Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

PRESENTATION: “Timeline of Inventions”

In this activity, students will present to the class a timeline of inventions during a specific era.

While Sobel focuses her narrative on the 17th and 18th centuries, many of the influential inventors in world history occurred in centuries after the Renaissance and during the Industrial Revolution. Working as a small group, select one of the centuries from the Renaissance (such as the 14th century) to the present day and create a timeline of the notable scientific inventions in that period. Your timeline should include the name of the inventor, the country of origin, the name of the invention, and the contribution to science. Use visuals, videos and other applicable resources in your timeline.

After preparing your presentation, share your findings with the class. In a post-presentation discussion, consider how the text’s themes of The Quest for Precision, The Lone Inventor, and Integrity Versus the Prize are present in innovation through the centuries.

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to combine their research and group work skills in relation to the text’s subject of innovation. Encourage students to be as creative as possible in their presentation of the timeline: They might use an online application, hand-draw their timeline, or use the whiteboard in class.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a creative writing component, the following question may be added to the above prompt: Now select one of the inventions in your timeline, and imagine if this invention had not been developed. How would this trigger a chain of events in further inventions? Explain.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. You’re out on the high seas, and the sun is directly overhead. Your chronometer says that Universal Time is 15:00.

• What time is it at your location? If one hour of rotation equals 15 degrees, how many degrees are you from Greenwich, England, the site of the prime meridian? (topic sentence)
• Given that the Earth rotates from west to east, in which direction are you from Greenwich?
• After solving the above scenario, consider the following: Why would such a situation make The Quest for Precision so necessary in maritime exploration?

2. Compare and contrast Harrison and Maskelyne, as Sobel depicts them.

• How might temperamental differences have played a role in their rivalry? (topic sentence)
• Were their major differences based on personality or on scientific prowess? Explain.
• What does their rivalry say about the theme of The Lone Inventor?

3. Discuss the various factors that delayed the awarding of the prize to Harrison.

• What do these delays say about him and about the political climate in which he was operating? (topic sentence)
• What do these delays say about his personality and working habits?
• Overall, how does Harrison’s relationship with his inventions speak to the larger theme of Integrity Versus the Prize?

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1.What were the advantages and drawbacks of the sea clock method for determining longitude? What were the advantages and drawbacks of the lunar method for determining longitude? Both the lunar method and Harrison’s clocks developed over the course of decades. What does this timeframe tell us about the scientific process and the nature of “breakthroughs”?

2. Why was England so concerned with finding a method for determining longitude? What role did the Royal Greenwich Observatory play in solving the problem? How does this speak to economic, social, and political preoccupations of the era?

3. How did John Harrison’s clocks solve the longitude problem? Give an example of how this might work at sea. How did the astronomers’ lunar method solve the longitude problem? Give an example of how this might work at sea.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. According to Sobel, which of the following words best describes how the placement of the prime meridian was chosen?

A) Cartographical

B) Economical

C) Geographical

D) Political

2. Why does Sobel argue that explorers during the Age of Exploration were able to make their final destination?

A) Because they had mastered the science of longitude

B) Because they only traveled on the longitudinal lines

C) Because they were lucky

D) Because they had precise clocks

3. Which of the following words best describes the focus of exploration goals during the time of the Longitudinal Act?

A) Eurocentric

B) Pacifistic

C) Afrocentric

D) Modernistic

4. In which way were governments involved in improving the science of longitude?

A) By funding research into compasses

B) By offering reward money to scientific discoveries

C) By imprisoning captains who had ruined any cargo

D) By establishing schools for latitude research

5. Sobel notes that “Time is to clock as mind is to brain.” Which of the following literary terms does Sobel use in this quote?

A) Satire

B) Simile

C) Sonnet

D) Synecdoche

6. What was the “wounded dog theory”?

A) A credible method for determining latitude

B) A 17th-century scheme related to powder of sympathy

C) A violent approach to navigating the Indian ocean

D) A metaphor for the pain that scientists suffered

7. Which of the following statements is true about John Harrison’s background?

A) He was an ardent supporter of William Shakespeare.

B) He was raised in southern France.

C) He was a carpenter for many years.

D) He was against the theories espoused by Saunderson.

8. Which of the following words best describes the effect of the longitudinal discussion on 18th-century British society?

A) Primarily limited to scientists

B) Considerably ignored by politicians and navigators

C) Regularly joked of in different social milieus

D) Notably discussed in every European country except Britain

9. Based on his production of H1 and H2, which of the following words best describes Harrison’s personality?

A) Opportunist

B) Perfectionist

C) Conformist

D) Exhibitionist

10. Which of the following best describes the lunar distance method?

A) Popular with scientists around the globe

B) Limited to only British scientists

C) Discontinued by the early 18th century

D) Disregarded by the Board of Longitude

11. Which of the following phrases best describes the first paragraph of Chapter 10?

A) An interview with a descendent of Harrison

B) A review of the length of time it took to complete famous monuments

C) An in-depth overview of John Harrison’s life

D) A compilation of famous horologists throughout history

12. Which of the following island destinations is frequently mentioned in Sobel’s text?

A) Isle of Man

B) Barbados

C) St. Helena

D) Sicily

13. Which of the following words best describes how the Board of Longitude initially viewed Harrison’s H-4?

A) With obsession

B) With jubilance

C) With suspicion

D) With aversion

14. Which of the following words refers to the timetables that helped mariners with the celestial movements?

A) Backstaff

B) Ephemerides

C) Horologists

D) Quadrant

15. As Harrison views his clocks, Sobel notes, “They were all running, each in its own characteristic way, like a gathering of old friends in animated conversation.” Which of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Simile

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. What type of sources would have Sobel used in order to support her text?

2. Identify 3 examples of similes and metaphors used within the text. Provide a brief explanation of the context, along with an in-text citation.