Navigation

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/navigation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the polynesian wayfinding?A non-instrumental navigation system relying on stars, waves, currents, and natural signs
2. What is the mercator projection?A conformal map projection where rhumb lines are straight, simplifying course plotting
3. How did Polynesian navigators find their way across the ocean?They remembered star patterns, watched waves and currents, and listened to birds and sea life to know which direction to travel. They passed this knowledge orally from one generation to the next.
4. Why was the magnetic compass a game‑changer for sailors?The compass shows which way is north, so sailors could keep a steady direction even when the sea was calm and the sky was cloudy. It helped them stay on course during long voyages.

Empirical Observation: Knowledge gained through direct experience, senses, and experimentation rather than theory.
Dead Reckoning: Calculating a position by estimating course and distance traveled from a known starting point.
Trilateration: Determining a location by measuring distances from three known points, used in satellite navigation.