Search the Seas
Goals:
1. Students are able to demonstrate their ability to work in a group.
2. Students will demonstrate basic math and map reading skills.
3. Students will understand how weather affects the time and sail adjustment of a ship.
4. Students will gain general knowledge of the development of ships through history.
Resources:
1. Maps of the Caribbean Sea
2. Chart of different ships and their abilities. (Attached)
3. Copies of Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor available if needed.
4. Pencil and paper
5. Dice and game pieces
6. Dish tubs, fans, cloth scraps, popsicle sticks
7. Ships (made by students in previous lesson)
8. Ships Through History by Ralph Ward, Indianapolis, Bubbs-Merrial, 1983. Sails in the Wind by Hans Hansen, New York, Viking Press, 1974., The Complete Beginner's Guide to Sailing by A.H. Drummand, Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1971.
9. Internet access.
http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/storm.center/index.html
Time:
Four to five hours.
Procedures:
Step 1. Introduction to weather (storms such as tornadoes, hurricanes, typhoons, tidal waves) and wind patterns that affect the ocean regions.
Step 2. Students will look back at the charts of the weather patterns in their home ports.
Step 3. Using the boats made in the Buoyancy lesson (add sails made of scraps of cloth and popsicle sticks) have the students determine how wind affects movement. Students will have a dish tub filled with water and a fan to act as the wind. They will sail the boats into the wind and with the wind. Each time recording how long it takes to get from one side to the other side of the dish tub. What happens when you sail into the wind? How can you move when sailing into the wind? Students can get ideas by trial and error.
Step 4. When it seems students are getting frustrated or have run out of ideas, introduce the term tacking. Explain that this allows ships to sail into the wind by a zig-zagging movement.
Step 5. History of how ships have been developed and have become more advanced over the years. This will explain where and when tacking was invented as a better way to travel. Use Ships through History by Ralph Ward as a resource. Show pictures of the ships as they progressed.
Step 6. Ask questions about Timothv of the Cay.
Step 7. Introduce the Shipping activity. Explain the rules and purpose of the activity.
Step 8. Explain the use of the map and the chart.
Step 9. Students will work in their shipping groups. Groups will work together to decide which is the best ship to use. Students will chose a ship and name it.
Step 10. Go over the rules of the journey one last time before you begin.
Step 11. After students finish the journey, or run out of time, the class will regroup for a discussion (Talk about the success or failure of their journey. Ask if they would do it differently if they started over, and why?)
Assessment:
1. Cooperation of each group member in their separate groups (criteria for success = Each student must actively participate by giving input to the group and sharing in the decision making.)
2. Group discussion (Criteria for success = Students sharing learning experience from the journey and new ideas about ships).
3. Journal (Criteria for success = Students will reflect on the journey and tell which ship they found to be the better one and why? See journal rubric for more details.)
Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:
1. Geography - Using a map, locating cities.
2. Language Arts - Using the novel as a base for background information.
3. History - Explanation of ships and their development through time.
4. Math - Keeping track of wind and weather patterns. Calculating time to cross tub.
5. Science - Weather and Tacking.
Possible Extension:
1. Students can use the internet to learn more about wind and weather in other parts of the world.
2. Students can learn more about various islands of the Caribbean.
3. How storms affect the people on the mainland.
4. More depth can be given to steps 1-5 addressing each issue separately.
5. Possible books to use as resources: Sailing and Seamanship by Eric Howells, New York,
St. Martin's Press, 1963., Sailing in Windv Weather by Richard Henderson, Camden, Me
International Marine Pub. Co., 1987., Winds and Weather by John Kaufmann, New York,
Morrow, 1971., Violent Weather, by Stan Gibilisco, Blue Ridge Summie, PA, Tab
Books, 1984., Storms by Ann and Jim Merke, Vero Beach, FL, Rourke Corp. 1994.