Introduce students to the historical development of ships and the mathematic and engineering concepts necessary to build vessels that are “seaworthy.”
Introduce students to the big idea – “Structure follows function.”
Have the students prove this big idea with evidence they have collected from researching the construction of ships over time.
Engage students in a conversation to answer the following question – How does the context/environment impact the construction a ship?
Building materials
Purpose/function
Technology available
Experience #2:
Introduce students to the big idea: “Systems are made up of parts that work together.”
Create a class chart to prove the big idea with prior knowledge students have gathered regarding the construction of ships as well as other science related topics they have been studying such as sinking/ floating, displacement, etc.
Systems are made up of parts that work together.
General Examples
Ship Construction
Science Concepts
Introduce students to one of Earth’s major systems – tides.
Discuss with students how the tides have an effect on various aspects of our life such as climate, sea- oor features, and gravitational pull.
Provide an opportunity for students to research tides and their causes and effects on various aspects of our lives.
Experience #3:
Show students a picture of the night sky with many star patterns.
Explain to the students that before GPS and the invention of the compass, navigation was accomplished by looking at the stars.
Introduce students to the discipline of “astronomy” or the study of the stars.
Students can research famous astronomers such as Galileo and Kepler to develop an understanding of the relationship that exists between human beings and the stars.
Introduce students to the invention of the astrolabe -- a very ancient astronomical computer for solving problems relating to time
and the position of the Sun and stars in the sky. Several types of astrolabes have been produced. By far the most popular type is the planispheric astrolabe, on which the celestial sphere is projected onto the plane of the equator.
Provide students with an opportunity to create a timeline that documents the development of navigational systems from the astrolabe to modern methods of navigation.
Notes to Teacher
The topic of tides relates to Earth’s Systems and can be found in the NGSS and weaves through grades 1-7 in various ways.
The topic of navigation using the stars can be found in Earth and Space Sciences in the NGSS.
Note that the universal concept of Systems and the big idea that “Systems are made of parts that work together” are germane
to this section and can be used at any grade level to direct understanding related to any science topic.
Teachers can incorporate students understating of modern means of travel and navigation (GPS) to original inventions.
