Does Engineering Float Your Boat?

HUBERT WORLEY

BY DON REGAN

Junior High Engineering Teacher

Don Regan’s 8th and 9th grade engineering students answered that question.

Junior high engineering students were tasked with creating boats that would float. Students were given materials—cardboard and duct tape—and basic guidelines on constructing a boat.

Engineering students are taught about the eight different areas of engineering, their key skills, job focus, and how it pertains to the students and society. Students use hands-on activities, along with class discussions and research, to get a deeper understanding of the information. In turn, they increase their retention rate of the learned material. Various speakers gave students a chance to see and hear from professionals who are using or doing what the students have been learning about.

So why cardboard and duct tape boats? This same type competition is held all over the United States in high schools and colleges as part of STEM weeks and celebrations. It challenges students to use skills learned to design and engineer a boat that will float on water while a student or students are inside. Is it fun? Is it silly? The answer to both questions is yes. But, it is also effective. Students become involved and work towards a goal. They design, test, build, and float (or at least hope to float) their boats all while using learned skills. Did some students get wet? They absolutely did. But I believe even if some got wet, they learned that engineering can be fun and also a possible career. So yes, engineering did float their boats.

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