Golden sand glistened in the sunlight, while waves gently danced upon the shore. High in the sky, seabirds drift on a warm, salty breeze.
Sounds perfect – doesn’t it?
All is not as it seems!
Seating beneath a towering, palm tree, Mr Owen wonders how on earth he is ever going to get off this solitary, desert island.
Bright and bold, the piercing fire ball blazes down on his sore, aching back. It blinds him, making him feel weak and weary. As the marooned, skeletal man clambers to his feet, a familiar scent of the salty sea catches his nose, reminding him of home. The endless fish and chip suppers he would enjoy with his treasured family, just a memory away.
Surrounded by water but not a drop to drink, Mr Owen decided to take action. He HAD to escape this unforgiving paradise!
Year 4 to the rescue!
Your task is to build a raft that is stable, secure and can float. You must ensure you choose your natural materials carefully and use your expertise to bind the sections together. Not only that, you will need to ensure that your raft will float. Test it when complete and use five marbles as cargo.
Time is running out! You HAVE to rescue Mr Owen!
After planning a raft, Year 4 selected their materials and set to work.
The children were able to secure their models using techniques such as winding, weaving, knotting and sealing.
Next, it was time to see whether the rafts would float and be able to take a certain weight. To make this a fair test we all used five marbles. We checked for balance, floating and sinking. It was a very windy day yesterday, which meant that we could also test the sails on the rafts. Mr Owen may encounter a storm or two on his journey home.
Success!
Mr Owen is homeward bound!