THE H.M.S. CREW PROJECT

INTRODUCTION

The sea awoke at midnight from its sleep

And round the pebbly beaches far and wide
I heard the first wave of the rising tide
Rush outward with interrupted sweep;

A voice out of the silence of the deep

A sound mysteriously multiplied
As of a cataract from the mountain’s side,
Of roar of winds upon a wooded steep.

So comes to us at times from the unknown

And inaccessible solitudes of being,
The rushing of the sea-tides of the soul;

And inspirations, that we deem our own,

Are some divine foreshadowing and foreseeing
Of things beyond our reason or control.

The Sound of the Sea
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Beyond the boundless beauty of nature and sea lies a vast body of knowledge yearning to be explored.To accomplish this, the H.M.S. Crew Project was conceived in an attempt to tap into the systems and forces which encompass the scientific knowledge surrounding maritime activities.Whether sailing the open seas or diving the depths, concepts involving Earth/Space Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences become the core of relevant knowledge necessary to successfully deal with nautical adventures. In more recent years, educators have found that they must develop both social and work skills that students will find necessary for success in life both inside and outside the classroom. In order to meet the challenge of improving academic success, it has become necessary for various subject matters, which were traditionally taught in isolation, to join together in cross-curricular initiatives.

The H.M.S. Crew Project was designed as a resource manual to assist science and mathematics teachers in implementing this scientific knowledge through hands-on activities, as physical educators implement real life sail training experiences. Symbolically, at the beginning of each lesson, a compass rose was placed in the upper right hand corner to remind us that in order to get where we want to go, we must have direction. Throughout each section, emphasis is placed on providing each activity with a basic introduction, classroom activity, home learning activities for parental involvement, interdisciplinary activity extensions, vocabulary enhancements, and reading passages with sample Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) questions immediately following. It is further recommended that classroom teachers use their expertise to develop actual labs utilizing the scientific method based upon the enclosed support lessons.

And lastly, this project could not have been accomplished without the dedication and hard work of many contributing educators. To this end, I would like to acknowledge Louis Lazo, Ava Innerarity, Charles Migliaccio, Anne Patterson, Julien Zaragoza, Gladys Barrio, Barbara Schneider, Michael Shaheen, Leo Mestre, and Tracy Truppman for their commitment to this project.

We hope that you embrace the H.M.S. Crew Project as you go “Sailing Into New Horizons” through the teaching of science, mathematics, and physical education.

Dr. Jayne Greenberg

Project Manager