Hawaiian Wayfinding
Free to teach as-is — the teacher guide, student handout, and slides are included.
Free — we'll email you an access link. Google Docs format.
Objective
I can point out stars that Hawaiians used to find their way across the ocean and tell what season they appear in. I can create a Hawaiian star map. I can retell stories related to Hawaiian navigation and stars
Part 1 of 3
Warm-up video
Great Big Story · 3:34
We don't generate video — this one is by Great Big Story on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 3
Practice
7 questions
What two main clues did the ancient Hawaiians use to navigate the ocean?
How did knowing where the sun rises and sets help the ancient Hawaiians find their way?
Part 3 of 3
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“Explain how knowing where a star rises and sets could help ancient Hawaiian navigators find their way across the ocean. Imagine you are creating a star map like the ancient Hawaiians. Explain what information you would include on your map and why that information would be important for navigation. The video mentions that navigators memorize close to 200 stars. Explain why memorizing so many stars would be helpful for navigating the ocean.”
Sample answer included in the free materials
Get the materials
Teacher guide, student handout, and slides — free, in Google Docs format
Teacher Guide
Complete lesson plan with answer keys and alternate activities
Student Handout
Printable worksheet
Slides
Ready to present
We'll ask for your email to send your access link — nothing else.
Teaching a group at a different level?
Where are your students right now? We'll rebuild this lesson to match — including the teacher guide, student handout, and slides, saved to your Google Drive.
Adapt This Lesson