Curated OER
Sextant Measurements
Students create a sextant. Using their sextant, students measure the height of tall objects. Students explore how sailors used sextants to identify their location on the ocean. They research how sextants are created.
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Navigation By the North Star: A Lesson Plan in Four Parts
Students investigate why the North Star was important for navigation, how stars move across the night sky, how to locate the North Star, how to make a crude sextant, and how to determine latitude using a sextant and the North Star. They...
Curated OER
Where Am I?
Extensive background on marine navigation is provided for you as the teacher. Assign groups to research marine navigation techniques and construct astrolabes. Resource links are listed for extension ideas. If you are teaching an...
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What's Your Latitude?
Students measure the height of items using an astrolabe. For this latitude lesson students construct a sextant and determine height and latitude with it.
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Location
Students explore the tools used by Columbus to chart his latitude. They study the change of a location over time.
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Where Am I?
Sudents examine the types of instruments that can be used for marine navigation and position-finding. They practice using an astrolabe to solve trigonometric problems.
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Stellar Navigation
Students are introduced to the concept of stellar navigation. Inside a portable digital planetarium they identify various stars that were used as a navigational tool. They go through several activities in which they attempt to identify...
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How to be a Great Navigator!
Students examine historical methods of navigation. They discuss the techniques of "Dead Reckoning," "Heaving the Log," and "Chip Log," pretend to sail from Europe to North America using vectors and determine the location of their...
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Compass Building Instructions
Learners build their own compass following a given procedure. In this technology lesson, students explain how a compass is used in navigation. They trace the history of its development.
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The Greatest Survival Story of All Time
Students use the Internet to read about an explorer's survival in the Antarctic. They try to find a better route for him to have taken.
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Sky Pictures
Students investigate constellations. In this space science lesson, students view transparencies of constellations and identify the zodiac constellations. Students research the legends connected with the constellations.
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Lost in Time
High schoolers study time and how to accurately calculate it. In this time lesson students complete a lab activity in pairs and discuss their findings.
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Navigation
Students study the basic methods for finding one's position on Earth. Latitude can be deduced from the height above the horizon of the pole star or of the noontime Sun, while longitude requires an accurate clock giving universal time.
Curated OER
Stellar Navigation Curriculum
Students investigate the concept of star mapping and how it is used in space navigation. They conduct various activities to see the effect of mapping. Also the teacher uses models and demonstrations in order to communicate the main...