Density: Penny Boats

How can you make a penny float?

Each student gets a 6" square of aluminum foil, with which he/she designs a boat that can carry a penny payload. 

The goal is carry a larger payload than anyone else.

There are several ways to present this activity:

--Each student gets one square of foil to make their boat and they compete with that original boat.
--Each student gets one square of foil, as well as access to water and pennies to test.  They then get a second square of foil to make their competition boat.
--Each student gets one square of foil, as well as access to water and an alternate payload.  They then get a second square of foil to make their competition boat.
--Each student gets a square of paper to use for design purposes.  They then get a square of foil to make their competition boat.

Depending upon how you choose to present this, you can make it a single day activity or a two day activity.