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Grade Level (s): 6 - 8
Introduction: Did you ever wonder how sailors were able to measure depth before miles and meters were created? They would throw a line into the water, wait until it hit bottom, pull it back up, while measuring the length of the line from finger to finger with their arms stretched outward. Since the arm span of an average sailor was 6 feet, this became the measurement known as a “fathom”.
To determine speed, lines would be thrown over the sides of the ships. Each line was divided into 47ft.3 in. sections called knots. The line was run over the ship’s side while a 28-second glass way emptying itself. The length of the knot was derived from the proportion that one hour (3600 seconds) is to 28 seconds, as one nautical mile (6080 feet) is to the length of one know (47 ft. 3 in.).
Learner Objectives:
- The students will be able to use a tape measure to measure the arm span of fellow students, keep a log of measurements, and average the measurements.
- The students will be able to create a bar graph and line graph to chart these measurements.
Florida Sunshine State Standards: Math: MA.E.3.3., MA.E.1.3.1, MA.E.1.3.2, MA.E.1.3.3, MA.D.1.3.2, MA.B.3.3.1; Science: SC.H.1.3.5
Competency-Based Curriculum: Math: M/J-3-IV-6-A IV-8-A, IV-9-A, VI-2-A, VI-3-A, VI-6-A, VI-7-A, VI-12-C, M/J-1-III-2-A; Science: M/J-3 I-3-A
Materials
Tape measure for each group
Paper
Graph paper
Pencil
Activity Procedures:
- Students will break up into groups of 3-4 students. They will measure each other’s arm spans and record results in a log. They will then report back to the class the measurement of the longest arm span of the group and each group will keep a log containing these results.
- Students will then average the results, being careful to convert inches to feet before dividing.
- Students will then compare the average arm span measurement of the class to the findings of the sailors to see how close to 6 feet their measurement actually came. In this way, they are learning where the nautical term “fathom” came from.
- The students will then take their log of longest measurements and create a bar graph and a line graph from these measurements.
- They will then explain which graph shows the results in a better form and why.
Student Assessment:
- Did your group measurement support the definition of a “fathom”? Why or why not? Did the class average measurement support the definition of “fathom”? Why or why not?
- Allow students to answer critical thinking questions about conversion of measurements.
- Allow students to continue to create bar and line graphs from different sets of information.
- Allow students to look into the history of navigation.
Activity Extensions:
Encourage students to find other nautical terms and learn about their origin. (Social Studies, Science)
Allow students to research all different types of graphs and their best uses. (Math)
Home Learning Activity:
Student must find a graph in a newspaper, magazine, or on the internet and write a two-paragraph paper on how it is being used.
References/Related Links:
www.sspboatsite.com
http://www.mmbc.bc.ca/source/schoolnet/exploration/navigation.html
http://www.coreknowledge.org
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