Duct tape and ironclads

The Civil War continues. (At the rate we're going, it may well last as long here as it did the first time.) Today we were learning about the first ironclad ships: the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia. (Though when I was in school, it was called the Merrimak, which was its original name when it was still a Union ship.) And because history is always better with a project, we made the two ships with juice cartons and duct tape.


Applying the Monitor's iron cladding

We had some trouble with the Monitor's gun turret and had to call in B. for technical help.

The finished products: the CSS Virginia in front and the USS Monitor behind.


TM and D. couldn't wait to begin sea battles and are hoping for some bathtub time tonight to add real water.




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