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

Working as a class, consider the scientists and inventors that Sobel references in her text. Which of these people possessed integrity? Which of them did not? How can you come to this conclusion? Explain.

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to contextualize their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt in relation to Sobel’s book. Harrison is the archetype of the theme Integrity Versus the Prize: although he fights for his well-deserved right to win the prize, he does not want to present a model to the Board of Longitude that is not worthy in his eyes. As a result, he develops many versions of his sea clock over time, building off of past ideas to create more precise, sleeker, and lighter models for ships. Ironically, this integrity may or may not have contributed to his being taken advantage of, as the Board of Longitude subsequently passed legislation that both guarded his intellectual property and kept him from winning the funds.

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.