Maika Nagata

EDUC 643
Students Relevance

This unit plan as a lot of relevance for and to Native Hawaiian

Students because it actively engages the students in learning about

some of their culture. The star compass was designed by Nainoa

Thompson and is a tool that is used by the Native Hawaiian navigators

on the double-hulled canoes like the Hokulea. The Hokulea and the

whole Polynesian Voyaging Society play an active role in preserving

and sharing Native Hawaiian Heritage. This unit plan can be a good

tool to expose the students to this part of their heritage and could

inspire some of the students to try and be on some of the voyages as

Navigators or sailors. This also connects some of what they were

learning in their math class with the outside world and they can

visualize and conceptualize the directions in a new way. Also because

of these connections the students should have an easier time learning

the unit circle and learning about the star compass since they are

mutually beneficial to each other.

One of the ways that I could make this more relevant for the

students would be to add actual navigators as guest speakers. This

would give the students the chance to learn from people who use it in

their everyday lives and to see what it takes to have this career.

Another way to make this more relevant would be to have the students

learn about the worldwide voyage of the Hokulea and the differences
of the star compass from different parts of the world, such as the

difference between the northern and southern hemisphere. Finally,

depending on where the canoes are currently in the world arranging a

field trip to see the canoes or to a planetarium would help the

students. The canoe would allow the students to get some hands on

activities with some of the crewmembers similar to having a guest

speaker. The planetarium would give the students the chance to see

the different constellations in a projected nights sky. In a similar trip I

could also arrange the students to have a late night trip to an

observatory away from the ambient city lights where they can share

their knowledge of the constellations with their families and friends.

This way they could explain the importance of the different

constellations with the community and help to preserve the

knowledge. This would also be a good chance for the students to

perform their songs that would connect to the unit circle.