Navigation Topics Ideas

Here are a list of topics and some notes on how to use them in a K12 setting

A work in progress...

(1) How long does it take to walk from Washington state to Hawaii?

It is an intro to speed time and distance, since ocean rowboard proceed at walking speeds.

It is an intro to maps, experiment in measuring walking speeds. Time a measured distance. Zoom in to the walking area on Google earth. Use the Rule tool to mark a known distance, and then print that out as your map. Practice algebra speed time distance: S = D/T.  Or techy approach:  use some app to record the distance then divide by time... or maybe it will tell you your speed made good?  Those who walk a lot or run, know this already.  ie what is a fast walk in mph vs leisurely.

Note that even if you get 60 days, or longer, note how really short this is... how small the earth really is.  Even if it takes 90 days.  This has always been the most impressive thing to me on sailing across the ocean in a 30- 40 ft boat in 2 weeks. It is a very small planet we live on.

(2) Magnetic variation and compass use. We get tons of information from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Here is a high res image of the magnetic variation. A sample is below.

On land variation is called declination. note big difference on how ships compass works compared to hiking compass.  Study deviation by placing iron objects near a compass.  lines of force. magnetic fields... solar wind, northern lights... etc

Stress that magnetic compass needle does not point to the magnetic north pole. It simply aligns with the direction of the magnetic field at that location. Check resources at https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag

Discuss magnetic dip and how it affects compasses... ie they are weighted to work properly.

(3) Maps versus charts... install and play with free echart programs. Try OpenCPN. It is a powerful easy to use free program; we have many videos on how to use it.

See also  www.starpath.com/getcharts  for sources of free charts. a wide open topic. lat lon nautical miles, directions, measuring distances, units, etc... almost anything can evolve from a study of charts.  if a picture is worth 1000 words, a chart is worth a book.  can order Training Charts at a fraction of the cost of regular charts for student plotting practice.

(4) Waves

(5) Weather

(6) Currents


---- Down the line...

(7) Wreck of the Brig Commerce in late 1800s off coast of W. Africa. Why was the book about the slavery of Capt Riley so popular with Abraham Lincoln.... this is a wonderful story. See Rileys Narrative and Robbins Journal, both at Starpath book catalog.  And you can even use Google earth to see that tracks across the desert that these poor souls were dragged across so long ago... and you will see that life in the deserts of Western Africa have not changed that much over the centuries.

(8) Christopher Columbus.  Time to start breaking the myth. He was a charlatan.You will need to do your research on this one, as you are up against The Establishment!