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11-1 (99)
Release Date: March 13-19
•
Especially
and
for
families
their
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By BETTY DEBNAM
t
from lhe Mini P_ by Betty Debnam C 1999 Universal Press Syndicate
Heavens Above Help Us Below
A Kid's Guide to Navigation
When we navigate, we
move from one place
to another.
We can navigate in our
home or in our
neighborhood using the
mental maps in our mind.
People back in history
did not have to know
much about navigation
because they did not travel very far.
When folks
began to trade with
people in faraway
lands, they had to
figure out how to
get there
... and back!
At first,
•
sailors traveled
along the
shoreline, using
landmarks
~~~ they could
A CO.PAII
CA. TELL UI
see.
THE
But when
"RECT'D'
they started
WEARE
to travel
across wide
oceans, they
had problems.
There were no
landmarks.
,01.,.
'UT A CD.PAII
,~~ CA.,DTTELL UI
~
- WHERE WE AREI
~~--------------------~~~~
.. This iss~ of The Mini Page is based on the
planetanum show "And a Star to Steer Her
By" at the National Air and Space Museum,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. It
will be on view until October 2001.
Dead reckoning
Looking up
Sailors used another
method called "dead
reckoning." After they
marked where they
thought they were on a
chart, they used a compass
to decide what direction
they were to go in.
Then they estimated their speed by
tossing a log overboard. The log
was attached to a line that was on ~-.
a reel. The knots on the line were
evenly spaced. A sailor counted
the knots as they unwound and
timed it to an hourglass.
For thousands of years,
people had known that
the stars and other
heavenly bodies could
help them find their way.
The positions of the
stars were known with great
accuracy. People mapped the ~
stars before they
~
mapped the Earth.
I lEE THE
For any time of day,
IDRTH ITAR.
the stars and other
heavenly bodies are in
a certain, known position.
It's a navigator's job to take
the position of stars and other
bodies in the sky and use
this information to
locate the position of
a ship at sea.
While there are thousands of stars in
the sky, navigators use only 57 of them.
~
~
... =- .--=
~
-*
~.,.
=4
Then the ship's speed was
written down in "knots." Today
we still label a ship's speed in knots.
The speeds were recorded in a book
called the "log" book. The record book
ships keep today is still called a log book.
When they knew their speed and
direction, they could estimate, or "deadreckon," their position. Dead reckoning
did not always work. Because of winds,
storms and currents, ships did not travel
in the direction or speed that the
navigator charted.
A
Navigators also use:
-the sun
- the moon
- and the planets:
~~~~
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
The Mini Page thanks F. C. Engle, Center for
Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air
and Space Museum, for help with this issue.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
11-2 (99)
Release Date: March 13-19
#I
Shoot a Star to Find Out Where You Are!
Here's a fun experiment to do with your family at home at night.
......w----------------------------.
0----1
o
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When navigators look through their
sextants and zero in on a star to find
out their location, we say they are
"shooting a star."
You can shoot a star yourself You
can make a quadrant. It's not as
accurate as a sextant, but it is fun to
try.
When you look through the straw at
Polaris, the string with the weight on
it will mark your degree of latitude.
Here's how to make a
quadrant.
You'll need:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The
sextant
A sextant measures
height, in degrees,
above the horizon.
Navigators have used it for
hundreds of years and
still use it today. The quadrant
you are making will give you an
idea of how a sextant works.
Look through
/
this end of straW~()
90
What to do:
1. Cut out the quadrant and glue
it to a piece of cardboard.
2. Tape a straw across the top.
3. Poke a hole in the corner.
4. Push a string into the hole and
tape it in place on the back.
5. Tie the weight to the string. Be
sure that the weight hangs below
the angle marks.
•.....1-1...-_1----:::
:\: ~ £
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Alpha Betty and her friends are learning about geography.
See if you can find:
• bread loaf
• horseshoe
~.---~~~------------~~~
• cat
• pencil
• pumpkin
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam C 1999 UniYerul Prea Syndicate
~p..S~~~ ~ ~~S D'S
Mini Spy ...
• spoon
cardboard
straw
string (about 20 em)
nut or other small weight
scissors
tape (about 10 em)
white glue or glue stick
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
canoe
letter D
comb
apple
banana
fork
ruler
word MINI
knife
ear of com
butter dish
peapod
~ \\OU~
TRY 'N
NAVIGATION FIND
Words that remind us of navigation are hidden in the block
below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if
you can find: NAVIGATE, SAILING, LANDMARK, COMPASS,
DEAD, RECKONING, SHIPS, PLANES, LAND, SEA, MOON,
SUN, LONGITUDE, LATITUDE, PLANETS, VENUS, MARS,
JUPITER, LOG, KNOT.
L A ESE D UTI G N 0 L J R
A K DNA L SEN ALP A U E
N 8 N L L A TIT U D E
a
P C
DDSOCMARSMRVX I K
M D E U T N A V I GAT E T 0
A L G ANN P LAN E T SEN
ROIODSUNEVUWYRI
KGSAI
LINGNOOMJN
COM PAS S K S P I H S P G
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
11-3 (99)
Release Date: March 13-19
~ Rookie Cookies Recipe
The Mini Page Map of the U.S.A. is a colorful 23-by-35-inch map that includes state
capitals, state birds and state flowers. For your copy, send $3 plus 75¢ postage and
handling per copy to: Mini Page Map, Andrews McMeel Publishing,
P.O. Box 419242, Kansas City, Mo. 64141.
Go dot to dot and color.
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What to do:
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1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 4.
•
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• 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
•
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You'll need:
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Cucumber Salad
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from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam C 1999 Unl_ 1 Pre.. Syndicate
~
Meet R.E.M.
Last October, the top pop
group R.E.M. released its 11th
album .
The group, based in Athens,
Ga., is made up of Mike Mills
(bass guitar), Peter Buck
(guitar) and Michael Stipe
(vocals). In 1997, the original
drummer, Bill Barry, retired to
(from left) Mike, Peter, Michael
work on his farm in Georgia.
The group has been together for about 18 years.
The band was formed when Peter and Michael met at a record
store where Peter worked. They later asked Mike and Bill to join
them.
Their first album came out in 1983.
In their free time, Peter works with another band he belongs
to and Michael works on film and photo projects. Peter and his
wife have twin girls.
from The M ini Page by Betty Debnam C 1999 Uni_1 Preas Syndicate
-•
~
The Mini Page Body Parts Book
Now Kide Cdn Ledrn
About the 50dy .•.
• The Body 5yeteme
• The Body Parte
-
MIGHTY
FUNNY'S
-r
.IIArl TilE IIFFEREIICE
'ETfIEEII All ElE'IIAIIT
AliI A VAil?
Tom: Knock, knock.
Randy: Who's there?
Tom: Amos.
Randy: Amos who?
Tom: A mosquito just bit me!
(both jokes sent in by Emily Dudley)
from The MInI Page by Betty Debnam C 1999 Uni-u Pren SyndIcem
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
11-4 (99)
Release Date: March 13-19
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam C 1999 Universal Press Syndicate
Time Helps Navigators Navigate
Background
We use imaginary
:-:-:':;::!f~~~', lines called "meridians"
:, __~"
We use imaginary lines
///
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•
/ / / / / I ' \ \ \ \ ' of longItude to measure
\ ~'~'-called "parallels" to
1
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tThey
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east and wes.
\\ ', " :'" '--;"'/ measure where we are
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.
~~~:::':::. ___:=:::.:-: from north to
N
{ I I
are measure ill
's;.. . .:..::--:---=:;-: south
qo·
r.o.
i I " / . / degrees from 0 to 180
"-' -=.;--: They ar~
, degrees east to west.
Meridians come together at the North
numbered from
vJ
o· reach side of the
I-----f----l
and South poles. We can think of the
meridians as the Earth's clock.
equator from 0 to 90
The Earth spins, or rotates,
degrees.
360 degrees each day as
it circles the sun. If
you were to stand in
space far above the
Earth's North Pole,
you would see the
Earth turn beneath
Since we can be anywhere on a
you counterclockwise. It
parallel, we must also measure from
spins at the rate of 15 degrees each hour.
east to west to get our exact spot.
These meridians are separated by 15
N
w.
•E
degrees and divide the Earth into 24
North to
East to west
zones. The time zones start at what is
south
called the prime meridian, an imaginary
S
N
line that runs through Greenwich,
The point where these
W
E . England. One hour separates each time
lines cross tells us where we are! S
zone's meridian.
Here's an example of how time helps
us know where we are.
1. You are a
q'. ~
navigator and
S
in your home
,5
port. You notice
when the sun is
highest in the sky
(local noon). You set
your watch. You do
not reset it.
2. You travel. The next
day you check your watch
at the new local noon. The
difference in the hours
between your watch and
noon will roughly give you
the new longitude.
If your home port was at 0 degrees
longitude and your watch says
II f I x 2 o'clock, you would be at 30
~o V
degrees west (multiply 2
~1
5 <t times 15).
6
If your home port
was at 0 degrees and your
watch says 10 o'clock, you
would be at 30 degrees east.
What navigators need
• A book, The Nautical
Jlfau.tico.(
Almanac, published by the ~ AI,..,ahac
U.S. Naval Observatory. It
gives the positions of bodies
in the sky at certain times
throughout each day of each year.
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• A clock that is
very accurate so they
can figure out the
longitude. The Earth
is rotating, the stars
appear to be moving, and their ship is
moving. When navigators know where
the heavenly bodies are, and also know
exactly what time it is, they can tell
where the ship is.
A clock that is used at sea is called a
chronometer.
•
www.minipage.com
Next week, we celebrate Women's History
Month with a story about women in politics.
• Good weather so
~
~~
t h ey can see t he sky..
<1
Navigators usually
take these sightings at ~
-~----these times of day to
measure things in the sky:
1. 30 minutes before sunrise, while the
stars are still out and while they can see
the horizon.
2. at noon to take a sighting of the sun.
3. 30 minutes after sunset so they can
still see the horizon and the stars. It gets
too dark after that.
1/
I
Ij,
7
---
+
• A chart or map to figure ~
out where they are, based on ~
the information they got by
using their sextant and their
clock.
Astronauts in space and many
navigators on the sea still plot their
position using the sun, moon, stars and
planets.
Navigation satellites
Today most navigators use the
Global Positioning System, which
makes navigating much
easier. Satellites circle the
Earth. These 24
artificial "stars" carry
clocks and computers. These
satellites send time signals to
GPS receivers.
Visit the National Air and Space Museum
site at www.nasm.edulgps.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
11-5 (99)
Release Date: March 13-19
Navigation
is neat
8.ihfAi,
~~"
"I'
C 1998 Unlwrsal Plea
For use by teachers and parents at home and at school.
For use with issue: A Kid's Guide to Navigation
m
~·-a1a:~
TIm:O
l___~
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____,
from The MInI Page by Betty Debn8m
C 1888 UnMruI " ' - ~
(Note to Editor: Above is
camera-ready, one columnby-414-inch ad promoting
Issue 11.)
~ Goldie Goodsport;si;p:;"~
Teacher's
Guide
Main idea: This issue is about navigation. The following is a list of activities to be used
with this issue. They are listed in order of difficulty, with the easier, pre-reader activities
listed first. Ask the children to do the following:
1. Find the following pictures in this issue: a ship, a storm at sea, a lighthouse, a
clock, the sun, a planet, a constellation.
2. Discuss the following: Why is navigation so important? What are some landmarks
you use to find your way from school to your home? What would it have been like to be a
navigator hundreds of years ago? What do you think our world would be like if we were
not able to tell the time? Why are maps so important?
3. Draw a map of your neighborhood. Be sure to show your house, your friends'
houses and some places you go a lot, like the park or the store.
4. On a clear night, go outside and look at the stars. Do you see any constellations?
5. Find a globe or world map that marks the meridians. Notice the different
meridians. See how they meet the North and South poles. Which meridian is your town
closest to?
6. Look in the weather section of your newspaper and find the forecast for cities in
the different time zones of the United States.
7. Find the following words in this issue: parallels, navigate, meridians, compass,
port, accuracy, filters, chart. Define and make up a new sentence for each one.
(Note to Editor: Above is the Teacher's Guide for Issue 11.)
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Supersport: Kristy Kowal
Height: 6-1
Weight: 142
Birthdate: 10-9-78
College: U. of Georgia
Few women in the world swim the
breaststroke as fast as Kristy Kowal.
At last year's World Championships, she won
the 100-meter breaststroke, becoming the first
American ever to win the event. She was second
in the 200-meter breaststroke, also the first
American to do that.
At last year's national college championships,
she won the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes. Her time in the 100yard race set an American record.
At last summer's national championships, she was first in the 100meter and 200-meter breaststrokes.
Kristy grew up in Reading, Pa., and now lives in Athens, Ga. She
will graduate from college in 2000. Her hobbies are hiking, reading
and biking.
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 11, to be used
in place of ad if desired.)
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
I'