Our Wildwood, Summer 2019, Volume 45

“Give me teachers who relentlessly cause kids to wonder why? and how did that happen? and what if? as though those questions were the lifeblood of learning.” —CAROL ANN TOMLINSON, EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER

The final calculation requires finding the boat’s theoretical waterline. Once again—math provides the answer. “We figure out the boat’s water displacement based on our surface area and buoyant force,” Merrin says. “From that, we calculate the waterline—how far into the water the boat should sink.” The final step: boat building. All four members of Team Jolly Rancher agree that construction was challenging and enjoyable. The proof was at the pool. While only one team walks away from the Cardboard Boat Regatta as winners, the opportunity to try and sometimes fail (while having fun and learning) is a winning outcome for everyone. W

community event. “It’s thrilling when students realize that their boats should float, based on their calculations,” Scott says. He also appreciates everything about the lead-up to the big day, as students make connections between math, science, and their application. Merrin, from the winning team The Jolly Rancher, describes her group’s process: “We start by calculating the total mass of our boat, with three of us inside it,” she shares. This allows the team to determine their boat’s buoyant force, using a calculation called Archimedes’ principle. “If our calculations show that the mass is less than the buoyant force,” she explains, “we’ll float … in theory.” Her teammate Charlotte adds, “It’s good that we have to incorporate the math we learn; our measurements are well-thought-out.”

1 Tomlinson, Carol Ann. “One to Grow On / The Kind of STEM Teachers We Need.” Educational Leadership , December/January 2014.

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OWW SUMMER 2019