Classroom Lesson with Durlston School's Eco-Club

Overview

On March 6, 2025, The International SeaKeepers Society attended Durlston School’s Eco-Club session to explore the many functions of ocean-going vessels using an adapted version of SeaKeepers’ Sailboats lesson plan, created in partnership with Pip Hare Ocean Racing. The students investigated why boats are built differently to perform a diverse range of functions and how their individual structures allow them to do so successfully. Taking inspiration from this discussion, the students used recyclable materials to create their own boats with a specific function in mind. Their creations included cargo ships, racing boats, rafts and classic sailboats. While creating their vessels, SeaKeepers highlighted the importance of trial and error and not giving up when aiming to achieve your goals, in particular when the students experienced obstacles during the creating process. To assess the success of their creations, the students took their boats to the school’s pond to investigate whether they could perform the main function of any ocean-going vessel – to float. The students were pleased as all their vessels managed to float on the pond, proving that their resilience during the design and creation process was highly valuable in their journey to success.

SeaKeepers want to thank Durlston School’s Eco-Club for welcoming the UK team into their classroom and for their positive engagement in the session. We look forward to following-up on this school-based classroom lesson with a coastal classroom session in the Summer, where we will introduce the theme of plastic pollution and the importance of making positive lifestyle changes to better protect the marine environment.