Discover the meaning of Columbus Day and/or Thanksgiving by creating art from food. This activity focuses on making edible ships using easy to find food items. The class will investigate the journeys that were taken for either of these...

Students examine the development of ship technology and maritime transportation. They define key vocabulary terms, read and discuss handouts, and construct a wooden ship model.

An online animation demonstrates how the lock system between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan works. Pupils then construct their own models of the lock system out of shoe boxes that they bring from home. This is an educational activity...

Seventh graders view Edward Burtynsky's artwork that represents ship breaking. They view images of recycling, the water cycle, rusted metal, and ships to determine factors that threaten the existence of a particular habitat of an...

Students read two books about fishing and ships. After viewing portraits, they identify and describe the various types of sailing vessels. They discuss how the artist showed water and detailed the areas around the ships. They create...

Students work in small groups and design a ship out of balsa wood. They hypothesize what happens when the ship is placed in water then make predictions as to which ship stays afloat the longest with the greatest amount of weight added.

Students use photographs to examine ship masters and shipyard workers. As a class, they explore other group portraits and discuss the information that can be found from the photos. As a group, they create their own group portrait mural.

Young scholars access a website that show portraits of the Tall Ships of Atlantic Canada. They talk about what it might feel like to be on one of the sailing ships in stormy seas. They write diary entries while role playing that they are...

Students use signal flags chart to identify common ship signals. They create different signal flags and meanings on their own.

First graders plan a trip for Christopher Columbus. They use their math skills to construct a ship for Columbus' voyage. They show their ship and calculations to their classmates and build graphs to show the amount of supplies needed to...

Three class periods are required to carry out this science lesson on glacial movement, the Great Lakes basin, and the lock system that allows travel on the lakes. It is an ambitious undertaking as your class experiments with a glacier...

Students view and discuss short sections of movies that relate to immigration. Working in groups, students create a map that shows directions of internal migration in their assigned geographical area. Students review ads/booklets created...

Students play a "Battleship" type of game to practice graphing on a coordinate plane. In this coordinate graphing lesson, students select a point on their grid to place their "battleship." It the opposing team misses the ship, the...

Learners use the internet to research a sailing vessel of their choice. Using toothpicks, they create their own models of the vessel and put into blue jello to appear like it is in water. They write a report based on their vessel and...

Students research the events that were taking place in the U.S. during the time period when the SS Central America sank, and explore the adventurous, innovative, and individualistic traits that often define the American spirit.

Students research the exploration of Antarctica by the explorer Sir Ernest Shackelton. For this Antarctic exploration lesson, students watch a movie about Sir Ernest Shackelton and his ship the Endurance. Students study a map of...

Fifth graders study the story of the voyage of the Mayflower told from the view point of the three Allerton siblings who were on board the ship. The book tells of their voyage across the Atlantic and their first year here on the North...

Learners investigate the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 before writing a newspaper page that includes facts about the event. They role play as reporters, editors, and survivors of the disaster while writing and designing a front page...

Students develop a memorial to the slave who endured the Middle Passage. In this slavery memorial lesson, student culminate a unit of study about slavery by creating a memorial for Africans who traveled the Middle Passage to slavery....

Second graders define the word "cargo", identify the common needs of people, identify likes and differences between Lahaina Harbor and the San Francisco Harbor, draw a ship and color it with watercolor and write a story about the ship in...

Learners plan a voyage as the captain of a tall ship in the early days of exploration and merchant trading. They choose 2 ships and 3 voyages for a total of 6 possibilities. They calculate the number of days and distance of their...

Learners will use modern International Marine Code Flags to create representations of their names. They will use the inspiration of the sailing vessels to name and create a coat of arms for their ship.

Students explore various genres of spoken and written expression. While considering the era of the shipyard and sailing, students describe and document a favorite ship, captain, crew, or life of a sailor. Using this information, they...

Students collaboratively explore the process of painting to create a large background seascape mural upon which their family ships will be collaged. Students experiment with a variety of brushstrokes to create appropriate texture.