Our talented team of Museum educators is committed to providing an engaging experience that brings SOL-related content to life for your students. We bring passion and energy to each program to ensure the highest level of impact and retention. To learn more about this program, click on one of the format options listed below.
Choose your experience:
Duration: 75 minutes
Why do enormous ships float, and what makes one sail design outperform another? Students will put buoyancy, density, displacement, force, and motion to the test as they draw inspiration from the Museum’s collection and take on a hands-on maritime engineering challenge.
Explore the Basics of Buoyancy
Students will review the basics of buoyancy and learn the differences between several boat hulls and sail types.
Design and Race Against the Clock
Students will draw inspiration from the Museum’s collection and become maritime engineers as they design and iterate a sail for their randomly assigned boat hull. Competing against each other and the clock, students will learn about force and motion as they test their racing sails.
This program will help students turn classroom science into action while strengthening teamwork, critical thinking, and engineering-design skills.
Teachers will have the choice of a docent-led tour or a self-guided, themed scavenger hunt through the galleries to complete the experience.
Learning Objectives
- Students will learn how boats float by defining buoyancy, density, and displacement.
- Students will differentiate between different hull and sail types and their functions.
- Students will explore careers in shipbuilding and design following the engineering design cycle to create, test, and improve a sail design.
- Students will practice teamwork and critical thinking skills by working in as a team for the STEM design challenge.
Science (VDOE 2018):
- Elementary: 5.1 (a-f); 5.2(a); 5.3(b,e); 5.7(a)
- Middle: PS.1 (a-d); PS.2 (c); PS.8 (b)
Math (VDOE 2023):
- Elementary: 5.MG.2 (c)
Next Generation Science Standards:
- Elementary: 3-5-ETS1-1, 2, 3; 5-PS1-1, 2, 3; 5-PS2-1
- Middle: MS-PS1-1; MS-PS2-2; MS-ETS1-1, 2, 3, 4
Pricing:
Payment can be made before the program, or we can invoice following your program.
- Programs at the Museum are $4.50 per student.
All adults accompanying a field trip are free. - Programs at your location are $4.50 per student.
- Virtual education programs are $125 per program.
Reservations are required for all programs and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Programs fill quickly in the fall and spring, so make your reservations a minimum of two weeks in advance.
Need some questions answered?
Our team is happy to answer any questions you may have, or recommend the best program for your class.
Call or email our Education team:
[email protected]
(757) 591-7745
