Growing math minds... Changing math mindsets
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Who Sank the Boat?
What Floats in a Moat?
by Lynne Berry
Archie and Skinny are on their way to see the Queen and they must cross a moat to get to her castle. Archie, the goat, has grand plans to use a barrel of buttermilk to build a boat, Skinny, the chicken, is not convinced it will work!
Resources for What Floats in a Moat?:
Full Book Review (English)
Full Book Review (Spanish)
Brief Book Review (English)
Brief Book Review (Spanish)
Will a goat and a barrel full of buttermilk float in a moat?
Math Connections:
Buoyancy. Engineering
Problem Solving
Activities To Do Together:
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Discuss objects that float and objects that sink. If your child is not sure if an object will float or sink, allow them to experiment
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Build a small “boat” together to see if it will carry small objects.
Extension Questions:
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Why didn’t the goat want to take the drawbridge?
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Why do you think the first boat, the S.S. Buttermilk, sank?
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Why do you think the second boat, the S.S. Empty, floated?
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What was different about the S.S. Ballast that made it float AND sink? How do you know?
Vocabulary for Building Math Concepts:
mapped, measured