THUNDER BAY – Cardboard boats aren’t meant to last.
Several students on Tuesday managed to paddle their creations across the length of Churchill Pool, afterward filling the surviving boats with up to four or five teens and pre-teens before they became waterlogged and sank to the bottom.
It was all part of the fun – and learning – that goes along with the annual Grade 7 project, teaching youngsters the joys of science in a variety of different ways and giving them a hands-on chance to test their work on the chlorine-spiked waters of Thunder Bay.
Lucas Christie and C.J. Tsekouras were two of the lucky ones.
They managed to paddle their boat the length of the pool, proving their boat building theories correct.
“We’re learning about structures and building things, doing stuff hands on,” said 12-year-old Lucas.
“We were doing science when this started.”
His classmate said learning about science is a fun way to take what they’re learning out of the classroom and apply it to real life.
It’s a lot better than reading it out of a textbook.
“Anyone can learn stuff out of a book,” C.J. said. “It’s more fun and more of an effective way to learn.”
He added there were doubters, but the duo and their team proved everyone wrong.
“A lot of people said our boat wouldn’t float that well. But we still kept the box idea. We also had a bit of comfort in the boat. We did put some seats there. Overall, the biggest thing about our boat was the balance ... It’s sturdy and was able to balance the weight.”
Michael Mayes, a Grade 7 teacher at Woodcrest, said the project is always well received by the students.
The youngsters start with models in the classroom, which they test in a number of different ways, before moving on to building the full-size replicas, with nothing other than cardboard and a roll of duct tape as their materials.
The speed and weight tests are great ways for students to learn.
Seeing is believing, after all.
“They learn about surface area and that they want to have more, maybe to keep the boat up a little better, than a smaller boat. There were a few today that sank.”
It’s all part of the learning process, Mayes added.
Two projects from each participating school will advance to the regional competition next week at Lakehead University.
