About
Have you ever seen a ship in a bottle? Sailors originally made them to pass the time on long voyages at sea. They became hugely popular – people all around the world still make them today.
But how do they get such a tall and delicate model through the narrow neck of a bottle? This is a question that has kept people guessing for centuries.
In this short, 2 minute video, a curator from the National Maritime Museum races against the clock to answer this big question in a matter of seconds. How did they do?
Teacher notes
A ship in a bottle is an iconic craft that has kept people guessing for centuries. Sailors originally made them to pass the time on long voyages at sea. They became hugely popular and people all around the world still make them today. But how do they get such a tall and delicate model through the narrow neck of a bottle?
In this short, 2 minute video, a curator from the National Maritime Museum races against the clock to answer this perennial question in a matter of seconds.
How do the students think they did? Does this give them enough information to meet the challenge of making their own ship in a bottle? What else could they design and make to fit inside a bottle..?
