Constructing boats during our sink and float unit is always a favorite lab! I began by reading The Three Billy Goats Gruff. I asked if there were other ways the goats could cross the river to stay away from the troll. There were several creative suggestions, but after one of the kindergarten students suggested a boat, I explained that they were going to be engineers and build a boat for the goats.

We applied the Engineering Design Process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test, and Improve. After looking at the design of several plastic boats, my engineers shared their ideas about how to successfully construct a boat. The following materials were available: aluminum foil, masking tape, Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and straws.

As they finished, we tested their boats and evaluated their designs.