MANSFIELD — Isabella Simmons, Isabelle Linder, Aleiah Salyers and Joslyn Bicker placed a cardboard boat gently into the pool at the Mansfield YMCA.
Simmons and Salyers climbed into it and pushed off from the pool’s ladder.
All four girls — eighth graders at Hillsdale Local Schools — spent the past week learning about water displacement in science class and designing their boat. It had a tropical party theme. They’d also double-reinforced their cardboard with tape so it wouldn’t get drenched in the water.
The goal: to get it from one end of the pool to the other as fast as they could without the boat sinking.
A group of boys had done it before them in just over a minute. A couple other groups’ boats had taken on water, sinking before they finished the journey to the other end of the pool.
They started paddling. Salyers said it felt like forever and she was shaky as she splashed forward.
Forty-two seconds later, the girls had reached the other end of the pool. Their group had the fastest boat of the day, winning one of four awards from their teachers.
But more than just winning, the girls took away valuable lessons about teamwork from their work on the boat.
“We need to not argue and work together,” Salyers said. “We all like to be leaders, but that doesn’t work well — we need to listen to each other.”
About the race
The girls’ victory came as part of an annual PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports) activity for eighth graders in Hillsdale Local Schools.
Positive behavioral interventions and supports, according to the Center on PBIS, aims to create “positive, predictable, equitable, and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.”
Todd Miller, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Hillsdale, said he got the idea from a Channel 8 Cleveland news story. He decided to bring it to his district. They’ve done the activity for four years, with the Mansfield YMCA as host each year.
Students are eligible to participate as long as they meet behavioral requirements — having no referrals or detentions — and as long as all their homework consistently gets finished. This year, 12 teams of three or four students each participated.
They received information packets about the project and spent the past week in science class talking about water displacement. Then, they came up with a plan for their boat and spent all of Friday morning building them in the YMCA’s basketball gym.
Miller said the project combines science and math skills. Students have to use what they know about water displacement and measurement to finish their boats.
At the end of the day, teachers hand out four prizes. They have one for the fastest boat, along with ones for best design, best theme and the Titanic Award for “the most epic sinking.”
Building bigger and better boats
For some students, the activity offers an opportunity to engage with their passions.
It certainly did for Cooper Baker, whose team built a “Hunger Games” boat that won this year’s theme award.
Baker spent time at home watching extra Youtube videos and reading up on water displacement. He aimed to help his team figure out how tall to make the boat. Based on his research, he knew the boat’s height would depend on where the water line in the pool would be.
Baker is involved in science activities and classes, and hopes to become an engineer one day.
His teammate, Hayden Jones, also practiced her skills. An artist, Jones got to be in charge of her group’s theme, and created a mockingjay drawing (a symbol in the “Hunger Games” franchise) that featured prominently on their boat.
The opportunity to do something exciting at school and make a good memory, Miller said, matters for students.
“So often these days, school feels like it’s about testing,” Miller said. “Sometimes we forget that school is supposed to be fun too.”
Winning teams
Fastest: Joslyn Bicker, Isabelle Linder, Aleiah Salyers and Isabella Simmons
Best theme: Cooper Baker, Derek Coleman, Kasey Gentry and Hayden Jones
Best design: Alyssa Clevidence, Rebecca Tucker, Mandy Jung and Chloe Bond
Titanic award: Morgan Smith, Brooklyn Morgan, Katy Skok and Rosalynn Martin
