Thanksgiving STEM Activity: Mayflower Cargo Float Challenge (THX01) | Middle School Physical Science (Grades 6-8)

? THANKSGIVING STEM ACTIVITY: MAYFLOWER CARGO FLOAT CHALLENGE (THX01)

3-Page STEM Activity | Print-Ready PDF Format

Bring Thanksgiving history to life through naval engineering, fluid mechanics, and buoyancy physics! The Mayflower Cargo Float Challenge (THX01) challenges middle school student teams to act as naval architects, designing a foil vessel to transport maximum cargo weight (pennies) without breaching the waterline or sinking.

Students explore Archimedes' Principle, buoyant force, water displacement volume (1g = 1mL), center of gravity distribution, and hull geometry optimization!

? WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS 3-PAGE PACKET?

• ? Page 1: Teacher Guide & Lesson Plan: NGSS alignment (MS-PS2-2, MS-ETS1-2), target science concepts, setup guide, expected student outcomes, answer keys, and math troubleshooting tips.

• ? Page 2: Student Mission Card & Blueprint: Real-world naval engineering scenario hook. Clear material limits box (aluminum foil, craft sticks, tape, testing basin, zero-leak rule). Dedicated Vessel Hull Architecture & Vector Schematic sketching zone.

• ? Page 3: Testing Log & Scientific Reflection: Structured Data Testing Table (dry hull mass g, total cargo units supported, failure modes across 3 trials). Applied Math Connection (calculate Structural Efficiency Ratios = Cargo Mass / Vessel Mass). Physics reflection questions.

? CORE STEM SKILLS COVERED:

• Naval Architecture, Buoyancy & Fluid Dynamics Physics

• Archimedes' Principle, Mass Displacement & Center of Gravity Balance

• Data Logging, Mass Measurement (g), and Ratio Math Calculations

• Hull Shape Geometry and Structural Efficiency Optimization

? WHY TEACHERS LOVE THIS RESOURCE:

• 3-Page Professional Layout: Includes a complete Page 1 Teacher Guide for seamless prep, keeping student lab sheets clean and ready to print!

• Low-Cost Materials: Uses simple aluminum foil, craft sticks or straws, masking tape, and metal washers or pennies.

• High-Impact Physics Lab: Makes abstract buoyant force equations concrete, measurable, and hands-on for Grades 6-8!

• Format: High-resolution, print-ready PDF format (3 Pages).

Target Grades: 6th, 7th, 8th / Middle School

Subject Area: Physical Science, Physics, Forces and Motion, Fluid Mechanics, Thanksgiving STEM Labs

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