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Old Pride to New Pride:
Combating the Dangers at Sea
Teacher's Guide
Written and Illustrated by Barbrina Ertle
Edited by Lisa Kissinger
Reviewed by Pat Robeson
Objectives:
After working through this lesson, students will:
- Identify the dangers at sea that have impacted maritime travel throughout history.
- Identify the technological advances that have made maritime travel safer.
- Evaluate the necessity of today's technology for maritime safety.
Maryland Learning Outcomes:
Social Studies Skills
Students will demonstrate an understanding of historical and current events using chronological and spatial thinking, develop historical interpretations, and frame questions that include collecting and evaluating information from primary and secondary sources.
- Find, apply, and organize information specific to social studies disciplines by reading, asking questions, and observing.
Economics
Students will develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, and processes needed to be effective citizens, consumers, and workers participating in local communities, the nation, and the world.
- Explain how changes in technology (factories, machinery, transportation, communication, new technology) impact Maryland's economy.
Student Worksheets:
Key Web Sites Referenced in this Lesson:
Teacher Background:
This lesson presents a basic overview of the dangers that exist for
ships at sea. The lesson then introduces different technological
advances that have improved maritime safety. The lesson is intended to
help students realize the modern advantages of technology, and to
realize the importance of safety.
Introduction/Motivation:
Before having students work through this lesson, conduct a discussion on
the purposes of maritime travel throughout history. Discuss why ships
are important means of transportation. Help the students realize the
importance of maritime travel.
Although passenger travel by ship is now only a small portion of
trans-oceanic traveling (flying is now the primary mode), up until the
mid-1900's it was basically the only means of trans-oceanic travel. But
there is still a great deal of maritime travel today with ferries,
cruise ships, and small boating.
Maritime transportation is by far the largest means for transporting
goods across the oceans in today's world, much as it has always been
since man has moved across the oceans.
Anyone who enjoys eating fish or shellfish should appreciate the role of
ships in this industry. Fishing is one of the most dangerous of the
maritime jobs, even today.
This lesson does not introduce the acts of war as a danger at sea (even
though some of the shipwrecks students examine were sunk as acts of
war). Rather, this lesson focuses on the dangers presented by the
maritime environment itself. However, national defense is a large part
of the reason that ships cruise the waters. These ships, too, face the
dangers of the sea.
There may be vocabulary words that you and your students will need to
know. Here is a link for an online maritime dictionary. You may want
to print it for reference.
BoatTalk Nautical Dictionary
Lesson Development:
This lesson can be completed either independently, in small groups,
or as a whole class activity. If done independently, or in small
groups, check for vocabulary that may need to be defined beforehand.
Monitor for clarification throughout the lesson.
Thoughtful Application
As a final activity for this lesson, students are asked to chose one of
the shipwrecks they examined in Activity #1 on the web site, Great Shipwrecks: Tragedies from Life and Legend
They are directed to
examine the technologies they studied in Activity #2 on their Today's
Technologies Worksheet. They are then asked to explain which modern
technologies might have helped save the ship they chose, and which
technologies might have helped save lives in that shipwreck.
Scoring Tool:
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Students will receive
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| 3 Points |
- If several technologies for saving the ship and several technologies
for saving lives are properly identified and explained.
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| 2 Points |
- If at least one technology for saving the ship and one technology for
saving lives is property identified and explained.
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| 1 Point |
- If at least one technology for saving the ship and one technology for
saving lives is properly identified.
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Extensions for further study:
If you would like to do more, to build on the activities within
the lesson, or to modify the lesson for a higher grade level, here are
some possible activities. and suggestions:
- Research other shipwrecks to find out when and how they sank at
these web sites:
- Collect newspaper weather forecasts and daily weather information.
Track the accuracy of your weather reporters.
- Brainstorm a list of all the items you would want or need in a life
raft. Calculate how much food and water you would need. Gather the
food, water, and other items, and see how much space they would take up.
- Check out some real nautical charts on the web sites below. You can
order some charts for the classroom (there are shipping and handling
charges, though.)
- Check out a nautical dictionary if you don't understand some of the
ship terms you have encountered in this lesson.
- Check out all of the different types of buoys there are! See if
you can think of anything else that the Coast Guard could think of to
mark.
Children's Literature/Book References
- Pride of Baltimore: The Story of the Baltimore Clippers, by Thomas
C. Gillmer (International Marine, Camden, Maine, 1992)
- Beating the Odds on the North Atlantic: A Guide to Fishing Safety,
edited by Susan Clark Jensen (Alaska Sea Grant College Program,
Fairbanks, Alaska, 1992)
- Undersea Treasures: A National Geographic Action Book, by Emory
Kristof, Peter Fiore, and Tor Lokvig (National Geographic Society,
1995)
- The History of Shipwrecks, by David & Susan Spence (Barron's
Educational Series, Inc., 1999)
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