STEM Challenge: Garbage Barge
​ 3rd Grade

Lake Lanier Boats has hired you to solve their problem. They have to haul garbage down Lake Lanier. They don't know what type of boat to use that will old the most garbage. 

They hired you to solve their problem.

What do I do?

1. Watch the Story about the Garbage Barge.
2. Watch the Float vs Sink video.
3. Draw 2 of your ideas of boats.
4. Build 1 boat. Test it with pennies, paperclips, marbles. How many did your boat hold?
5. Build a better boat. Test it with pennies, paperclips, marbles. How many did your boat hold?
6. Keep improving your boats.

Watch BrainPopJr. to review the STEM Engineering Design Process Steps

BrainPop, Jr. "Engineering Design Process" Video
School Password required. 

Watch "Here Comes the Garbage Barge!"

​What is the problem?

A barge is a type of boat. Barges are slow boats. Barges hold a lot of stuff. 

Click Barge image to see more barge images.

Click Barge image to see more barge images.

News Anchor Peter Jennings for PBS News reports on the real life Garbage Barge video - YouTube (10:55).

​Let's research floating boats by watching a couple of video clips and looking at some pictures of boats and barges.

Watch FLOAT A BOAT Part 1
(0:00 to 1:10) 

Watch FLOAT A BOAT Part 2
(2:31 to end) 

Link to article with pictures and explanations of boat bottoms.

If you need a little more research...

Draw your Ideas....

Use Paper, Class Dojo or Flipgrid to draw.

Now Build.  Record your builds and tests and improvements in Flipgrid.

Test Your builds  -- 

Get mom, dad or the adult you live with to help you fill a sink (sink, tub, bucket, large bowl) with about 2 inches of water and test each of your boats. You can make improvements to help the boats float, after you sunk each one. Be sure to tell us about how your improvements worked out.