Energy and the Environment Activities: Division I

Activity 1: Going in Circles

Integration Notes: This activity reviews and builds upon the ideas developed in "Who Needs a Compass?" in Phase I. It is a prerequisite for the remaining activities in Phase 2.

Learner Outcomes:
Students will:

• Recognize the human tendency to travel in circles when familiar landmarks are removed.

Materials:

• Blindfolds
• Large, open space

Introduction:
In the absence of familiar landmarks, people tend to follow a circular path. Is it possible to mentally compensate for this tendency? In this activity, blindfolded students attempt to follow a straight line to reach a distant landmark. Once they recognize their inclination to veer in a certain direction, they attempt to compensate for this tendency.

Activity Instructions:
1. Have students select a landmark on the far side of a large playing field. Allow them to align themselves with this landmark. Tell them that a heavy blizzard has come up and that they can no longer see their destination.

2. Blindfold half of the students and have them set off across the playground in what they think is the direction of the landmark.

3. Have the other half of the class observe the progress of the first group and note any patterns in the way that they walk.

4. Reconvene at the chosen landmark and discuss walking patterns and possible reasons why they occur (one theory is that one leg tends to dominate which causes us to walk in a curved path even when we think we are walking in a straight line). Ask the second group what they might do to achieve better "aim."

5. Switch groups.

6. Again, reconvene and discuss new walking patterns.

7. Allow each group a second try to see if they can improve their initial strategy.

8. Briefly discuss how a compass might be useful in keeping the students on track.

9. Discuss what might happen if you veered left or right off a mountain trail.

10. E-mail Byron's team to find out how they keep from going in circles when there are no landmarks in sight (e.g. severe white-out conditions). Is it safe to travel in these conditions? What would happen if they did veer off their path?

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Activity 2: Just Go North!

Integration Notes:
This activity builds on difficulties encountered in "Going in Circles" by allowing students to use a compass. However, it illustrates the fact that a compass alone will result in the same difficulties as will trying to walk in a straight line. Students then discuss ways to solve this problem.

Learner Outcomes:
Students will:

• Recognize the need to re-align direction each time you reach a landmark.

Materials:

• Compasses (one for every two class members)
• Blindfolds
• Large, open space

Introduction:
In this activity, students enlist the help of compass-bearing partners to help them re-align themselves after every twenty steps. However, the partners may only point them in the direction that the compass identifies as "North," which may not be in the direction of the landmark if the student has already veered off of the original course.

Activity Instructions:
1. Give each group of two students a compass. Ask them where North is on the playground. Have them face different directions and point to North. The compass needle should always point in the same direction. Ask them why this might be. Review the concept of the Earth's magnetic field (see Phase 1).

2. Ask the students if they think a compass would help them to maintain a steady direction. Discuss their ideas. Most of them will not recognize that the direction of the landmark varies depending on where they are standing. For example, a student standing to the right of a landmark would have to point left toward the landmark, while a person to the left of the landmark would have to point right toward the landmark. As a result, if a student travels 20 steps in a direction that is slightly off course, a compass will not re-align him or her with the chosen landmark.

3. Challenge the students to walk a straight line using only the North reading of the compass. Have them use their compasses to choose a landmark that is directly North of where they are standing. Discuss the need to blindfold the person walking so that they do not use familiar landmarks as a means of reaching their destination - the compass is their only tool. (The blizzard is still raging, and they can only see two feet in front of them!)

4. Blindfold one partner and allow the other to act as a compass for the blindfolded partner. At any point during the journey, the blindfolded partner may request a reading from the partner with the compass. The partner must point the blindfolded partner in the direction that the compass identifies as North. Emphasize to the students that they must follow the compass and should NOT simply guide their partner in the direction of the landmark. It may help to discuss the idea that the blindfolded partner wouldn't be able to see landmarks - only the compass. Therefore, the partner with the compass should not use the landmarks to help out.

5. Once the students reach their destinations, discuss reasons why they veered from their intended paths even though they used a compass. The sighted partners should be able to offer the most insight into this problem.

6. Switch partners and repeat the challenge.

7. Brainstorm potential solutions to the problem and discuss the validity of different suggestions. In orienteering, a technique called "lead tracking" is used to avoid this problem. One partner holds the compass, sends the partner on a path that points North, and then rejoins the partner at that point to set another bearing (i.e. check the compass to see where North is and have the partner move forward along that path).

8. E-mail Byron's team to find out what kind of equipment and/or techniques they use to stay on track. How would a GPS (global positioning system) reduce the need for visible landmarks? What advantages do maps and compasses have over a GPS?

Extension Ideas
If the students are curious about the spinning dial on their compasses, have the class line up in a straight line on the end of the playing field opposite the landmark. Have each class member point the red arrow on the casing of the compass to the chosen landmark. Then have them turn the dial to line up the North/South marking with the floating magnet. Ask them what number they get (all should get different numbers if they are standing in a line along the end of the field) and what this number represents.

Discuss potential reasons for the different readings. Have each student point his or her arm in the direction of the landmark. Ask the students why all of the arms are pointing in different directions. This should also help reinforce the idea that the compass only points in a direction from Point A to Point B and is not an absolute description of the location of the landmark.

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Activity 3: Follow the Leader

Integration Notes:
This activity builds on the idea that just following the needle on a compass is not enough to help students travel in a straight line (developed in "Just Go North!"), and further prepares them for the final mapping challenge in "Finding Your Way".

Learner Outcomes:
Students will:

• Use "lead tracking" (in a single direction) to locate a distant object.

Materials:

• Large, outdoor space with unseen points on the other side; e.g. a nearby park - one with lots of obstacles (such as trees) along the way would be ideal
• Compasses

Introduction:
In this activity, two sighted partners attempt to travel due North to find an unknown landmark. They set their compass bearings on a partner who runs ahead. They then join their partner and repeat the whole process until they reach their destination. (This is called "lead tracking".) Before starting, the teacher should identify and label a landmark on the far end of the park that is not visible from the proposed starting point and locate a starting point on the near end of the park that is due South of that landmark.

Activity Instructions:
1. Discuss the problems experienced by simply following a compass needle North (i.e. if you move off of the chosen path even a little bit, "North" no longer points you in the direction of the landmark you are seeking).

2. If time permits, you may wish to allow the students to re-try their method of following the compass needle North (without using lead tracking). Review reasons why this procedure does not work.

3.3. Discuss the advantages of setting a compass bearing (North) from the starting point, having a partner run ahead and stay in line with that bearing, and rejoining the partner (you always stay on a path that is North of the starting point instead of North of wherever they ended up).

4. Have the students attempt to locate the landmark using this method.

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Activity 4: Following a Simple Map

Integration Notes:
This activity builds on ideas developed in "Going in Circles," "Just Go North!" and "Follow the Leader".

Learner Outcomes:
Students will:

• Determine cardinal directions based relative to North.
• Use a compass to follow a simple map.
• Recognize the need to reverse directions when retracing a path (extension).

Materials:

• Large, outdoor space with unseen points on the other side; e.g. a nearby park - one with lots of obstacles (such as trees) along the way would be ideal
• Simple map of a local park
• Compasses
• Paper punches or markers (optional)

Introduction:
In this activity, the students continue to use their compasses to locate North, use their partners to assist them with "lead tracking," and locate S, E, and W as they relate to North to help them follow a map that is based on cardinal directions. Prior to the activity, the teacher should prepare a simple map and/or list of directions for students to follow and should label various landmarks so that students know when they have arrived at each destination. It should have the students move North, South, East, and West to various landmarks (e.g. Go North 100 paces and East 50 paces. Look for Landmark #1).

Activity Instructions:
1. Ask the students how they could locate South, East and West if their compass told them where North was. Some may recognize ways that the compass would be useful for doing this. They should also review the idea that when facing North, South is behind you, West is to your left, and East is to your right. Have them stand facing North and point to each of these directions. Call out random directions and see how quickly they are able to point to them.

2. When they are confident in the directions as they relate to North, distribute maps and/or instruction lists, and ask students for suggestions regarding how they might follow them. Remind them of the importance of sending a partner ahead to ensure they stay on track. They may also choose visible landmarks as points of reference, in which case they would not need the partner to run ahead.

3. Remind the students to find each landmark. You may wish to have paper punches or colored markers at each location and require students to mark their maps to prove that they have been there.

4. Reconvene at the final destination to discuss methods that worked and did not work and any difficulties encountered along the way.

Extension Ideas
Retrace your path! North becomes South, East becomes West, and West becomes East. Why?

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