Underwater Maneuver
Submarines and How They Move
Level: Middle/High School
Subject: Science
Objective: Students will understand the relationship of scientific principles to the forward movement and speed of submarines by developing sufficient knowledge of motion and forces.
Task: Students who had been studying motion and forces are asked to write a two-page paper explaining how submarines move and maneuver through water. The paper should be written at a level that can be understood by a five to ten year old child.
Circumstances of performance: This student work is to be produced under the following work conditions:
__ alone __ in a group
__ in class __ as homework
__ with teacher feedback __ timed
__ with peer feedback __ opportunity for revision
Science required by the task:
The context of a liquid medium may be confusing to the student. For a middle School student, it is somewhat advanced to understand that the same laws of motion apply to both gas and liquid environments (with forced modified by friction and resistance), when the student has probably learned about forces only in air. The student is asked only to tell what makes the submarine move. This constraint makes the task manageable at the middle school level.
Standards addressed:
S1b. Physical Science Concepts: The student produces evident that demonstrates understanding of motions and forces, such as inertia and the net effects of balanced and unbalanced forces.
S4a. Scientific Connections and Applications: The student demonstrates understanding of big ideas and unifying concepts, such as…causes and effect.
S7a - Scientific Communication: The student represents data and results in multiple ways, such as …drawings, diagrams, and artwork; and technical and creative drawing.
S7e - Scientific Communication: The student communicates in a form suited to the purpose and the audience.
