Last updated: July 11, 2025
Lesson Plan
Diving Deeper - Hercules STEAM Unit Lesson #2
1907 steamship HERCULES waits at Hyde Street Pier for visitors to board and explore the historic vessel.
Photo/NPS
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Science
- Lesson Duration:
- 60 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 4.SL.1, 4.SL.2
- Additional Standards:
- NGSS-4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct explanation re: the speed of an object to the energy of the object.
NGSS-4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred...
NGSS-4-PS3-3: Ask questions and predict outcomes... - Thinking Skills:
- Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
How is energy transferred so that HERCULES can travel? How do communities face change?
Objective
The learner will virtually explore the layout of the historic 1907 tugboat and predict how it was powered.
Preparation
1. Print worksheets.
2. Obtain class set of laptops or tablets which can support Google Play or Apple App Store apps.
3. Download San Francisco Maritime Time Looper Xplore App for student use during class.
Materials
Brief activity to compare different explanations for how Hercules was powered and justify decision.
Comprehensive curriculum for 14-lesson Hercules STEAM unit. This is lesson 2.
Download Hercules STEAM Unit Plan
Lesson Hook/Preview
You've explored Hercules through photos, articles, and letters. Now, you'll get to explore the vessel itself through a virtual reality field trip!
Procedure
1. Review information learned about the Hercules. Introduce the San Francisco Maritime TimeLooper Xplore App and set expectations for student technology use.
2. Virtual Field Trip: Allow students to explore the app.
3. Independent Jot: What did you observe? What questions do you have?
4. Choose a student-created question to explore; should be along the lines of: How do you think Hercules was powered?
5. Have students fill out Science Probe. Share thinking and reasoning.
Assessment Materials
Individual ReflectionObservation - wonder activity which allows student to reflect on new information and follow-up questions.
Individual Reflection Page
Supports for Struggling Learners
- Work with students in a small group to explore the San Francisco Maritime Time Looper Xplore App.
- Have students watch the videos/explore independently and then reflect on their discoveries as a group.
- Define vocabulary and paraphrase as needed.
Related Lessons or Education Materials
This is lesson 2 of 14 of the Hercules STEAM Unit.
This lesson can be done alone or a part of the greater unit.
The Hercules STEAM Unit provides students with an understanding of life in the early 1900s. Students will begin by becoming historians and observing primary sources of information to answer the question: What is HERCULES?
Then, they will get to deeply understand how HERCULES' engine works.
They will observe a series of experiments and simulations to comprehend how steam engines function at a molecular level and identify the energy transfers.
Finally, students will have the opportunity to become engineers themselves. They will build a tugboat and present their learnings to a National Park Ranger.