Last month, The Episcopal School of Dallas Upper School science teacher Matt Varvir challenged his AP Physics II class to construct a watercraft out of recyclable materials that could float on its own. Using cardboard, aluminum, or plastic, the raft should support at least 150 lbs of weight when floating in the quarry. Further requirements included making the watercraft 1) as small of a volume as possible and 2) as buoyant as possible. And, because he knew they would want to, students were allowed to race their floats across ESD’s quarry pond and back.
Yesterday, many Upper School students and teachers gathered outside to watch the resulting watercraft while Mr. Varvir and Asst. Director of Outdoor Education Davis Felder ’06 supervised from the water. Ranging from pallets made entirely of water jugs to a plastic boat resembling a professional race car, the four watercrafts were a sight! The team that won the speed race was Lily Baughman ’21, Charlotte Podeszwa ’21, and Sofia Weinstein ’21. The team that held up the most weight was Henry Isom, Tarun Mittal ’21, and Braden Montgomery ’21 – it was able to hold at least 800 lbs.
The students did a great job designing their rafts and everyone enjoyed watching the race. We love getting to take learning outside on our beautiful campus!
