Lake Michigan Boat Tour

At Franklin, Mr. Pollard's Team Enterprise continues to work on their "Float Your Boat" Project Based Learning Unit.

Some of the elements of this project include:

Driving Question: How can we, as shipwrights and engineers, design and build boats that will hold our team, using only cardboard, tape, and our knowledge of volume and buoyancy?

Project Summary:

Working in teams of 3, students will design and build a boat made of only cardboard and packing tape that will float with all team members inside. Students will learn how volume and buoyancy are related. Students will test their boat designs in the Central High School Pool to culminate the project.

Key Knowledge and Understanding:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.A.1 (Convert measurement units)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.MD.C.5 (Solve problems relating to volume)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.5.NF.B.5 (Scaling / Resizing)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.B.4 (Measuring Length)

3-5-ETS1-2 Engineering Design (Generate and compare solutions to a problem)

To launch the project students collaborated on a Sphero Challenge, "Pool Party" (see previous post) to start thinking about boats, design, and collaboration. They have been working through lessons to address the above standards. Students created small scale models with their team to test their designs. They have now begun building their boats.

When I walked into Enterprise's Classroom today I got a peek at where they are at with their boat construction (see picture below). WOW! I can't wait to see them in action.

To supplement the project and give students an authentic experience, we planned a field trip to take a boat tour of Lake Michigan. Students got to see Milwaukee from a completely different perspective. The captain also shared information about the different wards we passed though, building histories, bridge design, Lake Michigan facts, and how the city is currently developing. We started with clear weather but ended our trip with some chilly rain. Regardless it was a great experience. Many students had never been on a boat, and some had their first visit to Lake Michigan.

Thanks to Mr. Pollard for facilitating such an incredible unit for students to round out the year with! Ms. Kosinski, our Innovation Coach, who facilitated the Sphero Challenge entry event was able to join Team Enterprise for this experience as well.

Ms. Czaplewski's class has been studying pollution and clean water this year in science. We invited them to join Team Enterprise on the tour.

We got a little rain and cold at the end of our trip but the kids were troopers!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!