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Nature Tools for a Lake Cork Race

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Nature Tools for a Lake Cork Race

Use nature clues to build, test, and predict.

Look for Nature Clues

Listen to the club's plan. Use the nature clues to answer.

The Lake Cork-Race Club

The cork-race club meets on dry land beside a lake. An adult fills shallow tubs with water. The children want to move a large floating cork without touching it. They also need a floating starting hoop to stay near its starting spot.

The club looks at nature photos. A duck has skin between its toes. Its wide feet push water backward as it swims forward to food. A water lily has roots in the muddy lake bottom. Moving water shifts its leaves, but the rooted plant stays in place.

1.
How can the duck's wide feet help it survive?
Question 1 options
2.
Which paddle copies the skin between a duck's toes?
Question 2 options
3.
A water lily's roots come loose from the mud. The water is moving. What is more likely now?
Question 3 options

Test the Paddle Ideas

Use the test notes and graph. Predict what the club should try next.

An adult makes three smooth plastic paddles: narrow with no holes, wide with holes, and wide with no holes. The club changes the paddle design. They keep the cork, starting line, water level, and paddle depth the same. They make three matching pushes in the water behind the cork. The paddle does not touch the cork. They count how many grid squares the cork moves.
Our Cork Test Results0123456NarrowWide, holesWide, solidPaddle designSquares moved
4.

How many more squares did the cork move with the wide, solid paddle than with the narrow paddle? squares

5.
The finish line is 5 squares from the start. Which tested paddle moved the cork far enough?
Question 5 options
6.
Nia says, "Holes helped our wide paddle move the cork farther." What do the results show?
Question 6 options
7.
The club will compare two new paddle designs. Circle two things to keep the same for a fair test.

8.
The club repeats the wide, solid paddle test in the same way. About how far would you predict the cork will move?
Question 8 options
9.
Which wide paddle would you choose? Use both wide-paddle results to tell why. Tell how your choice is like a duck's foot.

Hold, Improve, and Design

Use the water lily clue to help the club hold its starting hoop in place.

10.
Which hoop design uses an idea from water lily roots?
Question 10 options
The club tests the same hoop two ways. They use the same water level and three matching pushes. Untied, the hoop moves 5 squares. Tied by a cord to a weight that stays on the bottom, it moves 1 square before the cord holds it.
11.
Which claim do the hoop tests support?
Question 11 options
12.
Later, the cord breaks and the hoop drifts away. The weight stays on the bottom. Which change should the club test next?
Question 12 options
13.
Draw your cork-race tools. Show a paddle that uses the duck-foot idea. Show a hoop holder that uses the root idea. Add arrows to show what each tool does.