1 Push the boat out
ADULT-LED
Challenge the children to make a boat that will transport a small-world person from one side of the water tray to the other.
Planned learning intentions
To test materials and select appropriate materials
To look at how boats move through the water
To use their imagination to create a design
Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
Large water tray (placed inside or out); a range of materials for making boats such as pieces of fabric, card, paper, balsa wood, plywood, cork, plastic tubs and lids, sponge, flat stones, pumice stone, metal lids, wooden 'lolly' sticks; masking tape, waterproof tape and glue; string and scissors; small-world person.
Activity content
* Encourage children to engage in tactile explorations of the materials.
* Allow plenty of time for the children to experiment with and find out about properties of materials, absorption and floating and sinking. Ask them to predict which of the materials will float and which will sink.
* Encourage children to select appropriate materials to make a boat big and strong enough to carry the small-world person.
* Ask open-ended questions to challenge children's thinking, such as, 'Why do you think the fabric sinks after a few minutes in the water?' 'How can we make sure the boat reaches the other side?'
* Encourage the children to experiment with ways of moving the boat, for example, by adding a sail - hand-held fans are a good substitute for gusts of wind.
* Talk with children about their designs and encourage them to make modifications in response to their observations.
Stepping stones
* Children with little experience will want to explore the materials using appropriate senses and might want to drop materials into the water tray, showing some curiosity about what happens to them.
* Children with more experience will talk about their explorations and show interest in why things happen, such as the change in PVA glue when it is wet. With support, they will apply what they have learnt to select appropriate materials for the task.
* Children with more experience will compare materials and look at what happens as they are put into water. They may recognise that some materials sink, but others float initially and then sink as they absorb water. They will refine the designs of their models to improve their function.
Extension ideas
* Test how many people the boats can transport without sinking.
* Suggest that the children take their boats home and try them out in the sink or bath.
* Encourage the children to continue their investigations of materials in water by providing new materials in due course.
2 Land ahoy!
CHILD-INITIATED
Give children a nautical experience through imaginative play.
Resources
Inflatable dinghy, oars, lifejackets, waterproof trousers, 'anchor', rope, nautical charts and maps, compass, binoculars, fishing nets, sea sounds tape, storm sounds tape.
Play suggestions
* Talk with the children about their experiences of boats and water travel.
Take a look at the collection of resources with them and make sure that the children are aware of the names and purposes of all the items of equipment.
* Encourage the children to try on items of clothing such as the life jackets and waterproof trousers.
* Play the sounds tapes and encourage the children to imagine that they are on the sea in a storm.
* Be prepared to respond to the children's interests as their imaginative play begins to develop - for example, you might need to provide them with pirate clothes and treasure chests.
* If possible, plan for this activity to take place outdoors Possible learning outcomes
* Understands that boats can be used to transport people across water.
* Is familiar with basic safety issues when travelling on a boat.
* Uses understanding of number to solve practical problems.
* Negotiates and co-operates with peers to find solutions to problems.
* Engages in imaginative role-play and develops story ideas through play.
* Uses one object to represent another.
* Uses language to express ideas and feelings, and to recount own experiences.
* Shows an interest in maps and understands the basic purpose of these.
3 Water ways
CHILD-INITIATED
Help the children to build a system of canals.
Resources
Water trays, stands and plastic boxes, buckets, jugs, funnels, lengths (varying) of plastic guttering, a good selection of toy boats, wooden beads.
Play suggestions
* Encourage the children to arrange and rearrange the trays, buckets and guttering to create a series of canals.
* Suggest that they include inclines in their network of canals.
* Encourage them to float the boats around the water ways and experiment with ways of moving them through the water in the guttering,
* Suggest that they transport beads in the boats from one end of the guttering to the other.
Possible learning outcomes
* Explores the properties of water.
* Develops an understanding of forces.
* Uses mathematical understanding in design.
* Works collaboratively.
* Negotiates plans.
* Evaluates and modifies designs in response to observations.
4 Take the ferry
ADULT-LED
Explore the purpose of car ferries.
Planned learning intention
1+2 To use developing mathematical ideas in solving practical problems
Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
Wooden blocks, construction kits such as Mobilo or Lego, length of blue/white/silver fabric, box of small toy cars (and other wheeled vehicles), small numbered sticky labels, photographs and books about ferries.
Activity content
* Look at the photographs and books about car ferries and discuss their purpose. Draw on children's own experience.
* With the children, spread out the fabric on the floor to create a river, channel or lake. Build settlements on each side, or around the 'water'.
* Explain that the cars need transporting from one side of the water to the other and ask them to make a ferry.
* Talk about the width of the river/channel/ lake, how many cars the ferry will carry, whether they will be in rows or single file, what shape and size the deck and ramp need to be, and how many journeys it will take the ferry to transport all the cars to the other side.
* Encourage children to count the vehicles on to the ferry, giving each a numbered sticker in order as it 'boards'.
Stepping stones
* Children with little experience will show an interest in shape, space and numbers and begin to use simple mathematical language in play. They may line up the vehicles and attempt to count them.
* Children with some experience will count up to five vehicles by saying one number name for each item and will recognise an increasing amount of numerals. They will talk about, and compare, the shape, size and length of components.
* Children with more experience will count confidently and reliably up to ten vehicles, or beyond. They will recognise and order numerals one to nine and begin to use mathematical names for solid and flat shapes. They will suggest solutions to problems.
Extension idea
* Take the activity outside and develop it on a larger scale using bikes and scooters as the vehicles to be transported.
