Fourth graders at Lakeview participate in “Titanic Tea”

While studying the RMS Titanic, students from Lakeview Elementary School were randomly grouped into three classes that were represented aboard the actual 1912 British passenger liner.

After reading the story, Finding the Titanic, students participated in several enrichment activities, including real-life math calculations, poetry writing, artwork, informative reading and essay writing, social studies lessons (including mapping and absolute location), researching Titanic passengers using Chromebooks, and presenting their assigned passenger while dressed in period clothing.

As a culminating activity, students in all three classes were treated to a “Titanic Tea,” in which they were served tea.

Although each class was served the tea differently, the students all enjoyed the special treat. They also worked together to complete several STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) challenges, including rivet building with pasta and clay, determining the correct amount of salt to add to water to allow for an iceberg to float as it would at sea, developing a life jacket that held a can of soup afloat for at least 90 seconds, and using tinfoil to design and build a boat that would hold a specific amount of passengers (marbles) afloat for a given time.

“Titanic Tea” proved to be a powerful, collaborative and hands-on learning experience that will now be a Lakeview tradition for years to come.