Celebrating the culture of the sea in the Pacific Northwest


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Learning Resources

Maritime museums and heritage organizations in the Pacific Northwest have developed some of the most innovative and engaging curricula for K-12 education in the country. You’ll find descriptions of the programs below. We suggest contacting the organizations directly for more information and materials. Some resources are also available at the offices of 4Culture in Seattle. Call 206-296-7580.

Tall Ships Education
The tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, based in Aberdeen, are unique opportunities for educators to teach maritime heritage to area students. The ships' Voyages of Discovery program offers one-hour programs dockside or a three-hour on-the-water program on tall ship history, Northwest history, and maritime culture. For information, visit the website of the ships' owners, the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority. In addition, Bonnie Beaudoin, who holds a master of arts in education and works for an organization called The Museum Connection, has put together two documents to help teachers design lessons around tall ships. Tall Ships Education focuses on Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR) that may be met with maritime heritage material. Tall Ships Education Resources includes an extensive list of online resources with information about tall ships and maritime history. Bonnie can be reached at themuseumconnection@yahoo.com.


All Aboard
This Educational Resource Guide produced by Northwest Seaport introduces children in grades three through six to the study of maritime culture, using a traditional three-masted schooner as a model. The Guide provides teacher orientation and focuses on maritime terminology, the history of the Puget Sound schooner Wawona, the lives of common sailors, sea science and customs, sea shanties, and food at sea. For more information and materials, contact Northwest Seaport, 1002 Valley Street, Seattle WA, 98109-4332, 206-447-9800, http://www.nwseaport.org.


All Aboard: Gaining Life Skills Through Experiential Maritime Education
The Center for Wooden Boats developed this project as hands-on maritime heritage education programs for homeless and at-risk youth. The program is based on an apprenticeship model, in which students engage in boatbuilding, knot work, rowing, paddling, and sailing. The program includes applied knowledge of physics, geometry, navigation, meteorology, and maritime history, as well as an understanding of the historic, cultural, and technical aspects of the Center’s collections. For more information contact CWB, 1010 Valley Street, Seattle WA 98109, 206-382-2628, http://www.cwb.org/.


Canoes on Puget Sound
Author and educator Nan McNutt developed the Canoes on Puget Sound curriculum, which focuses on the heritage of native peoples by studying in-depth one element of the region’s indigenous culture, canoes. The curriculum explores Northwest Coast Indian canoe types, as well as their cultural associations, including equipment, games, the Lushootseed language, a photo gallery, a carving project, and other resources. The curriculum was revised and adapted for distribution on the Internet via the University of Washington’s MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) Project, which helped develop and promote the website. To view the curriculum, visit http://canoes.engr.washington.edu.


Checkerboard Crew
This project was developed in 1992 by Northwest Seaport in partnership with Seattle Public Schools and the Kendall Whaling Museum of Sharon, Mass. Using a traveling exhibit, teacher training, curriculum materials, and outreach, the project documented the significant involvement of African-Americans, Asian and other ethnic groups in whaling and merchant seafaring activities. For information, contact Northwest Seaport, 1002 Valley Street, Seattle WA 98109-4332, 206-447-9800, http://www.nwseaport.org.


Discovering an Inland Sea: A Maritime History of Puget Sound
Developed in 2001, this curriculum was designed by Jacqueline Schwartz, Adjunct Faculty, Seattle University, for the Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society (PSMHS). The curriculum helped establish a local heritage connection between two Ballard High School courses, “World History” and a maritime vocational training class entitled “Introduction to Maritime Industry” sponsored by the Youth Maritime Training Association. The resource guide features primary source materials in the PSMHS library and other regional maritime heritage resources. For information, contact PSMHS at PO Box 9731, Seattle, WA, 98109-9731, 206-624-3028, http://www.pugetmaritime.org.


Odyssey, At-a-Glance
The hands-on nature of Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center’s exhibits -- now part of the Maritime Event Center -- offer an environment rich in contextual cues that facilitates learning in multiple ways. Through visual, auditory, linguistic, and kinesthetic experiences, each student and teacher is invited to explore the contemporary world of the maritime industries, ocean trade, fisheries, and the marine environment. Odyssey immerses students in the working maritime world and helps them make connections between their lives and the industries and agencies linked to the sea. OMDC’s website includes a summary of exhibits, a listing of Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR) covered by the museum, and downloadable teaching materials. Visit http://www.ody.org/resources.htm for details.


Port of Seattle Tour Resources
The Port of Seattle offers educational tours of its sea and air facilities through its Sea-Air School. The goal of Sea-Air School is to teach students about the Port and the diverse facilities and services at the seaport and airport. In addition, students learn about the important role the Port plays in the community and the many different jobs that are linked to Port activities. Seaport tours are offered in the spring, Monday through Friday. To prepare for the tour, teachers may download suggested curriculum materials on this page on the Port’s website.

 
 

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This project has been funded in part by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Eldridge Campbell Stockton Memorial Preservation Services Fund.
© 2005 Maritime Heritage Network