Using Navigation Skills to Overcome Obstacles

This STEMS² unit blends Hawaiian navigation with science, math, social studies, and literacy to help students explore how traditional knowledge and environmental observation can guide both travel and life. Through hands-on activities like star compasses, constellation mapping, and personal wayfinding projects, students build cultural identity, emotional awareness, and critical thinking as they learn to navigate challenges with purpose and resilience.
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Standards Aligned

Next Generation Science Standards, Common Core Math, Common Core ELA, Na Hapena A'o, Other (see Unit)

Community Partner(s)

My community partner contributed cultural expertise and a deep understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems, particularly Hawaiian wayfinding. They helped shape the unit’s focus on navigation as both a scientific practice and a metaphor for personal growth. Their guidance ensured the curriculum honored cultural values, emphasized place-based learning, and supported students in connecting traditional practices to real-life decision-making.

Essential Question

How can observing our surroundings and learning from different knowledge systems help us adapt to challenges and navigate transitions in life?

Enduring Understanding

  • Careful attention to one’s surroundings provides insights that support decision-making.
  • Being open to learning different knowledge systems broadens perspectives and enhances problem-solving abilities.

Learner Level Elementary

Primary Content STEM, Technology, Cultural Knowledge