Sixth-grade students at St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point have been studying Archimedes’ principle of buoyancy as an interdisciplinary unit for the past five weeks.
The unit launched with class book talks centering around the historical fiction novel The Cay, by Theodore Taylor. Once the novel was completed, the students worked in small groups to research, select, and then illustrate their vessel model of choice. The groups then constructed a small version of their illustration using a file folder and twelve inches of tape. The smaller version, once approved by the teacher, Mrs. Michelle Sarabia, was then constructed as an eight-foot vessel made of cardboard and duct tape. The respective groups chose a representative to man the boat with a goal of racing the craft for a minimum of twenty seconds. The project concluded with a boat race at the local Southlake YMCA and amazingly, the boats floated.
“We’re very grateful to the Southlake YMCA for allowing our teacher’s vision to become a reality with the use of their pool. This activity was one that our students will never forget!” said principal, Tom Ruiz. A video of this culminating activity can be found on St. Mary’s official YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/3s9FDUuwmZw
St. Mary Catholic Community School in Crown Point offers grade levels Junior Pre-Kindergarten (for three-year-olds) through grade eight. St. Mary’s faculty teaches a rich curriculum supported by cutting-edge technology. Faith, Academic Excellence, Life Lessons, and Compassion are the pillars of the school. Students in all grades are provided with opportunities for fun projects and activities to make learning interesting and relevant. To learn more about St. Mary School’s visit stmarycp.org/school or call 663-0676.
