Projects on Submarines for the 6th Grade
Sixth-grade students search beyond simple toys and are ready for more than fun and game experiments. They now can understand how things work and will do those things needed to create submarines that sink and rise. Sixth-grade students are able to put together research and projects to explain to others how submarines came into existence and how they actually work.
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History
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Give the sixth-grade students the project to research the evolution of the submarine. The submarine didn't have just one inventor who continued to improve on his design. Instead, over hundreds of years, visionaries sought to create a vehicle that would submerge in the water and surface again under the control of the person in the submarine. The process was more than a little dangerous. Have the students chart the improvements made by different inventors as well as the steps forward and the steps backward.
Principles
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Have sixth-grade students learn the basic principle of the submarine. They research how and why submarines are able to submerge and surface. They also research differences in submarines and what those differences mean to the submarine's function. Students write a report on their findings that they translate onto poster board illustrations. Using pictures, charts and graphs, students reveal basic submarine design, how submarines work, how design changed over the years and why. Arrows show the different parts of the submarine with text explaining those parts.
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Danger Factor
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Submarines always carry a danger factor. After all, those riding, working and living in submarines are usually submerged far beneath the sea. Submarine accidents, especially in the early years of perfecting design, caused the loss of countless lives. Have sixth-grade students document the safety of submarines and their early failure rates, along with causes for submarine malfunctions other than enemy attacks. Chart the accident and death rates. Research the present safety of submarines and what safety features are now in place to keep accidents at a minimum.
Models That Submerge
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Team sixth-grade students into groups of three. Their submarine project is to create a working submarine. The students choose the materials, but they cannot use a toy submarine or a purchased product. They must learn what makes a submarine submerge and surface and create their submarine from material usually found around the house. The submarine must submerge and surface at least once. Ask students to document their thoughts and attempts as well as what worked and what did not. They must show their line of reasoning that led them to their final and workable model.
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References
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