: Hi Brent

: Sounds like a great idea, but may I ask out of curiousity sake: Of all the
: types of boats, most use fiberglass and resin, which could be a very
: serious concern for both the school and parents as to the childrens safety
: and health. How would you get around or through that process with reguards
: to safety and possible health issues??

: Also, if you built a skin on frame, I can see how you can get around the
: resin issue, but do you think that you can keep the interest level up in a
: group of 5th graders during the building process??

Skin on frame sounds like a great way to go with this project. Besides sidestepping all the nasty chemical issues, you could integrate SOF construction with a social studies/history lesson dealing with Inuit culture. A conservation lesson could be taught which would dovetail with your choice of "skin", explaining why seal skin is no longer an option. The physics of buoyancy and displacement could be included, maybe even a life science/hypothermia lesson. Sounds cool! (Wish you were my teacher)

Jim