Skills used
- Latitude & Longitude
- Using scale to measure distance
- Critical thinking
- Solving problems
Materials Needed
Globe in Horizon Ring Mounting
Lesson
On your globe, circle the following American cities. Boston, Massachusetts at 43N/71W; New York City at 42N/71W; and Charleston, South Carolina at 33N/80W. During the time of the Revolutionary War, these were some of the largest cities in the colonies. What major common geographical characteristic do these cities have that contributed to their growth and importance? (1.) ___________________________ ________________________________
During the war years, because the British controlled the sea-lanes, most mail was transported along roads called post roads. Post roads that had been improved and shortened during Benjamin Franklin's time as deputy postmaster general of America enabled a letter to travel from Charleston to Boston in about 18 days. Use your globe to determine the straight-line distance between these two cities. What is this distance? (2.) _______________________________________
Add 150 miles to the above distance to allow for the fact that the post roads did not follow the most direct route. What is the distance now? (3.) ______________________
If a letter took 18 days to travel this distance, what was the average distance traveled per day?
(4.) _____________________________
What was the average speed of the letter in miles per hour? Use the formula Distance traveled divided by 24 hours to help find the answer. (5.) ______________________________