Longitude MS / Science MS / Social Studies Time, Space, Measurement Practice using absolute location (p. 2) on a paper map. Locate and indicate names of sites on a map of the world, by using Latitude and Longitude coordinates. (Answers on completed chart on p. 7 of this plan) 1
Latitude Longitude Name of Place 1 26 S 31 E 2 46 N 60 W 3 13 N 145 E 4 5 N 74 W 5 38 N 122 W 6 20 S 57 E 7 9 S 13 E 8 52 N 21 E 9 17 S 63 W 10 54 S 37 W 11 57 N 153 W 12 32 N 36 E 13 79 N 29 E 14 38 N 12 E 15 15 N 21 W Examine the text without reading it, and anticipate its genre: Is this narrative fiction, informational text, poetry, etc.? Label the text in three parts, the two diagrams on page 6 being A and B and the narrative section (page 7, lines 4 end) being C. Number the paragraphs in part C, 1 through 3, while following along with the teacher reading the text aloud. Share that the seminar text is comprised of two pages from a book, The Illustrated Longitude by Dava Sobel. Share as appropriate the information from the flyleaf:.throughout the great age of exploration, sailors attempted to navigate the oceans without any means of measuring their longitude. All too often, voyages ended in total disaster when both crew and cargo were captured or lost upon the rocks of an unexpected landfall. Thousands of lives and the fortunes of seafaring nations hung on a resolution. To encourage a solution, governments established major prizes for anyone whose method or device proved successful. The largest reward, of 20,000, was offered by the British Parliament in 1714. The scientific establishment from 2
Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton had been certain that a celestial answer would be found and invested untold effort in this pursuit. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, imagined and built the unimaginable: a clock that solved the problem by keeping precise time at sea, called today the chronometer (Sobel, flyleaf) Read the text aloud again, and identify words that are unfamiliar, or about whose meaning students may not be clear. Terms to discuss may include latitude, meridian, nautical miles, poles, revolution, rotation, discrepancy, prerequisite, barometric pressure Working collaboratively in groups of three or four, students read the text sections again, and write a caption for each of the two diagrams and a summary statement for each paragraph. 3
What would you title these two pages from the longer book? (and you can't use the word Longitude!) (round-robin response) Why? (spontaneous discussion) How do sailors know when to reset their ship's clocks to noon? Why isn't it also noon back in port? Why was it so hard to use pendulum clocks to tell time on shipboard? Based on the text, what sort of clocks did the sailors need? Based on the text (including the diagrams), why did the sailors need to know their longitude in order to know exactly how far they were from 0 degrees longitude or from their home port? What is the relationship between the two diagrams on page 2? Based on what we've read and said, how would you summarize the relationship between time and distance? What time is it now in this location (your town)? What time is it now in Greenwich? Does that tell you how far you are from Greenwich? How precisely? 4
Make notes about the ideas that you heard, said or thought about longitude during the seminar. Include at least five bullet points. After reading and discussing the selection from The Illustrated Longitude, write a paragraph for a student in next year s class in which you define longitude and explain the relationship between time and distance. (LDC Task#: 10 ) Discuss the writing task to make sure its requirements are clear to everyone. Have students share their best bullet point thought from the Transition to Writing. Specify that students should use accurate vocabulary and write for clarity. They should use the ideas shared in Brainstorming. Remind students first to define longitude, and then to explain the relationship between time and distance. 5
Students draft paragraphs. In partner groups, students share paragraphs drafted. During this time, each listener should restate back to each reader how longitude was explained, and make any suggestions about clarity. Provide ample time for both partners to read and listen, and then to make changes and additions as suggested. Teacher reads the paragraphs, and marks spelling, punctuation and usage errors as appropriate. Students make corrections on the final copy. Collect paragraphs to save for next year s students. Wendy Ikoku Providence Spring Elementary School 6
Text: Sobel, Dava, and William J. H. Andrewes. The Illustrated Longitude. New York: Walker, 1998. 6,7. Print. Answer Key for Launch Activity Latitude Longitude Name of Place 1 26 S 31 E Mbabane, Swaziland 2 46 N 60 W Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada 3 13 N 145 E Guam, USA territory 4 5 N 74 W Bogotá, Colombia 5 38 N 122 W Sonoma, California, USA 6 20 S 57 E Port Louis, Mauritius 7 9 S 13 E Luanda, Angola 8 52 N 21 E Warsaw, Poland 9 17 S 63 W Santa Cruz, Bolivia 10 54 S 37 W King Edward Point, South Georgia Island 11 57 N 153 W Kodiak, Alaska, USA 12 32 N 36 E Amman, Jordan 13 79 N 29 E Kong Karls Land, Svalbard, Norway 14 38 N 12 E Palermo, Sicily, Italy 15 15 N 21 W Praia, Cape Verde Islands 7