Lesson Plan 1

This is a lesson I did for Black History Month in February 1997 when I taught at Horizon House Elementary. I presented this to my class, which served 1st-4th grade students with severe emotional disabilities. I invited the older class (4th and 5th graders), and a class of EMD students who also displayed emotional/behavioral problems! The presentation went extremely well and the students were intrigued.

Objective:
TSW identify James Forten, Sr. as a person who invented a sail raising mechanism that made it easier to hoist sails (exactly what this mechanism was, I was unable to find out, though I did some research, and I explained this to the class. If anyone knows, I would love to have the info!)

Materials:

2) Any sailing materials you can bring to class. I brought foul weather gear, weather radio, some ropes, sailing gloves, and I towed my 16 ft. day-sailor to school.

3) A collection of sailing books and magazines.

Procedures:
Intro telling the students a sailing story, if you have one. Pass out handout to students and go over it with them. Explain to them the importance of sailing during the time period in which James Forten lived (1766-1842). Tell them that the sails of the day were made out of heavy canvas, and were difficult to raise. Explain that anything that aided sailing in these days affected trade and national defense. Show the students pictures of sailing vessels of that period and describe them as the pictures circulate the room. Then contrast sailing today by handing out magazines and explaining the purpose of the gear brought to class. Pass around the gear after presenting it. I culminated my activity by taking the students outside to see my boat. They asked what everything was used for, and I allowed them to touch and handle the equipment.

Assessment:
Oral quiz and journal entry responding to the lesson.

From Greg Handal, Orange Grove Elementary School, Charleston, SC.

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