Museum of Science and Industry

Teacher Cindy Rosenstein brought her group of precocious second-graders from Willow School to the Museum. Her students had been learning about scale and proportion—an abstract idea for younger children—and she wanted to create an experience that would reinforce the relevance and importance of math.

"Kids want to understand how they can use what they learn in the real world," she said. "The Submarine Math Learning Lab gave them new respect for math and a deep understanding of what it contributes to life."

Before the trip, the class visited the Museum's website, where they learned about the U-505's history and studied key concepts and terms. The lab instructor, Kelly Borden, called Mrs. Rosenstein before the visit to discuss ideas she had for adapting the experience to younger students. During the lab, students used rope and their own bodies to take measurements of the sub and practiced converting their measurements to common units.

"The two parent chaperones were blown away by how well this group of seven- and eight-year-olds did," Rosenstein said. "The children will always remember the once-in-a-lifetime experience of being so close to a real submarine."