Numeracy

Family Maths Challenge

This week’s family maths challenge involves trying to build a boat that holds the most weight.

 

Titanic Challenge

By designing and creating your boat, you and your family will learn about some principles of geometry and engineering. As you test how much weight your boat can carry, you will learn about scale, measurement and volume.

At what point will your boat sink like the Titanic? The Titanic was a huge boat designed and built at the start of the 20th Century. Although never officially called an ‘unsinkable’ ship, it sank on the 15th April 1912 after hitting an iceberg. 

 

The Challenge

 

1. Gather your construction team. You may want to involve a parent, grandparent, brothers or sisters.

 

2. Collect the following: a ruler/tape measure; materials to build your boat (e.g. sticks, wood, empty bottles or corks, tin foil – you can use just about anything that will float and not get soggy); and some sticky tape, string or glue to stick your boat parts together.

 

3. Clear some space and use your team skills to build the best boat you can in 30 minutes – it should be no bigger than 30cm long by 15 cm wide by 10 cm tall.

 

4. Collect some objects you can use as known weights to put in your boat to test how much weight it can take (e.g. coins, some metal spoons or a tin of tomatoes).

 

5. Each team member should estimate how much weight s/he thinks the boat can hold and guess whether the boat will (a) sink or (b) capsize. Write down everyone’s estimation before you test your boat.

 

6. Find somewhere to test your boat (e.g. a sink, bucket, bathtub or esky). Add weights and test how much weight your boat can carry before it sinks or tips over (capsizes). Remember, don't start with anything too heavy. 

 

7. Capture images or video of your boat.

 

Reflect: What was the maximum amount of weight your boat managed to hold before sinking or capsizing? Discuss with your family if you think you should have used a different shape for your vessel (boat).

 

Don’t forget to email some photos of your amazing creations to me (ldrury@hfdoveton.catholic.edu.au) and I will add a few to the next newsletter!

 

Lea Drury

Mathematics Leader   

Activity source: The Victorian Maths Challenge 

ttp://vmc.global2.vic.edu.au/