Hey everybody, you're just in time.
We're planning a big summer vacation.
All our friends are going to get together and go swimming at the lake.
Everybody's going to be there, including Juniper.
I can't wait.
This is going to be so much fun.
What?
Oh no.
Okay.
Squeaks went to find his toy boat because Juniper was going to ride on it at the lake, but he thinks maybe he lent it to somebody who didn't return it.
Sam, would you know anything about that?
Who, me?
No way.
Sam?
For real.
Maybe I like to play jokes sometimes, but not if it means our friend would miss out on our whole vacation.
So the boat is really missing.
Hmm.
That's a big problem.
That's okay, guys.
You go ahead and have fun.
I'll catch up with you later.
I agree with Squeaks.
We don't want anyone to miss out on our amazing trip.
But Jessie, Juniper can't go out on the lake without a boat.
And she won't have any fun if she's stuck on shore.
How are we going to solve this problem?
Ooh, Squeak says, what if there was another way Juniper could float on the lake with us?
You two have given me an idea.
We just identified something we'd like to change, a problem we'd like to solve.
You know who thinks up solutions to problems like ours?
Engineers.
Let's be engineers and solve Juniper's problem.
I bet we could make something to help her, but I don't know how to build a boat.
I agree, but that's exactly the kind of challenge engineers like to solve.
We could put together a simple boat, a raft.
Let's get started.
Hold on a sec, Sam.
Engineers think about the problem and do a little bit of planning before they get started.
They ask questions and try to find out as much about the problem as they can.
Let's talk to our friends to gather information.
Juniper, the raft has to do what you need.
So let's start with you.
But we already know what the problem is.
It's that I don't have a boat.
That's right.
But the more specific things we can identify about the problem, the easier it will be to solve.
Well, it definitely needs to float.
Does that help?
Yes, it does.
We'll need materials that float in order to build our raft.
And I don't want to fall off, either.
That's very important, too.
The raft has to be big enough that Juniper can ride on it safely.
Squeaks, can you go search the fort for materials that can float?
Meanwhile, I'll call our friends and see if I can gather any more information.
I'll start with Dino.
Hi, Dino.
We need a way for Juniper to join us on the lake.
Do you have any ideas?
Well, who needs to swim when you can fly?
I think you should design a way to fly Juniper across the lake, maybe with a paper airplane or a really big fan.
Ooh, interesting.
Dino suggested solving a different problem.
Instead of helping Juniper float, we'd help her fly.
Engineers often consider different solutions, but in this case, I think we should focus on a raft.
Hmm, who else can I call?
Oh, Bill and Webb.
I see what you mean about Juniper needing to stay safe.
Absolutely.
Safety is very important.
You've never agreed with me in your life.
Are you feeling OK?
Well, obviously the way to make the raft safe is for it to be big enough that Juniper won't get too close to the edge.
She has to fit on it comfortably.
What?
Clearly the way to make it safe is to have a handle or a railing she can hold on to.
That's nowhere near as important as making it big enough.
Yes, it is.
Big enough!
Handle!
Wow!
As usual, even though they disagree, they're both right.
In fact, we learned something from that conversation.
We determined that the raft needs to be safe for Juniper.
From talking to Bill and Webb, it seems like that means it both has to be big enough for her to fit on comfortably and to have some kind of railing or handlebar to help her stay secure.
So that's great!
I was able to gather some information that we didn't have before.
Now, where has Squeaks gone?
Wow!
All this stuff is great!
We can definitely find something here that will make an amazing raft!
Oh, Squeaks asked how we should use these things to build a raft for Juniper.
That's a great question.
It's also a question that has more than one answer.
We can make lots of different kinds of rafts using the materials we have.
We've done the first step in the process engineers use to solve problems.
We've identified the problem, and collected information.
The next step is to create a design.
That's a way we think we can solve the problem.
In this case, we'll create a design for a raft.
I want to create my own design.
That's a great idea, Sam!
Squeaks, do you want to make a design too?
Great!
Let's all think about how we can use these materials to help solve Juniper's problem and get to work on our designs.
Oh, hi.
Welcome back to the fort.
We're trying to solve a problem.
See, we're all going on vacation together at the lake.
Juniper was going to join us by using Squeaks' toy boat to float along.
But Squeaks can't find the boat.
We decided to think like engineers as we try to solve this problem.
We decided to build a raft for Juniper.
We looked around the fort to find some things we could use.
And I'm ready to start designing my raft.
So how exactly should I do that?
I've never designed a boat before.
Ah, good questions.
One thing an engineer does when they design a solution to a problem is what we're doing right now.
We're not really doing anything, though.
Except standing around talking.
And that's it, Sam.
Engineers talk to each other.
They share ideas about the problem just like we did.
Do you remember what we said when we talked about how our raft needed to solve our specific problem?
We worked together to come up with three things.
That's right, Squeaks.
It needs to be able to float, and I need to be able to fit on it and stay safe.
So when we design our rafts, we need to keep those things in mind.
Let's take a good look at our materials and then draw designs for our rafts.
We have a kitchen sponge, some craft sticks, cardboard paper, a ball of modeling clay, some aluminum foil and corks and a big flat rock.
Let's think about these materials and how we could use them in our designs.
Oh, interesting.
Why do you think the stone might or might not work?
I see.
Squeaks says the stone is flat like a raft, so he wants to try it.
But he thinks it might not work because he throws rocks in the fort's pond all the time and they always sink.
That's a great observation, Squeaks.
Not all of the materials we use are going to be good for making a raft.
Even though the stone kind of looks like a raft and is big enough for juniper, it sinks when we put it in water.
We need something that floats, so let's try out our other things.
Okay, of the materials we tested, the craft sticks, corks, cardboard, and aluminum foil floated.
So these things seem to be good things to use as part of a raft.
The sponge and the paper floated for a while, but eventually sank.
And the modeling clay didn't float at all.
So while we might be able to incorporate these things into our raft, it has to be made mostly of something that floats.
Now we know how our materials might solve our problem, so everybody can incorporate them into their designs.
I'll check in with our other friends and see how their designs are coming along.
While Squeaks, you can go ahead and draw your design.
Here's Dino's design.
He drew a paper airplane for Juniper to fly on, so that she's far above the water.
And he included a big fan to help keep the plane in the air.
But I see a few potential reasons this design might not work.
Do you?
I think that if the paper airplane does land in the water, it would probably get soggy and sink.
Plus, we'll be outside by the lake with nowhere to plug a fan in.
It looks like Bill and Webb are still arguing over what's more important the size of the raft or having handholds for safety.
Their designs both put a lot of emphasis on the things they think are more important.
I think maybe we can find a balance between these two ideas, but it looks like everybody else is done drawing, so let's see what they came up with.
Juniper, your design looks great.
Why don't you tell us how it works?
I drew a picture of a raft made of aluminum foil.
When we tested the aluminum foil, it floated.
I made it big enough for me to curl up inside, and it has sides so I don't fall out.
That definitely seems like it might work.
Squeaks.
What did you come up with?
Nice job, Squeaks.
You drew a picture of a raft made of craft six.
And there's a handle in the middle for Juniper to use.
How about you, Sam?
Here's my design.
My picture shows a raft made out of cardboard.
It's got corks on the bottom of it, so it floats really well.
Plus, it has a sail.
Ooh, it looks very stylish!
You know what I like about these designs?
They all show how they will solve our problem.
Sam's design shows that the corks will help it float.
Juniper's is the right size and Squeak's has a nice handle for safety.
Those are the main things we decided our design would need to do.
What's next?
Great question.
We have a lot of designs, but we'll probably build just one raft.
Then how do we decide which one is best?
The same way engineers do.
We'll each build our designs.
Then we'll test them to see which one solves our problem the best.
That sounds like fun.
It will be.
Let's get building, and then we can test our designs.
Hello and welcome back to the Fort!
We're working on designing rafts for Juniper.
We're all going to the lake together, but Juniper is too small to swim and Squeaks can't find the boat he was going to lend her.
We talked about how to solve this problem, and we decided we could make her a raft.
Juniper, Squeaks and Sam each drew a picture or design for a raft that Juniper might be able to use on the lake.
But we still have to decide which design to use.
These look awesome.
And it's something engineers do too.
They look at their drawings to build a special model of their design called a prototype.
These rafts are our prototypes.
Then engineers test their prototypes to see how well their design solves the problem.
So let's test our prototypes out.
Remember, our raft needs to do three things.
It has to float.
It has to be the right size. and it has to keep me safe.
Here's Juniper's prototype.
Let's see how well her design does.
Juniper made a raft out of aluminum foil.
The raft floated when we put it in the water and the pipe cleaners we used for testing fit inside its shape, which kind of looks like a bowl.
But the raft wasn't very stable.
It tipped over when the water got rough.
And splashing in the water is part of the fun.
So it solved parts of the problem.
But I don't think I'd feel very safe in that raft.
Right.
Now, Squeaks, he made his raft out of craft sticks, which we know float in water.
Its shape is different from the foil raft.
This raft is flat, and it has a handle in the middle for Juniper to hold onto.
It floats really well.
But that raft seems a little too small.
I don't want to get too wet, and I'm not sure how well I can hold on to that handle.
Now, Sam made his model from cardboard and corks.
It floats really well on the water at first.
It had a wide, flat shape and had plenty of room for juniper.
But look what happens after a while.
The cardboard gets wet and starts to sag and fall apart.
And I want Juniper to be able to play all day with us.
Me too.
But how do we know which one Juniper should use?
None of our rafts were perfect.
They all had problems.
What would an engineer do?
Right, Squeaks?
An engineer wouldn't give up.
They would try again to find a solution to the problem.
Try again?
But we already made our designs.
True, but engineers rarely expect their designs to be just right the first time.
That's why we test and compare our ideas, so we can learn from them and make improvements.
It's not about getting it right the first time.
It's about learning and making our designs better.
What did we learn when we tested the rafts?
We can use that to make our next designs better.
Oh, Squeaks thinks we should use craft sticks instead of cardboard, because his raft didn't get soggy.
But we should use enough of them so that the raft has the same shape as mine, wide and flat.
That way there's plenty of room for juniper.
And we could still use the corks like I did in my design.
That way juniper will be nice and high above the water.
Ooh, I agree.
We need to think about safety, too.
What if we added sides to the raft, like in my design?
That will help keep me from falling off the raft, even if the water gets rough.
See?
You're using everything we learned to improve our design.
Let's put all of these ideas together to make a new design.
Okay, everybody.
Operation Save Juniper's Vacation has reached its final phase.
Presenting our raft design.
Let's test it out.
Is everybody ready?
Yes!
Okay, does our raft float?
Yes!
Is it big enough for Juniper?
Yes!
And will it keep juniper safe even if there end up being waves in the lake?
Yes!
Great work, team!
We've worked together, just like engineers do, to come up with a design that solves a problem.
We'd better get packing.
We have an exciting vacation coming up.
Oh, hey!
I'm glad everyone's here.
I had some fascinating new results I wanted to share with you in all my studies of buoyancy and fluid dynamics.
Oh, hi there, Dr. Turtleman.
We've been doing some studies of our own.
Hold on a second.
Is that Squeaks' boat?
The one Juniper was going to ride?
Oh, I guess it is.
I didn't think he'd miss it.
And it was just going to be for a couple of minutes, but then all the experiments were so fascinating that I got a bit carried away.
Ugh, you mean we did all that work for nothing?
But not for nothing, Sam.
I had fun thinking like an engineer.
Ah!
Me three.
In fact, I might still use the design we made together.
That sounds great, Juniper, and thank you to everybody.
Thanks to you too for joining us on SciShow Kids.
If you want to have fun with me, Squeaks and all our friends, you can subscribe to SciShow Kids and we'll see you next time here at the fort.
