Will it Sink or Float?

After a busy SATs week, Form 6 are continuing to show what they have learnt this year by presenting lessons to their classmates.

Each pupil in Form 6 has created their own lesson to teach to the rest of the class on a topic of their choice.

Madeline planned a crafty physics lesson for Mrs Marshall and the rest of the class to take part in.

On each pupil’s desk was a plastic container, a yogurt pot and planks of wood. Using scissors and glue Form 6 had to construct a boat that would float on water and withstand having marble weights added to them.

The last boat still afloat would be the winner.

Miss Madeline teaching her class

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pupils had to think about how they would design and modify the objects given to them to ensure their boats would stay afloat until the end.

Some chose to stick the planks of wood underneath the containers whilst others used the wood as their mast.

All the boats were unique in design and each pupil had a different reason for their choice of design.

Crispin used polystyrene balls as buoyancy aids and had a yogurt pot on the bottom of his boat.

Edward made a crows nest for the marbles to sit in at the top of the mast.

Once Miss Madeline had instructed the class that the building task was over, the class went outside to the Gazebo where there were two pools filled with water.

Unfortunately some designs were struggling to stay afloat from the moment they entered the water and were out of the running. For the remaining boats, Madeline passed marbles around one at a time to see how it would affect the flotation of the boats.

A good, balanced structure and as much material that could float seemed to be the correct formula, as Crispin’s, Ben’s, Dylan’s and Mrs Marshall’s boats held up with several marbles weighing their boats down.

It seemed like nothing could sink these ships, so Miss Madeline asked the classmates whose boats had sunk to create waves in the pools. Ramsay, Edward, Rohaan and Jack splashed the boats to test their structures.

Ben’s boat was out of the running, then Mrs Marshall’s, leaving just Crispin and Dylan playing battleships.

Crispin’s innovation with his buoyancy aids paid off and his boat (named ‘The C.M.’) was declared the last one standing. Although Dylan had lost, Miss Madeline rewarded him the extra prize for best decorated boat.

The class seemed to learn a lot about structures and thought about how weights work and use gravity to pull objects to the ground. They also had a lot of fun in the process!

Other lessons from the week included a Drama lesson presented by Mr Rohaan, and a sports lesson taught by Mr Jack and Mr Dylan.

Conveniently situated on the A65 between Ben Rhydding, Ilkley and Burley in Wharfedale, Ghyll Royd School, Pre-School and Nursery is ideally located for families living in or commuting to the surrounding cities, towns and villages of Ben Rhydding, Ilkley, Burley in Wharfedale, Addingham, Menston, Guiseley, Baildon, Bingley, Otley, Leeds, Bradford, Harrogate, Skipton and Keighley.