About this Daily Classroom Special: 
Science to Go provides easy yet meaningful science activities for grades k-8. Science to Go was written by Barbara Smith, Magnet Coordinator at Harvard Elementary, Houston (TX) and former Teachers Network web mentor.

Sinking Ships

Objectives

Principles of sinking, floating, density, recording information and observations.

Materials

Heavy-duty foil, pennies (lots), pencil and paper, water, basins or buckets.

Activity

Give each student 20 square cm of heavy-duty foil. Have them design and build a boat. Set boat in water (at least 15 cm deep) and let them load their designs with pennies until the boat sinks. Record results, redesign, and retest. Discuss observations of designs, displacement and buoyancy, problems.

Website Picks for Science

Discovery Channel - See current scientific projects, read journals of scientists in the field, read of new discoveries. Check out the info and photos of the Titanic!