by RNH Nello

Created on: March 08, 2009   Last Updated: March 14, 2009

Advances in technology have provided amazing benefits such as the global positioning system (GPS). I doubt that there is any place on earth where you can go that is unreachable by GPS. But finding out where you are isn't new with GPS, a compass and a map have provided a pretty doggone good locater system long before the age of rockets and computers.

Have you ever used a compass?

Have you ever thought about teaching the use of a compass to your children. That is, providing them with knowledge of a tool that will help them the rest of their life no matter whether new technology is available or not.

First, it might help to understand the attributes of a compass. In its simplest form it is a free floating needle which on one end is attracted to magnetic North. For those wanting to travel north that is an obvious advantage, but if you want to travel a different direction the needle doesn't point that way. To reliably travel a different direction with the aid of a compass other methods had to be developed.

You can begin by showing your child a compass but it may be more meaningful if they help build a compass on paper. Here they can learn that the needle of the compass works within a circle of numbers. Show this by drawing a circle. Within this circle draw a cross of two lines with one being a vertical line and the other being a horizontal line crossing in the center of the circle. At the top of the vertical line write the number 360 and at the bottom of that line write the number 180. At the left end of the horizontal line write the number 270 and at the other end, the right end, write the number 90.

Now draw another cross on top of the first cross also crossing at the center of the circle but with its legs being half way between the legs of the first cross. At the end of the leg between the leg numbered 360 and the leg numbered 90 write the number 45. At the end of the leg between the leg numbered 90 and the leg numbered 180 write the number 135. At the end of the leg between the leg numbered 180 and the leg numbered 270 write the number 225. At the end of the leg between the leg numbered 270 and the leg numbered 360 write the number 315.

If you were to continue with this same process the result would be a circle with 360 lines radiating out from the center of the circle with numbers 1 through 360. You have drawn the 360 degrees of the circle of the compass. These numbers relate to the terms that have commonly been used to define directions, that is, North, South, East,

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