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Overview: Students are fascinated by the story of the Titanic. It serves as a great conclusion to a unit on
electromagnets and the invention of the telegraph. Students can use the story of the Titanic to help them write their own fictional narrative, incorporating the use of the telegraph and the Morse Code message sent out before the Titanic sank into the north Atlantic Ocean.
Booklink: The Discovery of the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard and Rick Archbold, Warner Books, 1995. ISBN 0446671746
Science Activity Link: Prior to using the text, students can explore
electromagnets through individual investigations involving nails, batteries, and wire. A more challenging class project is the creation of the telegraph.
Objective: Students will make electromagnets with batteries, wire, and nails. Later, as a class, students will construct a telegraph. Students will learn how to use Morse Code. Following the reading of The Discovery of the Titanic, students will write a fictional narrative placing them on the Titanic the night it sank. They will include the use of the telegraph and Morse Code in their stories.
Science Processes and Content: Processes-investigation, inferring, observing, predicting, communicating Content-electricity, sound, communication, electromagnets, technology
National Science Education Standards: Unifying Concepts and Processes, (1) Science as Inquiry, (2) Physical Science, (5) Science and Technology, (6) Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, (7) History and Nature of Science
Materials:
Activity #1: Electromagnets
-class set of: batteries, wire, large nails, paperclips
Activity #2: Telegraph
-1 piece of insulated wire 3m long
-3 pieces of insulated wire 30cm long
-2 plastic foam boards 25cm x 6cm x 1cm
-1 plastic foam board 6 cm x 6cm x 1cm
-1 large nail
-glue
-1 strip of cardboard 8cm x 4 cm
-small hammer
-metal paper clip
-6 volt battery
-wire clippers
Activity #3:
-class set of copies of the Morse Code
Procedure:
1. Activity #1: Electromagnets
a. Provide students with materials.
b. Model the creation of an electromagnet by wrapping the wire around the large nail, making sure there is wire sticking out on both ends.
c. Hold or tape both ends of the wire to the ends of the battery.
d. Challenge students to pick up as many paperclips as they can with their "magnets."
e. Prompt students with questions: What happened to the nail? What have you created? Do you know any inventions that use the electromagnet?
2. Activity #2: The Telegraph
This activity is rather challenging and can be done as a class activity with each student performing a step in the procedure. This activity was adapted from "Discover the Wonder: Module E" by Scott Foresman Science, 1994, pages E58-59).
a. Provide students with a background of the telegraph. An excellent source is The Phone Book, by Elizabeth MacLeod (see list of resources). Recall Activity #1 and the electromagnets. How did they work?
b. To create the sounder for the telegraph, glue the small plastic foam board perpendicular to the end of the large plastic foam board.
c. Wrap the longest piece of wire around the nail and place it into the bottom board. Use thumbtacks to keep the free ends of the wire in place.
d. Place one thumbtack into each end of the strip of cardboard and secure one end into the top of the foam board and the other end should sit over the nail head.
e. Take the third plastic foam board to make the key to the telegraph. Unbend the paperclip half way and use two thumbtacks to keep one hook of the paperclip secured to the plastic foam board. Place another thumbtack under the free-end of the paperclip. Later, the paperclip will be able to hit this tack.
f. Connect one wire from the tack in the sounder to one terminal in the battery.
g. Connect the another wire form the other battery terminal to the extra tack on the key.
h. Connect another wire from the second tack in the sounder to the tacks in the key under the paperclip.
i. Have students predict what will happen when the free end of the paperclip is pressed to the tack.
j. Now push the free end of the paperclip to the head of the tack. Students will observe the "dit" and "dah" sounds of the telegraph.
k. Pass around copies of the Morse Code and allow student volunteers to make words using the telegraph. The winner becomes the next telegrapher.
3. Activity #3: Science and Literature Link
a. Provide students with a copy of the Morse Code.
b. Challenge students to tap out words in the Morse Code to a partner, trying to guess each other's message.
c. Read the Discovery of the Titanic. (Appropriate clips from the movie "Titanic" can also be shown to spark interest and excitement prior to reading the text.)
d. Have students imagine that they are on the Titanic on the night if April 14th when it hits the iceberg.
e. Students can then write a first person fictional narrative. They must include the use of the telegraph to ask for help as well as the message written in Morse Code.
f. Students can share their stories in small groups. Group members can try to decode the Morse Code messages in the stories.
Safety: Caution students prior to Activity #1 and the creation of the electromagnets. They should take care when using the battery, wire, and nail. The wire should not go into wall sockets and the nails should not be thrown or pointed at peers. For Activity #2 and the creation of the telegraph, observe students as they use the materials and the thumbtacks, reminding them to take extra care.
Related Books:
Ghosts of the Titanic by Charles R. Pellegrino and James Cameron, Avon, 2001. ISBN 0380724723
Titanic: Eye Witness Guide by Simon Adams, Dorling Kindersley Ltd., 1998. ISBN 0751363030
The Phone Book by Elizabeth MacLeod, Kids Can Press Ltd., 1995. ISBN 1550742205
Discover the Wonder: Module E / Electricity by Teacher's Edition, Scott Foresman Science, 1994. ISBN 0673359034
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