This special dramatic presentation for A & E is based in part on Dava Sobel's national best-selling novel Longitude: The True Story of Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time. Sobel's work recounts the story of John Harrison and his quest to solve the navigational problem of determining a ship's exact position in the 18th century. Longitude is a drama that combines the story of Harrison with the story of a 20th century World War I veteran obsessed with clocks and Harrison's time pieces. Harrison's inventions, both their creation and their restoration join the two separate stories.

Longitude would be useful for classes on World history, Maritime History, Science and Technology. It is appropriate for high school and college students.

OBJECTIVES

Students will learn about the difficulties of maritime exploration prior to invention of accurate clocks. They will learn about the scientific process that finally solved the problem of navigation and the political implications of naval dominance in the 18th century.

NATIONAL HISTORY STANDARDS

Longitude fulfills the following National Standards for History for grades 5-12: chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretations, and historical research capabilities for World History eras 6, 7, and 8

• allegation
• celestial
• centrifugal
• chronometer
• contrivance
• disembark
• exemplary
• indulge
• mutiny
• obliged
• patriotic
• squander

1. What is longitude? What is latitude? How do they determine positions?

2. What indicates one degree east or west in longitude?

3. At the beginning of the movie, a sailor is executed. Why was this sailor executed? What does this say about the nature of the British navy in the 18th century?

4. There are two stories woven together in Longitude. Discuss how time is used to tell the story between the 18th century and the 20th century.

5. Why is it so important for sailors to know the exact time? What are the consequences of the wrong time?

6. The story weaves between two different centuries. How did the director of the film convey a sense of continuity between the two time periods?

7. John Harrison faced a difficult time on the British ships where he tested his clocks. Why did Harrison encounter so much hostility?

8. Rupert Gould became obsessed with restoring Harrison's clocks. What price did he pay for his obsession?

9. The British captain denied Harrison's success in saving the crew with his clock's accuracy. Why?

10. Sailors in the 18th century often suffered from and died from scurvy. What is scurvy? How is it prevented?

1. Research modern methods of fixing navigational positions with those of the 18th century. Create a poster or chart illustrating these differences.

2. Write an essay comparing and contrasting Dava Sobel's Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time with A&E's presentation, Longitude.

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