Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Water Resistance Boat Test: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Water Resistance Boat Test is a free printable science worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children test foil boat shapes, guess which will cross the water best, time each one and record the results in a table. The big question is: which foil boat shape moves best? It takes about 30 minutes and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well. An adult should supervise the water play and mop up spills.
What is on the sheet
Children look at the boat shapes and guess how they will rank, then plan a fair test. They fill in a table with four columns: boat shape, their guess, the time to cross in seconds, and the actual rank. Then they use the lines for writing to explain which shape has the least water resistance, and how they know. Comparing a guess with a real result is the heart of the sheet.
- Boat shape
- My guess (rank 1 to 4)
- Time to cross (s)
- Actual rank
Setting up a fair test
Change one thing only
In this test the thing that changes is the boat shape. Everything else should stay the same, so that any difference in the times is down to the shape.
Keep the rest the same
Use the same tray or container, the same amount of water, the same start line and finish line, and the same size of foil for every boat. Give each boat the same gentle push.
Time carefully
Agree who starts the timer and who watches the finish line. Start the clock the moment the boat is let go. Stop it when the front of the boat reaches the end.
Wait for calm water
Ripples from the last go can change the next one. Let the water settle before each boat. Dry your hands and mop up any spills as you go.
What is water resistance?
Water resistance is a force. It acts against anything that moves through water, and it slows that thing down. You can feel it if you push your hand through a bowl of water. A moving object has to push water out of the way, and the water pushes back. Scientists sometimes call this kind of force drag.
Boat builders, swimmers and divers all think about water resistance. The shape of an object changes how it moves through water, so shape is something we can test. A fair test helps us trust our results. If we change only one thing and measure carefully, we can explain what caused the difference. That is the skill this sheet practises.
Water play needs an adult. Use a shallow tray or container on a towel, and mop up spills at once because wet floors are slippery. Keep water away from anything electrical. Foil edges can be sharp, so fold them over and let an adult do any trimming.
Quick facts about water resistance
- Water resistance is a force that pushes against things moving through water.
- Water resistance slows moving things down. It is sometimes called drag.
- You can feel it by pushing your hand through a bowl of water, then waving it through the air.
- Boat designers, swimmers and divers all have to think about it.
- Scientists repeat tests so they can be more sure about their results.
Skills and curriculum link
- Fair testing
- Predicting
- Recording results
- Ranking
- Drawing conclusions
- Working scientifically
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Science | Forces | Year 5 |
What children will be able to do
- I can plan a fair test.
- I can record how my boat moves.
- I can say which shape has the least water resistance.
Ideas to help children think like scientists
- Predict firstAsk your child to guess before any boat goes in the water. A guess is not wrong if the result is different. Surprises are a good thing in science.
- Say what stays the sameBefore each go, ask what is the same as last time. Naming the things you keep fixed is the heart of a fair test.
- Look for patternsOnce the times are written down, ask what they notice. Encourage them to compare the guess column with the result column.
- Use cause and reasonAsk them to finish the sentence: I think this boat did better because. Reasons matter more than getting the guess right.
Key words
- Water resistanceA force that pushes against something moving through water and slows it down.
- ForceA push or a pull.
- Fair testA test where you change only one thing and keep everything else the same.
- PredictionA careful guess about what will happen before you test it.
- RankTo put things in order, such as first, second and third.
- ConclusionWhat you found out, and the reason you think it happened.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for the grown up.
- Read the sheet together. Look at the boat shapes and ask your child to guess how they will rank, then write the guesses in the table.
- Set up the test with an adult in charge of the water. Talk about what must stay the same so the test is fair.
- Test each shape, time how long it takes to cross and fill in the table. Then work out the actual rank.
- Use the lines to write a conclusion. Check the notes on page 2, then come back another day to try a new idea.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with just two shapes. Put both at the same start line, give each the same gentle push and watch which one reaches the other end first. Say what you saw out loud, then write it in the table. Add more shapes once that feels easy.
To stretch confident children
Run each test three times for every shape and write all three times down. Then find the middle result, the one that sits between the other two when the times are put in order. Use the middle results to rank the shapes. Does the ranking change?
Make it a game
Race two boats side by side in the same tray, with a grown up watching the water. The winner stays in. The other player changes one thing about the shape and tries again. Keep everything else the same so you know what made the difference.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child changes the shape and also the size of the foil, or the push, so the test is not fair.
Try thisMake a list of what stays the same before starting. Tick each item off before every go.
Watch forThe timer starts late or stops early, so the times look odd.
Try thisAgree one person to time. Say Ready, go, and start the clock as the boat is let go. Stop it when the front of the boat reaches the finish.
Watch forA child mixes up the guess rank and the actual rank, or thinks a bigger time means a faster boat.
Try thisPoint out that the time is how long the boat took. A smaller number of seconds means it crossed more quickly. Rank from the smallest time upwards.
Talk about it
- What do you think will happen when the boat moves through the water? Why?
- What did you keep the same to make your test fair?
- Was your guess close to the real result? What surprised you?
- How could you be more sure about your result?
- Where else do things move through water, and why might shape matter there?
- What would you change about a boat shape next, and what would you keep the same?
Take it off the page
Hand push test
Fill a bowl with water on a towel. Push a flat hand through it, then turn the hand a different way and push again. Talk about what you feel. An adult should supervise.
Design a boat
Sketch three different boat shapes on paper. Label each one and write which you think will cross fastest, and why.
Water in the real world
Look in books or on posters at boats, fish and swimmers. Talk about how their shapes might help them move through water.
Who it is for
Parents
Read the sheet with your child first and let them lead the testing. You are in charge of the water and the mopping up. Short bursts work well. Praise careful thinking and fair testing, not just a correct guess.
Teachers
Use it as a practical science lesson on forces and working scientifically, or as a table activity with adult supervision. Ask groups to agree what stays the same before they start. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
This works well as one hands on science session within a wider forces topic. It uses simple items from around the house and a shallow tray. Brothers and sisters can join in, and you can print it again to repeat the test with new shapes.
Where this fits in science
Before this, children meet pushes, pulls and forces in earlier years, and practise asking questions and making careful observations. This sheet builds on that by asking them to plan a fair test and record measurements.
After this, children can plan their own enquiries, choose what to measure and decide how to record results. They can also explore other forces, such as air resistance and friction, in the same careful way.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- What did you keep the same to make it fair?
- Which shape moved fastest, and why?
- What would you test next?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Water Resistance Boat Test for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10), in Key Stage 2. It links to the forces strand of the National Curriculum for England, and to working scientifically.
- What will children practise?
They plan a fair test, record results in a table and say which shape has the least water resistance. They also compare a prediction with real results and explain their thinking.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 30 minutes. Set up and tidying are part of that. Short bursts are fine too, so you can test on one day and write the conclusion on another.
- What do we need to do the test?
You need a shallow tray of water, foil boats, a timer and a towel. An adult should supervise the water and mop up spills. Page 1 has the table for recording.
- What if it feels too hard?
Compare just two shapes and watch which one gets across first. Use the same start line and the same gentle push. Once that feels easy, add more shapes and start timing.
- Is it free, and is it screen free?
Yes to both. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It needs only paper, a pencil and a safe water set up, so it works well for quiet time and rainy days.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a practical lesson, a table activity or homework. Home educators can use it alone or within a wider science plan. It prints well in black and white on plain A4.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.