Teacher Pack
Boat Design & Heritage (KS 2)
1. Floating and sinking
Divide the items into two piles:
1) objects you think will float
2) objects you think will sink
Which items are made of: metal, wood, rock?
2. Testing your ideas
 Take the clay and make it into a ball. Check whether it
now floats or sinks.
 Mould it into the shape of a boat, does it now float or
sink?
3. Testing your ideas
 Take it in turns to place all the items in the water.
 Did any items not behave as you predicted?
 Does the clay sink or float?
4. Making predictions
Solid polystyrene would normally sink in water.
Why does polystyrene foam float?
What do you think will happen to the sponge over
time if you leave it in the water?
5. Making predictions continued..
Can you predict if any of the following will float:
a rock,
a stick,
A bicycle
6. Why do steel boats float?
•
The famous ship the Titanic was made of steel (like the teaspoon).
•
Why did it float (before it hit the iceberg)?
•
Why did the Titanic sink (after it hit the iceberg).
7. Building model sailing boats
Look at the tools and materials you have been given.
 Can you identify possible hazards?
 Suggest ways in which to reduce the risks.
8. Drawing your boat base
 Use a felt tip and ruler to draw
this shape on your pizza base.
 Use the whole length of the
pizza base, and make the boat
quite wide.
 If your boat is too narrow
what is likely to happen?
9. Cutting out your boat base
 Get some scissors to cut out the boat shape.
 Cut a cube out of the foam packaging material. It
should be about 30 mm across.
10. Assembling your boat
 Stick your foam cube firmly onto your boat base
like this using a cocktail stick.
 You will be using a wooden skewer as the mast
to support the sail. One end of the skewer is
pointed. Which way up do you think the skewer
should go and why?
11. Making the mast and sail
 Press the pointed end of your skewer down firmly
into the foam cube to make the mast.
 Cut your sheet of paper so that it is shorter than
the mast and trim it to your preferred shape.
 Punch a hole in the middle of the top and bottom
 Decorate your sail with the felt tip pens.
12. Testing your boat
• Slide the sail onto the skewer, place
the boat in the water tray and blow into
the sail to try out your sailing boat.
• You can customise your boat by
adding a flag, a sailor, fins, a keel or
rudder or even turn it into a catamaran
using spare foam packaging.
• Try out your boat after any
modifications to make sure it still works
properly.
• Clear up thoroughly.
13. Questions
 What force is pulling the boat down onto the water?
 What opposing force is pushing the boat up?
 Is the force pushing the boat up bigger, smaller or
the same as the force pulling it down?
 If the force pulling the boat down was bigger than the
force pushing it up then what would happen?
14. Extension Questions
 Can you explain why the boat moves across
the water when you blow into the sail?
 What do you think is the main force opposing
the boat moving?
 Can you suggest ways in which you could
make a faster boat?