Hey there! Welcome back to the Fort! Today, we’re solving a fun problem. We’re all going on a vacation to the lake, and Juniper wants to join us by floating on a raft. But there’s a problem—Squeaks can’t find his toy boat! So, we’re going to think like engineers and build a raft for Juniper.
As engineers, the first thing we do is talk about the problem. We need to make sure our raft can float, is big enough for Juniper, and keeps her safe. We looked around the Fort and found some materials: a kitchen sponge, craft sticks, cardboard, paper, modeling clay, aluminum foil, corks, and a big flat rock.
We need to figure out which materials will work best for our raft. Squeaks thought the flat rock might work because it looks like a raft, but rocks usually sink in water. So, we tested our materials to see which ones float.
We found that craft sticks, corks, cardboard, and aluminum foil floated well. The sponge and paper floated for a while but eventually sank, and the modeling clay didn’t float at all. So, our raft should be made mostly of the materials that float.
Now that we know which materials float, everyone started drawing their raft designs. Dino drew a paper airplane with a fan to keep it in the air, but it might not work if it lands in the water. Bill and Webb argued about whether size or safety is more important, but we think we can balance both.
Juniper designed a raft made of aluminum foil, big enough for her to curl up inside with sides to keep her safe. Squeaks drew a raft made of craft sticks with a handle for Juniper. I designed a cardboard raft with corks on the bottom to help it float and a sail to make it stylish.
We have some great designs, but we’ll probably build just one raft. To decide which one is best, we’ll each build our designs and test them to see which one solves our problem the best. This is how engineers work!
It’s going to be fun building and testing our rafts. Come back next time to see how we think like engineers! And if you want to join us for more fun, you can subscribe to SciShow Kids. See you next time at the Fort!
Float or Sink Experiment: Gather some household items like a plastic spoon, a small toy, a leaf, a coin, and a piece of cloth. Fill a basin with water and predict which items will float and which will sink. Test each item and discuss why some materials float while others sink. Think about how this experiment relates to choosing materials for building a raft.
Build Your Own Mini Raft: Using materials like craft sticks, corks, and aluminum foil, create a small raft. Test it in a bowl of water to see if it floats. Try adding a small toy figure to see if your raft can hold weight. Discuss what changes you might make to improve your raft’s design.
Design Challenge: Draw a picture of a raft you would build for a toy animal. Think about the materials you would use and why. Share your design with a friend or family member and explain how your raft will keep the toy safe and dry.
