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Balloon Powered Boats Workshop Activity

General Prompt
The engineering process involves a series of steps.
1. Requirements: you think about what you are building needs to do.
2. Brainstorming: you think about how you might make it do those things
3. Pick a design: decide which design you want to build
4. Build: build what you designed
5. Test: test what you build, see how it performs
6. Modify, redesign: if it did not work as well as you wanted it to, why? How can you fix it?

Engineering also requires that you use materials within your budget. The budget is the materials we have given you. Students can barter to trade say, a straw for a piece of tape.

Build your boat so that it will get the fastest from one end of the tank to another, using the limited materials provided.

Ages:
We have adapted this activity for groups of all ages, from 2nd graders to high school students. This is done by changing the materials used for the boats.

Elementary school version:

Materials per person or per group:

  • 5"x5" of 1" thick insulation foam
  • 2 balloons
  • 2 straws
  • 2 small zip ties
  • 1"x3" peice of acrylic sheet (or similar size)
  • One arm's length of masking tape
  • something to poke holes in the foam with (generally screw drivers)
  • scissors

    • Prompt Modification:

    We usually talk about what makes a boat be able to move (the balloon: zip tie the balloon to the straw to get the best propulsion), how to keep the boat upright (use the acrylic for a keel), how to keep the propulsion attached to the boat (tape it, or put a hole through the foam). With these hints, almost everyone will be able to make a sucessful balloon powered boat. Have everyone test theirs, discuss what worked and what didn't, and then have people redsign/build. Help anyone that looks frustrated to get something that works.

    Middle School Version

    Materials per person or per group:

  • 5"x5" of 1" thick insulation foam
  • 2 balloons
  • 2 straws
  • 2 small zip ties
  • 1"x3" peice of acrylic sheet (or similar size)
  • One arm's length of masking tape
  • something to poke holes in the foam with (generally screw drivers)
  • something to carve/shape the foam with (razor blades, box cutters)
  • Sand Paper

    • Prompt Modification:
    Same as the elementary school version, except talk about hull shaping. Do not give as many hints on what should work with straws and balloons. Have ready access to a test tank throughout so people can try and hone their ideas. Get people to think about what boat's hulls look like, and what will keep the boat from being top heavy.

    High School version

    Materials:

  • 4 sheets of newspaper
  • 2 balloons
  • 2 straws
  • 2 small zip ties
  • One arm's length of masking tape
  • scissors

    • Prompt Modification:

    None. High schoolers should not need too many hints, and they have the added challenge of making the boat out of newspaper. Give fresh newspaper as it becomes soaked.