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Activity (Hands-On)Grades 10 - 12

Keep Your Boat Afloat

Two container ships pass by each other in a harbor.Two contain ships pass by each other in the San Francisco Bay. How do seafaring ships prevent corrosion over a long period of time?

Students engineer a ship that not only holds cargo but also resists corrosion. After activity constraints are introduced, the students discuss success criteria and how they will determine whether their final designs are deemed successful. Once the success criteria are defined, student groups are given a budget to design and engineer a ship that will meet the all of the challenge criteria. Students choose the design and shape of ship, the metal used to make the ship, and the type of coating that will prevent corrosion from occurring. After the initial design and build, students set their ships to sea and then monitor their ship daily, collecting observations about their ship (e.g., floating vs. sinking, corrosion, water intake, etc.). At the end of the testing period, students reflect on their design and engineering choices as well as what they would change if they repeated the activity again.

Corrosion has an adverse effect on many industries by lowering the shelf life of various metal products. With further research and intentional planning, engineers can design solutions to prevent corrosion to prolong the life of different metals and their applications. Often in their testing, engineers use models to test and improve new designs and materials.  This is especially true when wanting to create (and duplicate) products on a larger scale. Companies that rely on cargo ships to transport goods and materials do not want to spend a lot of money on a full-size ship without knowing how much is will hold and how well it will hold up to environmental elements.  With treatment and intentional planning, companies can prolong the life of a vessel, making it more cost effective (and producing less waste) for the company.

After this activity, students should be able to:

  • Explain the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
  • Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
  • Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
  • Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.

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