Navigating the Great Lakes - Activities

Eagle Harbor Lighthouse, Keweenaw County Historical Society

NPS Photo

Keweenaw County Historical Society

Background

Not familiar with the Keweenaw Peninsula? Start here:

• Keweenaw National Historical Park Website
• Keweenaw County Historical Society

This lesson plan focuses on the Keweenaw County Historical Society, or KCHS for short. KCHS is made up of a group of dedicated volunteers who work to preserve and showcase 11 historic sites on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan, United States. The various sites KCHS maintains are not only known for copper mining, but also shipping, commercial fishing, lumber, and even maritime history.

Although there are many themes that KCHS embodies, the focus of this lesson is going to be on the importance of shipping in the Great Lakes. From 1840 to around 1900, ships were the only way to move people, goods, copper, and other supplies into and out of towns on the Keweenaw Peninsula. Sailors faced great challenges and navigated safely using lighthouses. The Great Lakes waters flow from 602 feet all the way down to sea level. Ships are unable to pass over waterfalls such as Niagara Falls, and so locks were built to efficiently move ships between lakes.

In this lesson students will focus on learning about the danger and difficulties of shipping, the five great lakes and shipping ports, the locks that allow ships to transition between lakes, and major shipping events.

 

Video Activities for Navigating the Great Lakes

Introduction Video

As you watch the video, try to answer these questions:

1. What are some challenges sailors faced when sailing across the Great Lakes?
2. How did lighthouses and fog signals help sailors stay safe?
3. Why do you think shipping on the Great Lakes is so important?

 

Duration:

2 minutes, 47 seconds

Intro Video for the KCHS Maritime History Module

 

Video Tour of Lighthouse

As you watch the video, try to answer these questions:

1. Why do you think the lighthouse is colored a specific color?
2. What do you think the other buildings around the lighthouse are for?

 

Duration:

2 minutes, 7 seconds

Video tour of the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse tower and living quarters.

 

Writing a Lighthouse Keeper’s Log

As you write your entry log, try to keep these ideas in mind:

• Duties of lighthouse keepers
• Weather conditions unique to the Great Lakes
• Common goods shipped, such as copper, iron ore, and timber.
• The role of lighthouses in Great Lakes shipping.

 

Shipping Board Game

Activity Objective
Understand how slow and difficult the process of shipping on the Great Lakes is. Uses the bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and spatial-visual intelligences.

1. Gather students into groups of 2-4.
2. Hand out printouts of the game board, paper pieces, and spinner to each group.
3. Read the instructions below and have the students start playing the game.
   1. Shipping Board Game Instructions:
      1. Cut out all pieces and spinning wheel.
      2. All pieces start at the same port, either Duluth or Detroit.
      3. One at a time, take turns spinning the wheel. Move the amount of spaces the wheel tells you to.
      4. If you are at a port and the wheel tells you to move backward, stay where you are.
      5. The first to the opposite port wins!
4. Once everyone is done, lead a short discussion which could include the following questions:
   1. What did you think of the game?
   2. Is there any strategy or does it feel random?
   3. Based on this game, do you think sailing on Lake Superior is easy or difficult?

Game Board Template
Spinner Template