This is a 2 class period design challenge that your students will love.

Students are to build a "raft" out of a single piece of aluminum foil. The object of the challenge is to create a raft that holds the most pennies in the classroom. Students test their rafts by adding pennies one at a time until their raft is sunk.

After brainstorming and building their rafts, students are analyzing data and graphing their results. I had students input their data into an excel sheet that was displayed on a SMARTboard

I initially used groups of 2 for this assignment. Feel free to add or subtract the supplies students are given.

Each student needs:
1 piece of foil
Whatever supplies you want to give them! Make it challenging!
You will also need small buckets of water

I used this as a graphing/data collection review. I had engaged and excited students!