Celestial Navigation Teacher Resources

Find Celestial Navigation lesson plans and worksheets
Showing 24 resources
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mathematical Dynamics of Celestial Navigation and Astronavigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the different methods used in celestial Navigation and astronavigation. In this math lesson, students construct a sextant and demonstrate how it works.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The North (Wall) Star

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson which shows them that celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects - sun,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to be a Great Navigator!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students, through teacher lecture and class discussion, explore historical methods of navigation: dead reckoning and celestial navigation.
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Navigation in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Ancient texts, like Homer's Odyssey, mentions navigating ships by observing constellations. Pupils learn about the link between history and astronomy as they relate to navigation in the Bronze Age. Scholars complete two hands-on...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

The Sun Compass of the Vikings

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Evidence shows the Vikings likely navigated by using a simple sundial to find their course. Videos, a short story, and discussion help bring this time period to life as they study European history with a hands-on experiment. Scholars...
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Activity
NOAA

Make Your Own Compass

For Students 3rd - 5th
Scholars build a compass using a needle, cork, magnet, and a water-filled cup in order to locate the magnetic north and south.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Things That Stick Out Or: How To Find Your Way Around on a Map

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explain the meaning of and recognize the map outlines of a peninsula, an isthmus, and a cape.
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Navigating with the Kamal

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Historians have proven that as early as 1497 skilled navigators were using a kamal to sail across oceans. Scholars learn about navigation tools and astronomy before building their own kamals. They then learn how to use it to determine...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction to the Night Sky and Movement Astronomy

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Basically, this is an interactive exploration of educational astronomy software and an app. Young astronomers discover how the apparent motion of the sky relates to Earth's movements and the position of the observer. It is out of this...
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Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Britannia Rule the Waves

For Teachers 9th - 11th Standards
Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

'Tis a Long, Long Way to Tipperary!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars practice finding the location of cities across the world by using an interactive Web site, and figure out the world's time and the value of time zones the world over.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How to be a Great Navigator!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine historical methods of navigation. They discuss the techniques of "Dead Reckoning," "Heaving the Log," and "Chip Log," pretend to sail from Europe to North America using vectors and determine the location of their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Big Dipper Story Wheel

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students research a Canadian Indian Tale. In this constellation instructional activity, students hear the story "Never-Ending Bear Hunt" which describes the constellations from the Native American perspective. They create their own...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Lesson: Navigating at the Speed of Satellites

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners study the basic concepts of the Global Positioning System and how it increases the accuracy of navigation. They examine trilateration and how the speed of light is used to calculate distances.
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Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The North (Wall) Star

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects - sun, moon, planets or stars. This activity starts with a...
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Lesson Plan
Other

Uss Constitution Museum: How to Be a Great Navigator!

For Students 7th
In this activity, 7th graders are shown how Great Navigators of the past stayed on course with the historical methods of navigation. The concepts of dead reckoning and celestial navigation are discussed. Using Vector Voyage students will...
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: How to Be a Great Navigator!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this lesson, students will learn how great navigators of the past stayed on course - that is, the historical methods of navigation. The concepts of dead reckoning and celestial navigation are discussed.
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Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Navigating at the Speed of Satellites

For Teachers 6th - 9th
For thousands of years, navigators have looked to the sky for direction. Today, celestial navigation has simply switched from using natural objects to human-created satellites. A constellation of satellites, called the Global Positioning...
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Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Solar System!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
An introduction to our solar system: the planets, our Sun and our Moon. Students begin by learning the history and engineering of space travel. They make simple rockets to acquire a basic understanding Newton's third law of motion. They...
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Instructional Video
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Ways of Navigation

For Students 9th - 10th
This video, adapted from material provided by the ECHO partners, describes three different ways that people have navigated the oceans by use of instruments, celestial bodies, and the surrounding environment.
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Website
Other

Sea and Sky: Celestial Objects

For Students 9th - 10th
Empty space in outer space is not truly empty. Celestial objects fill the space not occupied by planets, stars, and such. This resource identifies these objects and further explains their existence.
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Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Which Stars Can You Use for Navigation

For Students 9th - 10th
A great science project from Science Buddies that examines how ancient peoples navigated without the benefit of a GPS. Find out which stars are important in navigation in the northern and southern hemispheres. The Science Buddies project...
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Activity
NOAA

Noaa: Make Your Own Astrolabe [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Create your own astrolabe after reading to find out what one is. Measure heights of objects around you using the astrolabe.
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Instructional Video
Crash Course

Crash Course Kids 37.2: What's the Ecliptic

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this Crash Course episode, Sabrina talks about an imaginary line called the Ecliptic and explains its cycle in the sky. [3:30]

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Celestial Navigation