Noach- Keeping Afloat

I really wanted to take the family to the zoo for Parshat Noach. It is a great way to appreciate the awesome
variety of Hashem's creatures and the envision the miraculous way they all fit on the ark.
However, the rains started before we had a chance, so it was too wet to go to the zoo. I waited for it to dry for a few days, but then realized I was missing the chance for other projects.

It was time to do some scientific research.

1) Rainfall study.
 We set a baking pan outside to see how much rain it would catch. During about 6 hours of rain, one inch of water was collected.
Cohava charted the progress.
Before we were able to move onto the next part of the experiment, Ruti dumped out all of the water!
We were going to estimate how much more could be collected and multiply for 40 days and nights non-stop. Next year we'll try again.

2) What floats?
"What did Noach build his boat out of?"
"Wood!" Cohava replied.
"Why?"
"Hashem told him to," Gabi said, offhandedly.
"Does wood float?"
"Yah."
"What else does?"
"I dunno."
"When we went on a boat with Sam and Reggie, was it wood?"
"Nope. It was plastic," Cohava said.
"Maybe metal," Gabi added.
We collected an assortment of materials to see which would float. Gohava was keen to include actual fabric. The girls talked about when Curious George made boats out of newspaper and tried that too.

They added a wooden teapot, plastic container, metal coins, glass bowl, and a few other odds and ends.  They were surprised but what did and did not float.
"Why do metal coins sink and metal boats float?" Gabi asked.
We made a 'boat' out of aluminium foil and floated it.
"Why does the foil float? It is the shape? It it lighter?"
Hmmm...

Shabbat Shalom!