Format
1. This program begins with an analysis of common ship designs and the functions of their various forms and shapes.
2. Students explore the concept of buoyancy and displacement, as well as the math behind it, using or following along with models.
3. Students analyze various other design considerations and challenges including stability, rigidity, wave action, and speed as time permits, demonstrating them with the same models.
4. At various points, they test their comprehension with guided questions.
5. Students will also explore how these concepts and compromises led to the successful design of the USS North Carolina.
Objectives
Participants will understand:
- Various ships are designed to do different things, but all —including USS North Carolina—must float.
- Ship designers use a variety of mathematical and scientific solutions to meet challenges such as waves, stability, strength, and speed.
- The technologically advanced USS North Carolina was designed to perform certain tasks and did them very well because of the thoughtful design.
Standards Alignment
National Standards
Science
• HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
• HS-PS2-3. Apply scientific and engineering ideas to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
• HS-ESS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
• HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
• HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
• MS-PS1-2. Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it.
• MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.
• MS-PS4-2. Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
• MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
• MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
• MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
• 3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
• 3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
• 4-PS4-1. Develop a model of waves to describe patterns in terms of amplitude and wavelength and that waves can cause objects to move.
• 5-PS1-3. Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
• 5-PS2-1. Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is directed down.
• 3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
• 4-ESS3-2. Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
• 3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
• 3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• 3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.