Team Member Names:
Cargo Boat Journal
A. Key ideas related to solving your problem:
B. Sketch your planned boat design:
C. Mass of your clay boat =
D. Maximum cargo held by boat without sinking:
E. Notes – redesign ideas and rationale (or rationale for simply retesting your initial boat
without redesign):
F. Maximum cargo held in the boat without sinking (second test):
G. What differences can be observed between those that held the most and the least cargo?
H. What generalization can you make that describes the relationship between a boat’s
shape/design and the cargo it can hold?
I. What variables might have affected the ability of a boat to hold a heavy cargo?
J. Notes to answer Activity Extensions:
Cargo Boats
Procedures (teacher/fellow pairs work as teams):
1. Your team’s problem: To design and build a boat out of a specified amount of clay that
will float carrying the heaviest possible cargo.
2. Begin by discussing what you know as a team that might help design the ideal cargo boat.
Record your key ideas in the journal (see back, A).
3. Based on your team’s knowledge, design a boat that you will build. Sketch the design in
the journal (B).
4. Build your boat and make sure its mass is 29-30 grams. Record the mass of your boat in
the journal (C).
5. You will have a maximum of 12 minutes to discuss, plan, & build your boat. Then 2-3
teams per “lake” will take turns testing to see how heavy a cargo their boat can hold
before it sinks. You only get one attempt to put cargo in your boat until it sinks.
6. Each team should note their maximum cargo load in their journal (D).
7. After testing your boat discuss possible redesign options for your boat. Either complete a
redesign/rebuild of the boat, or prepare to test the same boat a second time.
8. Provide a sketch and notes on your rationale for either redesigning and rebuilding your
boat or simply retesting your initial design (E).
9. When your table is ready, complete a second test and record the results in the journal (F).
10. Additional redesign tests can be done if time permits.
11. When your team has completed these efforts, answer questions G-I in the journal.
12. If your team has time, discuss how you would answer the activity extensions.
Activity Extensions:
 Describe how you could determine the volume of your boat.
 Describe how you might calculate the largest potential cargo your boat could hold given
the materials you will be able to use to build your boat. (For calculation purposes, assume
the density of water is 1 gram per cubic centimeter.)