A couple of weeks ago, as we were heading out to Costco – Manasi asked us to pick up a couple of boxes. She had to build a boat, she said, for a Physics project. And not just a little paper boat, you know, the kind we’ve all floated in rainwater puddles – but a boat big enough to carry 2 people across the length of the DHS pool and back! Read that sentence again – a CARDBOARD boat, mind you! Our first reaction – no way, the cardboard will get soggy, and to actually have people in it – how will this ever work?! And then, wait, if this for real, we’re going to need a lot more than a couple of boxes!!

Manasi showed us the instructions for the project – and I have to admit, it sounded pretty cool! What a novel way to teach kids to apply Archimedes Principle – all we got was a picture of good old Archimedes stepping out of a bathtub, yelling ‘Eureka’! And it wasn’t just building the boat – the kids, working in teams of 2, had to design the boat, write a paper explaining the calculations that would conclude that their designed boat would float, and then prove their design by getting into that boat and paddle it back and forth across the pool!

So Manasi and her partner, NS, got to work – they hit all the superstores and groceries and scrounged up a ton of cardboard. Their design was fairly simple – a rectangle for the body, where they would both sit, and triangles added for the prow and the bow. There was a lot of discussion about whether they would sit criss-cross or kneel down – finally settled on kneeling, as it would give them more leverage to paddle and the boat could be narrower! Ajey helped Manasi measure the needed height to reach the water – the actual height would take into account the submerged portion as well. Of course, Ajey couldn’t resist building a model – Sunny definitely appreciated his efforts!

With all calculations done, paper submitted – the girls were ready to start building the boat! They started with 2 ‘seats’ and then started building the body with a couple of layers of cardboard. We figured that with a couple of layers, the boat stood a better chance of not getting waterlogged! Ajey did help a little with the brute strength needed to get the first bend in the cardboard – and the girls took it from there. It was time-consuming – lots of tape and patching – but soon, the boat started to emerge from the cardboard! Once they had the triangular ends taped to the boat – the girls got some practice in for the paddling! So much fun!!

The night before the ‘regatta’, the boat was brought up from the basement, and the girls did a final round of taping to seal all the joints. If not sea-worthy, the boat looked at least pool-worthy!! Then the paddles – 2 each – again, 3 layers of cardboard and duct-tape handles made for very sturdy paddles! Now for the most important part of the project – a theme for the team! The girls were very creative – and they had me in splits with one in particular – a riff on one of Columbus’ ships, the Santa MaNidhi, actually finding its way to India instead of the the US! They finally settled on being the ‘Amazons’, with an additional pun on Amazon boxes! Taking the boat to school was easier than we thought – NS brought her family’s mini-van, and the almost 2 meter boat fit in quite comfortably! The Amazons were ready for battle!!

By the time Ajey and I got to the pool, there were a couple more parents who had arrived. We were surprised by the number of kids that soon trickled in to watch the race! The contestants then walked in with their boats to loud cheers from the audience! The Amazons were a little nervous, but their boat certainly looked sturdier than the others! The Physics teacher counted them down and 3 boats were lowered into the water, and off they go!! NS was in the front of the boat, and she started paddling furiously – the Amazons were soon leading! One other team started out strong, but the back end of their boat was soon sinking – the partner in the front made a valiant effort, but to no avail! The 2nd boat in the race fell apart as it tried to turn! The kids were great sports, laughing at themselves – and the audience loved the mishaps! And although the other 2 boats in the race floundered, the Amazons paddled intently, staying afloat and making it back safely!

Needless to say, much fun was had by all! It’s really incredible to me that this was an actual graded school project – and not an extracurricular activity! I haven’t laughed so hard in ages – some of the kids really know how to play to the gallery – and even if their boats didn’t make it all the way, they were still cheered on enthusiastically!! And it may be hard to believe, but these ‘cardboard regattas’ are actually a huge thing in a lot of universities, including MIT! Of course, those boats are a little more sophisticated, but the basic concept is the same!! Amazing way to turn a theoretical subject like Physics into a rousing, crowd-pleasing event!! I’m sure Archimedes himself would appreciate this practical demonstration of his ‘Eureka’ moment!!! Mr. O, we can’t wait to see what comes next!!