Dozens of sixth, seventh and eighth graders from Falcon School District 49 Patriot Learning Center gathered at the Woodmen Hills Recreation Center in Falcon to study submarines using a remotely control underwater vehicle called the SeaPerch.Science teacher Paul Austin said itís important to get students out of the classroom. From advanced placement to at-risk youth, a hands-on approach ìlevels the playing field,î he said.ìItís mainly about engineering,î Austin said. ìIf I get a kid in middle school excited now, maybe theyíll go into that career field.îAustin obtained 10 SeaPerch kits and a $1,600 grant from the Office of Naval Research and two kits from Challenger Learning Center of Colorado.The students, who also designed and painted their own team T-shirts, split into 12 groups.Using a SeaPerch, they studied submarine design, soldering, propulsion, buoyancy, displacement and electrical circuits and switches. Across the water, students navigated their configurations of tubes, motors and wires through a timed obstacle courseís hoops.ìI enjoyed putting it together ñ I did the motors and built the structure,î said eighth grader Jake Jensen, age 14. Jensen won the SeaPerch challenge with eight grader Mackenzie Kerr, age 13, and seventh grader Megan Gomez, age 13.ìThis is pretty awesome ñ making and controlling your own submarine,î said 12-year-old Teíshon Dickens. ìThis is the best project Iíve ever done in my life.î
