At Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School students enrolled in physics 1 have begun their annual Boat Regatta projects. Students who partake in the Boat Regatta are required to build a boat out of cardboard, tape and other select materials and make it float in the pool and compete in events using concepts that they have learned throughout the year.

Mr. Barsody, a physics teacher, spoke out about what the Boat Regatta is and the benefits of participating in the project. According to Mr. Barsody, “The Boat Regatta is a fun, collaborative project where teams of Physics I students make a boat out of cardboard and waterproofing materials and then compete in various events in the school’s swimming pool.”

The Boat Regatta also manages to test student’s knowledge, application of physics and engineering principles. Building a cardboard boat made of select materials is not easy and requires many references to Physics 1 lessons. The project helps students put all the things that they learned throughout the year to a test.

Mr. Barsody remarked that he does the Boat Regatta every year because of a large student interest. He added that he did not even know what the Boat Regatta was when he first started teaching, until his students shared the idea with him. He continued by discussing how his favorite part of the Boat Regatta is to see the creative minds of students at work.

Teams choose a theme for their boat and the captain and crew often dress the part. He concluded by stating “It’s a memorable project. Students learn a lot about team work, organization, planning, and setting defined goals. These things will benefit them in college and in their lives. They review and learn a lot of physics along the way too.”

A student, Katelynn Smith, noted that the Boat Regatta is a great way to demonstrate what students have learned throughout the year while also making it fun and enjoyable. It’s a unique project that everyone in a group can contribute to even if they aren’t the best at something.

The Boat Regatta will be held on Monday, May 13, 2019 in the swimming pool. The Boat Regatta will start at the beginning of AM Activity period and will end at the end of 5th period. Visitors must have a ticket provided by a Physics 1 student to attend.