COASTAL NAVIGATION • HAPPY (COMPASS) TRAILS

Title: Happy (Compass) Trails

(Cardinal Points, Compass Skills)

Grade Level(s): 6-8

Introduction: Navigation through a city provides many challenging problems and pitfalls. Navigating at sea, absent of roads and land marks, can be even more difficult. The following lesson not only allows for practical experience using a compass but gives the student a chance to demonstrate understanding by creating a trail of their own. The compass is one of the oldest and most reliable navigation tools still in use today. It always points north providing navigators with a fixed reference point. These magnetic compasses do not point to true north. Instead the compass arrows point to magnetic north (magnetic pole). The difference in direction between true north and magnetic north is due to the earth’s magnetic field shifting over time. This difference also known as variation, is represented in the form of a printed compass dial called a compass rose.

Learner Objectives:

• The student will be able to effectively use a compass.
  
  
• The student will be able to create a compass trail.

Sunshine State Standards: Math: MA.B.1.3.1 / MA.B.1.3.2. Science: SC.H.3.3.6.

Competency Based Curriculum: Math: M/J-1 - III-6, M/J-3 -I-3-A
Science: M/J-3 - I-2-B, M/J-3-1-3-A

Materials:

a compass (preferably one for each pair of students)
clipboard
pencil

Activity Procedures:

1. Compare and contrast marine navigation with navigation on land.
   
   
2. Discuss the particulars of a compass (a magnetized needle that freely rotates towards the earth’s magnetic north), and instruct the students on the method of using the specific compass at hand.
   
   
3. Mark off a 10 meter length and have each student walk its Have the students divide distance walked (10 meters) by the amount of steps taken to find their pace.
   
   
4. Give students a simple pre-prepared compass trail to follow so that they can practice using the compass while paying attention to their pace.
   
   
5. In pairs, have students walk, and record, their own compass trail using only cardinal directions.

Student Assessment:

1. Observe student technique when using the compass.
   
   
2. Assess student accuracy during compass trail activity.

Activity Extensions:

Have students exchange compass trails and attempt to follow them. Allow the students the opportunity for self-assessment as well as evaluating their peers.

Home Learning Activity:

Have students write a narrative paper based on a situation where someone is lost and is able to find their way using a compass.

Vocabulary: navigation, compass, compass rose

References/Related Links:

http://www.cln.org/themes/earlynavigation.html
http://www.sspboatsite.com
http://ils.unc.edu/maritime/home.html