Unit 9: Sinking of the RMS Titanic (1912) | STEM Naval Engineering & Physics

Investigate the world's most famous maritime disaster with this complete 6-page printable STEM Case Study Packet! Designed specifically for middle and high school classrooms, this unit provides a deep, informative look at the 1912 Sinking of the RMS Titanic, Archimedes' principle of buoyancy, low-temperature steel ductile-to-brittle transition, slag-heavy wrought iron rivet shear failure, uncapped watertight bulkhead fluid dynamics, and maritime safety ethics. What’s Included in this 6-Page Deep-Dive Packet: Page 1: Historical Case Study & Technical Breakdown – Full historical narrative of the April 14, 1912 collision, "unsinkable" hull design myths, 28°F freezing Atlantic water metallurgy, high-sulfur steel plate embrittlement, slag-filled hull rivets, uncapped bulkhead ice-tray spilling, and comprehension check questions. Page 2: Day in the Life Scenario Challenge – Students step into the shoes of Lead Naval Architect Thomas Andrews on the night of April 14, 1912, analyzing flooding rates (tons/second), compartment breach telemetry, and ship survival time calculations. Page 3: Hands-On Unplugged Simulation & Applied Math – Simple step-by-step math calculations comparing seawater ingress volume rates vs bilge pump capacities, downward displacement mass (tons), and progressive bulkhead spillover timelines. Page 4: Engineering Ethics & Workplace Dilemma – Outdated British Board of Trade regulations vs actual passenger capacity: analyzing the decision to carry 20 lifeboats instead of 64, deck aesthetics vs survival gear, ignoring 6 iceberg warnings to maintain speed, and maritime safety reform. Page 5: Redesign Brief & Innovation Lab – Creative blueprinting assignment where students design "RMS Titanic V-2," featuring a complete double hull, ceiling-sealed watertight bulkheads, high-tensile nickel-steel alloy rivets, wireless telemetry distress distress alarms, and 100% lifeboat coverage. Page 6: Teacher Answer Key & Scoring Rubric – Complete answer key for all questions and math problems, plus a 10-point grading rubric on Page 6 for evaluating student work on Page 5. Teacher Benefits: 100% Unplugged & Copy-Paste Friendly – Clean text layout with zero dark background boxes, code block syntax, or special math symbols for seamless editing in Word, Google Docs, or Canva. Multi-Day Classroom Value – Covers 3 to 5 full class periods; perfect for Physics, Physical Science, Earth/Ocean Science, Materials Science, Civil/Naval Engineering, History electives, or emergency sub plans. Highly Engaging Content – Combines buoyancy math, metallurgy chemistry, emergency shipboard diagnostics, maritime ethics, and naval architecture redesign!