BLOCKS/LEGO CHALLENGE #2

Build a Submarine for Exploration

 

You read about a ship that sank off the coast of Bermuda 200 years ago, supposedly because it was caught in a huge storm.  But pirates were active in that area, and perhaps they captured and sunk it after removing its cargo of gold.  Only way to solve the mystery would be to descend into those dark, deep waters, try to find it based on its last known location, and, if it is still intact, examine it for clues of what happened all those years ago.

 

So you are going to need a small submarine, right?  So that’s your challenge! It will need lights and lots of windows, and must be pretty nimble to move around a sunken wreck without crashing into it.  Can you kit it out for scientific exploration? 

 

And of course, while you are building your submarine, you could sing along to The Beatles' song “Yellow Submarine”!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2uTFF_3MaA (2:45)

 

You might be inspired by the Octonauts books (ages 4-6).  They are filled with underwater mysteries and problem solving, with varying kinds of equipment and vehicles (“GUPs”) at their disposal.  This is one of the six books in the series, and there are videos too.

 

 

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If you are interested in submarine diving, and what you see under the sea, you might like to see some or all of these videos:

 

“Ocean Explorer: Katy Croff Bell | Best Job Ever | Nat Geo Kids”  

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJGS60c68HU (2:30)

 

How Do Submarines Work?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP0alCgUzlI  (6:21)

 

The 2019 Nautilus Expedition Highlights:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woTi--GCzwM (25:20)

 

“The Deepest Dive in Antarctica Reveals a Sea Floor Teeming With Life”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6cX0wQP5NA (5:09)

 

A dive off the coast of Bermuda in a high-tech submersible: 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDb7VRxW9Cw (14.21) 

 

Note: Many more are available on YouTube.  Go to “submarine exploration for kids” as a starting point.  As always, these videos should be screened by the adult first to determine age appropriateness.