original design and compare them to all the
boats that were slower than the original design. What do the faster boats have in common?
What do the slower boats have in common?
2. Answer one of the following questions:
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
a. If your boat moved across the water slower than the original design, what do you believe
caused the boat to be slower? How can this knowledge help in the design of future boats?
b. If your boat moved across the water faster than the original design, what do you believe
caused it to be faster? How can this knowledge help in the design of future boats?
3. What are some advantages of using models of boats before attempting to build a full-sized
boat?
4. Read the passage from your teacher about how people learn (title: Who Decides How Smart
You Are?). After reading the passage, discuss the questions at the end of the passage with
your team and prepare to participate in a class discussion of your answers.
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November 2007
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How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Blackline Masters
Contents:
Instructions for folding a paper boat
Boat-race results (data table)
Student pages
Who Decides How Smart You Are? (reading passage with questions)
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Boat-Race Results
Data Table
Boat Number
Time
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Student Pages
Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Part 1
Read Before You Begin…
What determines how smart you are? How do you know what you can and cannot do?
These are very important questions to think about if you would like to be successful in
learning new things. Some people believe that everyone is born with a certain amount
of intelligence and that nothing they do can increase their ability to understand the
world around them and benefit from new experiences. Other people believe that the
amount of intelligence each person possesses can increase depending on how much
effort they put into learning.
Objective
This activity is designed to give you a chance to use knowledge that you already have,
as well as information you just learned, to design a boat that is faster than the example
boat. Give your best effort, and you will increase your knowledge of boat racing and
better understand how people learn new things.
Materials
Fans with speed controls (2)
1.5-m rain gutters with end caps (2)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Metersticks (2)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Instructions for folding a paper boat
Materials to construct boats
Transparent tape
Unlined copier paper (8½” x 11”; 5 sheets per team)
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Questions
1. How many of you have been on a sailboat or seen a sailboat race? How could you
learn about a sailboat race if you have never had that opportunity?
2. Watch the video of a boat race that your teacher will play for you. Now that you
have had a chance to see a boat race, what do you now know about sailboat racing
or sailboats that you did not know before?
3. How can new experiences help a person increase his or her knowledge?
4. How does the amount of effort that you give a task affect how much you learn from
the experience?
Procedures
1. With a partner, follow the instructions for building a paper boat.
2. When you have completed your boat, give it to your teacher. Your teacher will mix
up the boats so each student team will test a boat different from the one they
made.
3. You will use a stopwatch to determine how much time it takes a boat to travel to
the finish. Let your teacher know if you need help using the stopwatch. Wait until
the teacher gives the signal before you start the stopwatch. Once the test begins,
continue timing the boat until it touches the Finish end of the gutter.
Start The Race
4. Place your boat in the gutter at the Start end. Place a meterstick across the
racecourse in front of the boat. This will keep the boat in place until you are given
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
the signal to release the boat. When you hear the signal, immediately lift the
meterstick to allow the boat to begin its trip down the course. Stop the timer as
soon as any part of the boat touches the Finish.
5. In the data table located on the overhead projector, record the amount of time it
took the boat to reach the finish. Also record the amount of time on the bar graph
that your teacher has posted in the room. Record your data beside the number that
matches the number on the boat.
Questions
1. All the boats were folded according to the same instructions. Why aren’t their racing
times the same?
2. What could you identify on the boats that made some boats faster than others?
3. How can asking questions help increase our knowledge about the world around us?
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Part 2
Questions
1. How does sharing ideas help to increase the probability that you can build a new
boat that is faster than the ones used in the original test?
2. How does the amount of effort that you put into designing and building your boat
determine how well it performs?
3. How does working with others and sharing ideas help to increase your ability to do
new tasks and learn about the world around you?
Materials
Fans with speed controls (2)
1.5-m rain gutters with end caps (2)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Metersticks (2)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Permanent marker (to label boats)
Materials to construct boats
Transparent tape
Unlined copier paper (8 ½” x 11”; 5 sheets per team)
Sticky notes
10 cm thin metal wire
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Procedures
1. Use the information that your class gathered about the boats used in the first test to
draw a design for a boat that is faster than the fastest boat used in the first test.
(Note: do not build the boat yet!) You are allowed to design any type of boat that
can be built with the materials on the list. You can change the design in any way
that you believe will make the boat faster.
To record your design, write the title Individual Boat Design on a blank piece of
paper. On that sheet, make a sketch of your new design. Under your sketch, explain
why you believe that your design will be faster than the fastest boat from the first
test. Once everyone is done designing their individual boats, your teacher will divide
you into teams for the next part of the activity.
2. Share your boat design with your team.
3. As a team, you can use only one design. On a blank piece of paper, write the title
Team Boat Design. On that sheet, make a sketch of the boat design that the team
decides will be entered into the next test. Everyone must agree on this design and it
must include some part of each person’s individual design. Under the sketch, write
down why this design was the one chosen by the group.
4. Show your team design to your teacher for final approval.
5. After you receive your construction materials, build a practice boat. Place your boat
in the gutter racecourse and make sure that it will remain upright and float. Then
make adjustments to the design as needed. This is just a test; do not race your boat
yet!
6. When you are satisfied with your design, build an identical boat for use in the final
race. This time your boat will be built with water-resistant paper that your teacher
will give you.
7. Use a permanent marker to write your team name on your water-resistant boat and
turn it in to your teacher.
Questions
1. How well did we team members share ideas with each other?
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How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
2. How can sharing ideas help make a design better?
3. How can sharing ideas help you learn about the world around you?
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November 2007
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How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Part 3
Questions:
1. What is the advantage of using a boat that was designed by several people working
together?
2. How is the method that we used to design the boat for this race similar to methods
used by scientists when they are attempting to solve a problem?
Materials
Fan with speed controls (1)
1.5-m rain gutter with end caps (1)
Water
Large stable table
Stopwatches (2)
Meterstick (1)
Boat-race results data table on transparency
Chart paper for intelligence discussion
Chart paper for bar graph
Water-resistant team boats made in Part 2 of activity
Procedures
1. When your team is called, take your boat to the racecourse. One person on the
team should explain your boat’s design to the class.
2. One member of the team will then place the boat at the Start end of the racecourse.
Place the meterstick across the racecourse to hold the boat in place until your
teacher gives the signal to start.
3. Two members of you team will use stopwatches to time the movement of your boat.
Begin the timers when the start signal is given and continue until any part of the
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November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
boat touches the Finish end of the gutter racecourse. Compare the times taken by
both timers and take the average.
4. Record the time in the data table and graph your time on the bar graph.
Questions
1. Examine all the boats that were faster than the original design and compare them to
all the boats that were slower than the original design. What do the faster boats
have in common? What do the slower boats have in common?
2. Answer one of the following questions:
a. If your boat moved across the water slower than the original design, what do
you believe caused the boat to be slower? How can this knowledge help in the
design of future boats?
b. If your boat moved across the water faster than the original design, what do you
believe caused it to be faster? How can this knowledge help in the design of
future boats?
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
3. What are some advantages of using models of boats before attempting to build a
full-sized boat?
4. Read the passage from your teacher about how people learn (title: Who Decides
How Smart You Are?). After reading the passage, discuss the questions at the end
of the passage with your team and prepare to participate in a class discussion of
your answers.
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Who Decides How Smart You Are?
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to be smarter than other
people? If you have, you are not the only one. Professor Carol Dweck has
been studying how people learn and has made some interesting
discoveries. She found that people generally have one of two beliefs.
Some people believe that individuals are born with a set or fixed
intelligence and that as they grow up, they will be “stuck” within the limits
of the abilities they were born with. Other people believe that individuals
are not limited by the abilities they were born with. They believe that a
person’s intelligence can be increased by hard work and determination.
To find out which of these beliefs is more accurate, Professor Dweck did an
experiment using two groups of seventh-grade students.
She gave Group One information explaining that how well a person learns
depends not only on their natural abilities, but also on hard work and a
desire to learn. Group One was also taught study skills.
Group Two was taught study skills, but Professor Dweck did not give this
group information about things that affect how well a person learns.
After eight weeks, the professor measured the learning progress of Group
One and Group Two. It turned out that the students in Group One
performed at much higher levels than the students in Group Two. Professor
Dweck concluded that students who believed that they could learn to be
smarter were more willing to try new things and worked harder. Other
experiments showed similar results.
Professor Dweck concluded that people who think they can increase their
intelligence and learn new things usually work harder and do better in
school. On the other hand, people who think they are “stuck” with the
intelligence they were born with are not as willing to try new things and do
not work as hard. Because of this belief, they do not do as well in school.
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Based on this reading and what you have experienced as a student, discuss
the following situations.
1 A student was unable to correctly answer a question he was asked
during class. Some of the students in the class laughed at him and now
he is no longer willing to answer any questions because he felt dumb.
Discuss some events that you believe can make a person feel “smart”
and some events that you believe can make a person feel “dumb”.
2. If a person has to work hard to learn new information, should that
person be considered intelligent? Explain your answer.
3. When you learned how to ride a bike, you may have fallen several times
before successfully riding the bike. How is learning new information
similar to learning how to ride a bicycle?
4. How can new experiences help a person increase their knowledge?
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
5. How does the amount of effort that you apply to a task affect how much
you learn from the experience?
6. If someone believes they can increase their intelligence, he or she is
more likely to be successful and is more willing to try new activities.
Explain why this is true.
7. Now that you have had a chance to view a boat race, build a boat, and
participate in a boat race, what do you know about sailboat racing or
sailboats that you did not know before? Has your intelligence increased?
8. Are you smarter than you were when you started this activity? Explain
your answer.
Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin
November 2007
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Off To The Races:
How People Work and Learn—Sixth Grade
Resources
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit
theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent
transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development,
78(1), 246–263.
Dweck, C. S. (2002). Messages that motivate: How praise molds students'
beliefs, motivation, and performance (in surprising ways). In J. Aronson
(Ed.), Improving academic achievement. New York : Academic Press.
Dweck, C. S. (1999). Self-Theories: Their role in motivation, personality,
and development. Philadelphia: Taylor and Francis/Psychology Press.
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