Tools of Navigation: A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Finding Your Way - Softcover

Dickinson, Rachel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0974934402 ISBN 13: 9780974934402

Publisher: Nomad Press, 2005

Synopsis

Children will learn all about inventions: their inventors, the way they changed history, and their evolution over centuries, through the activities and anecdotes provided in this interactive series.

 

Travel through the past and into the future to explore the history of human navigation, from the crude maps of early explorers to the satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) of today. This guide to learning about geography, trade routes over land and sea, and navigational tools and people who used them, is supplemented with 15 hands-on projects and educational activities to expand world view and build navigational confidence.

About this title

About the Author

Rachel Dickinson is a travel, nature, and science writer whose articles have been published in such magazines as Audubon, The Christian Science Monitor, National Geographic Traveler, and U.S.A. Weekend. She is the author of The Witch's Handbook. She lives in Freeville, New York.

Reviews

Grade 5-8 -The first book is acomprehensive, well-organized account that ranges from star charts to satellites and focuses not only on the tools of navigation but on the pioneers in the field as well. From the jungles of Africa, with Livingstone and Stanley, to Hillary's Everest, and to the poles with Scott, Peary, Amundsen, and Shackleton, the book provides an intriguing and informative look at how humans have managed to find their way across the globe. Easy-to-understand activities, linked directly to the information provided in the text, such as how to make a simple astrolabe, are included in many chapters. Unfortunately, many of the projects use the imperial system of measurement, which puts readers who are schooled in the globally used metric system at a disadvantage, and the index is incomplete. Timekeeping is an ambitious effort that succeeds in making sense of an often difficult-to-understand concept. Using straightforward language, this resource traces the history of how humans have attempted to calculate time. Technologies used in modern timekeeping are also included and the coverage of the individuals involved is excellent. The book includes timekeeping history from Asian, African, European, and North and South American cultures. Hands-on activities enhance the understanding of each topic. All of the instructions are easy to follow and require readily available materials. The illustrations and diagrams are used effectively to support the text. Two informative resources.-Robyn Walker, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
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Edition details

• Publisher: Nomad Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0974934402
• ISBN 13: 9780974934402
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160