Goals:

To trace sailing route of Spanish and Portuguese exploration ships.

To calculate and compare distances that different explorers traveled.

To calculate how long it would take to travel an explorer's route using different velocities.

Content Areas:

Social Studies - Spanish and Portuguese explorers, map skills

Math - measuring distances

Materials:

Large (4 ft by 8 ft) map of the world (possibly laminated)

Colored pencils

Markers

Colored yarn

Rulers, yardsticks

Scissors

Class textbook or some book showing explorers' routes

Procedure: (1 hour)

1) Students will be divided into groups of three to four students.

2) Each group will pick a Spanish or Portuguese explorer from the explorer identification lesson. Students must find the route that their explorer traveled and trace it onto the large map. Each group should have a different color.

3) Students will take a piece of yarn that is the same color as their traced route and lay it over the top of the route they have drawn on the map. The yarn can then be measured to calculate the overall distance. Students will hang their strings on the wall so visual comparisons can be made.

4) Students will use the scale of the map to calculate the distance their explorer traveled.

5) Using the distance that their explorer traveled, each group will calculate how long it would take if a boat traveling 15 miles per hour would retrace the route of their explorer. What if the boat was traveling at 25 mph? 35 mph? What is the distance in nautical miles? (1 nautical mile = 1.15 miles) What is the speed in knots? (1 knot = 1 nautical mile per hour) What conditions would affect the rate of travel on the ocean?

Assessment:

Each group will check another group's work. Groups will be asked to see if the route traced on the map matches the explorer's actual route. Students will also check the amount of time it would take to retrace the route by boat at different velocities. If a group finds an error in the map or calculations, the group being assessed will have an opportunity to make corrections before being assessed by the teacher. Criteria for success:

Number of Points Earned:

Is the route traced accurately?
1      2      3      4      5

Did the group show calculations?
1      2      3      4      5

Correct answer for 15 mph:
1      2      3      4      5

Correct answer for 25 mph:
1      2      3      4      5

Correct answer for 35 mph:
1      2      3      4      5

Does the length of the yarn accurately
reflect the distance on the map?
1      2      3      4      5

Did the group correctly convert cm
or inches into miles?
1      2      3      4      5

Did the group work as an effective
team?
5     10     15     20     25

Extensions:

Compare the distance a Spanish or Portuguese explorer traveled to the distance and time your family traveled on their last trip.

Back to Week 3 - Day 1

This page was submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program