Students explore the Panama Canal. They study its history, location, reasons for being built, ownership, and so forth. They create presentations that demonstrates what students learned through their research activities.

Students explore the location of the campsite of fictional character Robinson Crusoe. For this ESL lesson, students read an article that discusses the whereabouts of Robinson Crusoe's campsite, then have a class discussion on the...

Learners analyze Black Pioneers in Nova Scotia. They explore the many different occupations and tradtions that were continued in Nova Scotia. They examine their resourcefulness despite the poor opportunities at the time of their...

Students, who are teachers, discover the hazards facing sailors hundreds of years ago as they prepare a lesson plan to use in their classroom. They examine what each group of students will investigate, and how the findings will be...

Fourth graders enact a scene depicting how Anthony Stewart destroyed his ship, the Peggy Stewart, and its cargo of tea because he paid taxes to the English. Students add a short scene on what they think might have happened right after...

Students view the photo of the The Tea Trade Painting and discuss what they see. They will then discuss what went into the beginning of a major sea voyage. Next they explore routes traveled by the New England traders. They study sailing...

Pupils research any topic relating to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research cruise that Mrs. Richards be participating in.

Fourth graders, working in pairs, interview either Dr. Beanes, Francis Scott Key, or General Robert Ross about the events that led to Francis Scott Key being aboard the ship during the bombing of Fort McHenry. One person interviews the...

Learners collaboratively explore the process of painting to create a large background seascape mural upon which their family ships will be collaged. Students experiment with a variety of brushstrokes to create appropriate texture.

Students examine the use of signal flags on vessels. They use measurements and symmetry to create their very own signal flag. Students work together and as individuals to solve problems and express their ideas.

Learners determine speed and bearing, calculate a position by dead reckoning, and modify this position using vectors for wind and current drift.

Young scholars explore trireme, a type of ancient Persian warship. They investigate other underwater recovery operations to shed light on the difficulties a trireme recovery team might face.

In this Christopher Columbus worksheet, students utilize the Internet to access a specific website to find the answers to eight short answer questions associated with the voyages of Christopher Columbus.

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.

Third graders investigate the history of North America by creating a map.  In this world geography lesson, 3rd graders analyze the voyage Christopher Columbus took to arrive at the new world by creating a map of his...

This site gives information on technical advances in Portuguese shipbuilding and navigational tools.

In this activity, students apply their knowledge of buoyancy and ship stability to design a model ship. They test, evaluate, and refine the design of the model to optimize performance. Background information and other activities are...

After spending three days as a working crew on a three-masted ship, and learning to navigate by the stars, students create fictional entries for a ship's log throughout various periods in history.

Sailors improved on many of the tools used in navigation to help them in their long journeys across an ocean. On this site from the Mariners' Museum, find many of these tools, perhaps in use already in the 15th century, but made even...

In past times, ocean navigators tossed a piece of wood over the side of their ships and noted how long until the ship passed the wood. They used this time measurement and the length of the ship to calculate their speed and estimate how...

The history of transportation in the United States is at the click of the mouse for specific modes. Activities and glossary are included. Geared toward primary students in content and navigation.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to access activity resources and lesson plans that encourage students to explore an understand the practicalities and difficulties involved in sailing to new places during the Age of Exploration.

Through this series of Internet-based learning experiences and activities, students will use real-time data to track a real ship at sea and monitor weather conditions. Includes a teacher's guide with problem-solving lesson plans...

Tracking equipment is used to help ship navigators traveling in dense fog determine if they are in danger of colliding with other ships that may be in the area. For this activity, we are going to assume two ships are traveling along...