Suggested Activities Grades 6 - 8

Ideas to try….

Science and Technology
What causes storms on land and water? Research and describe the conditions that create hurricanes, cyclones, etc. What are the similarities and differences between land and water storms? How do they compare in frequency?
How are weather systems tracked today?
Learn to use a compass.
What is the difference between a map and a chart?
Women in the 19th century were often interested in the natural world, and they sometimes collected plants, shells, etc. from around the world. Create an image collection using your own research on sea shells or other natural items.

English Language Arts
Create a story about two women meeting each other and describing their respective experiences at sea. What advice do you think they would they give to young captains just starting out?
Write a newspaper story relating one of the incidents in this chapter, or create stories using social media.
Pretend to be a child traveling with your parents aboard ship. Rewrite one of the incidents from your perspective.

Social Studies
The captains and their wives were on merchant vessels. They were not military; their voyages were for trade. Learn more about the cargoes carried by Maine ships (see other web chapters on Life at Sea, Shipbuilding, Working the Bay, and Maine and the Orient.) Pick a country mentioned in this chapter and compare trade between it and the U.S. today and in the 19th century.
Find the locations mentioned in this chapter on a world map or globe. Calculate distances from Maine.
Learn about Maine’s deep water ports in Portland, Searsport, and Eastport and what is happening there today.
Research the roles of women at sea today.

Visual Arts
Pick one woman and illustrate her story using different media.
Try some embroidery—a frequent pastime of wives at sea.