Motorboat Book: Build & Launch 20 Jet Boats, Paddle-Wheelers, Electric Submarines & More
Ahoy essing around with boats is great fun and a •wonderful way to learn By making a model watercraft that really works you can test your engi neering talents and learn patience and a wide vari ety of skills You will learn science and technology while enjoying the process of building and testing the boats pumps and other devices shown in this book You will also learn the same way that inventors sci entists and artists learn by having creative ideas making models of the ideas and figuring out how to make the models work It is the natural way to learn and the way that best engages people in the process of learning If you are a teacher or home school parent you will find an incredible amount of solid STEM sci ence technology engineering and mathematics con tent and methods wrapped in the feathers of The Motorboat Book Grab a copy of the STEM standards for your state or country and compare them to the list below Building these projects leads to under standing of Buoyancy and density Chemical reaction
Design and systems Electric circuits Energy and energy transformations Forces and motion Gravity Hydraulics Investigations and experiments Measurement Motors Nature of matter Process of science and engineering investigations Solar energy Sound Use of tools and materials You have to admit that this is an impressive list of learning topics It is especially impressive when you consider that anyone making these models will be excited to continue the learning and won't ask Is this on the test As readers build models they will develop skills in using tools and materials and will improve their self confidence Once skills and under standing have been achieved people tend to use them Builders will continue making things using the skills gained and learn new skills along the
ONO Appendix B will tell you how to make connections between the science standards and the projects described in this book Ship’s Log As founding director of the National Inven tors Hall of Fame I have met many great liv ing inventors Individually and in groups they repeatedly expressed the importance of having the opportunity to mess around in a shop or laboratory early in their careers These unstructured experiences gave them the skills and self confidence to be successful later Messing around with motorboat projects is a great way to launch children into creative pur suits If you are less interested in the learning value and more interested in messing around with boat
you will still have a blast I provide the directions but allow you all the latitude you need to build each project your own way While building you will come up with dozens of new ideas to improve or personal ize the models That's what I want My goal is to encourage you to try new technologies build new designs and expand on what I suggest I wish you fair winds and following seas and many happy hours messing around with The Motorboat
