| select another theme |

Let's Explore Lighthouses!

Parents and Teachers! Here are some suggested activities that your child can do as they research lighthouses while at home or school. Why not challenge your students to research lighthouses at home and present information about this topic when they come back to school?

Indiana Academic Standards
English/Language Arts

Standard 4: Writing Process/Research and Technology

English/Language Arts

Standard 7: Listening and Speaking

Social Studies

Standard 3: Geography

West of Pacific Coast Highway

visit this site
Research the interesting history of California's Lighthouses from this site. Includes a resource page of links to lighthouses around the world and other lighthouse web sites.

• Research the many lighthouses located in California
• Select one California lighthouse and create a report on the location of the lighthouse, when it was constructed, the structure style of the lighthouse, if they list the names of the lighthouse keepers, and any other unique trivia about this building

Legendary Lighthouses

visit this site
This PBS Sponsored web site is a beautiful gallery organized by US regions. You can explore the history, legends, lore and workings of lighthouses along American shorelines.

• What a great way to introduce students to lighthouses around the U.S. Perhaps students could be organized into 6 groups and become the expert of a particular lighthouse region in the U.S.
  • Explore the purpose of the lighthouses built in that U.S. region
  • Whether or not there was a particular building style used
  • What legends and lore surround this region
• Visit the Photo Gallery and write a report from the facts learned to teach others how a Fresnel lens works

Lighthouse Heritage

visit this site
The National Park Service published an inventory of lighthouses around the United States in 1994. Survey information for these 595 light stations and a variety of lighthouse-related pages are part of this site, as well as the Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook, sources for more information, and a listing of lighthouses by construction type.

• Students can study the many different lighthouse construction types on this site. This site is VERY complete and information packed, so some guidance while young students browse will be necessary.
• Students should explore the kinds of structures used to build lighthouses on and off shore. Select 2-3 photos of your favorite examples for this kind of structure.
• Research the components required for every lighthouse and how the required components changed throughout history. Why do you think the requirements changed? Do you think that these changed requirements were for the better? Why?
• Research the requirements you had to meet and the job description of a lighthouse keeper
• What are the current lighthouses designated as a National Historic Landmarks and where are they located? What unique history does each of these lighthouses have?

The Fresnel Lens

visit this site
This article is part of the Lighthouse Getaway site.

• Research who created the Fresnel lens
• Discover why it was more efficient than candles
• Report the various kinds of strengths of lens there are and where they are usually located...on shore or in the bay areas.
• Students could draw a fresnel lens, or even build one with the appropriate materials.

Lighthouse Getaway

visit this site
Researched and developed by William Britten. Photographs copyrighted by William Britten.

• This is one man's personal research on U.S.A. lighthouses.
• Explore a region and research the kinds of lighthouses built in various areas.

Islanders

visit this site
This is a ThinkQuest entry created by an elementary school.

• The Islanders website includes many different aspects of a very historical, popular and family- oriented river community in Northern New York. The information involved includes lighthouses on the Seaway Trail, products and resources from this area, history, fun and adventure.
• Once you have viewed this site, go to the "Trivia" page to check out your comprehension.

Lighthouse Drawings

visit this site

• View the various structures of lighthouses in this series of drawings