The Compass

Pointer Stars

The Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Use the two stars at thebottom of the cup of the big dipper to find Polaris the North Star which

Is at the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.

Before the Compass people would navigate using the North Star.(The Big Dipper is sometimes called “The Drinking Gourd,” do you know why?)

Underground Railroad

The Compass – The Beginning

NORTH ARROW

FRED

The SHED

Moveable Dial

Put RED in the SHED and Follow Fred.

The dial has numbers onit. These numbers are the degrees in a circle = 360.

This dial turns so you can always put the RED north arrow in the shed located in the center circle.

Directions for use:

•Hold the Compass flat with Fred pointing away from you. Never change the way you hold it.

•Point Fred at the place you want to go, or the direction you want to find.

•Turn the dial until the RED north arrow is in the shed in the middle of the dial.

•Find the white line under Fred. Read the compass “bearing” where the dial and the white line meet.

1st Exercise – Circle Round

15

16

17

18

6

5

4

3

T

14

13

1211 10 9

8

7

Teacher

Student

11 2

Proceed around the Circle

2nd Exercise – Straight LineHave students stand in a straight line facing NORTH. Stand about 25 ft. in front of the line and have all students point their compass at you. Have them call off the readings on their compasses.

Bearing

• Give the students the following bearing.

180o

• Have the students then “Put Red in the Shed” (have them turn their bodies, NOT the compass)

• Tell them if they walked that direction (Follow Fred), they would be walking 180o from North (which would be South.)

• Ask them what bearing 90o would be.• Ask them what bearing 270o would be.