WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE?

 

SHORT TERM GOALS:

  1. To introduce students to the mysterious location in the ocean known as the Bermuda Triangle.
  2. To help students become familiar with map skills such as longitude and latitude when locating places on a map.
  3. To help students become familiar with finding areas and distances using map scales and mathematical formulas.

TIME ALLOTMENT: 2 hours

CONTENT AREAS ADDRESSED:

(1) Science

(2) Math

(3) Language Arts

(4) Geography

CONCEPTS ADDRESSED:

  1. Map Skills
  2. Area
  3. Distance
  4. Volume
  5. Triangle shape formulas

MATERIALS:

  1. Atlases
  2. Several World Maps (Different Types)
  3. Rulers
  4. Pencil and Paper

PROCEDURE:

Just as The Odyssey has many mysterious places, Earth also has some mysterious places. One of these places is known as the Bermuda Triangle. This area in the ocean has been a topic of concern and interest for many years. The students are going to have the opportunity to become familiar with this area and the possible theories for disappearances throughout the next few lessons.

  1. The Bermuda Triangle is a mysterious location in the Atlantic Ocean between the points of Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. In this area several disappearances of planes and ships have been reported. Ask the students if they have ever heard of any of the disappearances or myths of the Bermuda Triangle before going in depth with this area and its disappearances. Explain to them that locating this area on a map is extremely important for travelers and other people who may not know the exact location of this area or any area on a map. One way to locate places on a map is by using a grid system for the earth, which is divided into degrees, minutes, and seconds.
  2. Begin showing the students lines of latitude and longitude on a map—at this time, the students should also have maps in front of them so they can follow along.
  3. Ask the students if they know what the zero degree line of latitude is called, as well as the zero degree line of longitude. Once the students have found these locations, they can begin locating other locations, such as their state or a favorite city.
  4. The students can then locate the three vertices of the Bermuda Triangle. (Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda)
  5. Using the scales on the map (after explaining what a scale is), the students can use these scales to determine the distance between the three vertices of the triangle. This will help with defining the perimeter of the triangle.
  6. Perimeter may be somewhat of an easy task for the students, but the area is what most scientists and researchers are concerned about with the Bermuda Triangle. The students can find the area of the Bermuda Triangle by knowing the base and height of the triangle. Keep track of all the responses and compare the differences between all the different maps. (The students will all be using different maps, but the measurement results should be similar.)
  7. Students will have a chance to look through other resources such as atlases and maps so they can compare their measurements with those of their peers. Students will also compare the locations of the vertices on each map. The students will be perfecting their map reading skills at the same time as learning about the Bermuda Triangle.
  8. Once the students have found their areas and perimeters, they will have the ability to locate any cities on a map, do more extensive map work, and even use their given measurements to find the volume of the triangle. The volume will be able to be found only if the depth of water can be determined somehow.

This lesson was adapted from:

Gilbert, L. (1998). Map skills. Grand Rapids, MI: Instructional Fair. [ISBN: 1-56822-641-1]

ASSESSMENT:

  1. Bermuda Map Skills Rubric
  2. Observation Checklist

EXTENSIONS:

  1. Allow the students to go much more in depth with the Bermuda Triangle- asking the students about miles per hour, etc. How much time would the students expect to take to travel between points at 60 mph, 30 mph, etc?
  2. Video on the Bermuda Triangle (Found in the Resources)
  3. Introduce the students to three different types of maps, including topographic, political, and physical maps. Allow the students to compare and contrast each of the maps.

RESOURCES:

Baker, W. & Haslam, A. (1992). Make it work: Earth. New York: Thomson Learning. [ISBN: 1-56847-468-7]

The Bermuda Triangle: Uncovering the mystery of a watery graveyard. (1976). NOVA- Vestron Video. [ISBN: 0-8051-0587-5]

Gilbert, L. (1998). Map skills. Grand Rapids, MI: Instructional Fair. [ISBN: 1-56822-641-1]

Go to:

Using Sonar to map the Ocean Floor and Find Sea Monsters lesson

Exploring the Disappearances of the Bermuda Triangle lesson

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St. Norbert College Ocean Voyager's page