We explore the curvature of the Earth and how Eratosthenes both proved and measured the size of the Earth by simply looking at shadows cast by very tall poles at two different cities. I bring in a posterboard and use it to show the curvature of the Earth creates different length shadows. We then explore how objects can hide from sight behind the curvature of the Earth. We will set sail towards Soldier Key until it appears in the Horizon.

This week is dedicated to learning 5 basic sailing knots: 1. the stopper knot ( 2 variations), 2. the cleat hitch (basic knot for securing a boat to a dock), 3. the all important bowline (used throughout the world of sailing), 4. the square or reef knot (used to reduce the sail area of the boat during a storm), and lastly the slip knot (the mother of all knots, one end can take a load the other end undoes the knot .) During our sail we will encourage the kids to find these knots on the sail boat and to pay attention to how both function and purpose of these knots.

This week is dedicated to the 6 simple machines : the pulley, the lever, wheel and axle, the wedge, the inclined plane, and the screw. Amazingly enough all 6 simple machines show up in most sailboats. We will spend some time exploring the pulley since it is such a prevalent simple machine that shows up in all sailboats. We will explore 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 pulley systems demonstrating that as the ratio increases the amount of force required to lift a heavy object decreases but the distance that this force must be applied over increases. During our sail we will show how the pulley system on the sailboats allows to control a sail that is exerting an incredibly powerful force.

This week dedicated to learning about the environmental factors affecting the health and wildlife of Biscayne Bay. We will learn about water quality, rising temperatures, the increasing acidification of the bay, the invasion of foreign species, and the destruction of seagrass beds. Also, chief among these is the impact of plastic on the entire ecosystem. We will venture into some distant mangroves, explain their importance to the health of the bay, and how they help to protect the bay during hurricanes and storms, we will dedicate some time to removing several trash bags of plastic debri from the mangrove patches that dot the bay. Nothing brings the message home like seeing with your own eyes the harm we are doing to the bay by using plastic in our day to day living.

This week is dedicated to understanding and measuring the wind. We will build a home made anemometer, a tool desigedn to measure both wind direction and its real speed. We will discuss how to correctly determine wind direction on the bay. We will explore Beufort’s Wind Scale, and learn how and why wind is generated on the surface of the Earth. We will also discuss the difference between real wind and appareant wind.

This week will be dedicated to underwater exploration. We will learn to correctly use snorkling gear and masks. We will learn what places are safe to snorkle in and we will play with a Sub-Wing, a device that allows you to explore the sea grass beds of Biscayne Bay as you are gently being pulled by the sail boat.