SCHOOLS USING VOLVO OCEAN RACE TO LEARN

Among the 100,000 entrants in the virtual Volvo Ocean Race game are school
programs, and to learn more about this group of participants, race organizers
held a contest to seek the best story. Here is the winner from La Presa Middle
School, Spring Valley, CA, USA, submitted by teacher Doug Paine:

“The La Presa Yacht Club consists of a growing group of low income, multi-ethnic
young sailors from the La Presa Middle School in Spring Valley, California. Even
though many of these kids have never been on a boat, in fact many have not been
to the beach though it is only twelve miles away, these kids are coming in
before school, taking their lunch periods, and logging in after school to
advance their boats. At three am. When Leg 2 started many students who were up,
swapping messages, and ready to start.

"In addition to the friendly and colorful trash talk, they are also talking
about low and high-pressure areas, about compass courses, and about wind angles
and how they effect the boat speed. They learned how to read polar diagrams and
are currently working out the concept of VMG. Though many students could not
find South Africa on a map prior to the race, they are now working in latitude
and longitude coordinates and referring to previously unknown geographical
features with an easy familiarity." -- Read on:
http://www.volvooceanracegame.org/news.php?id=238

There are so many things to be taught by sailing and this is just one more example.

Students can also follow adventures like Around the Americas to learn about the oceans

and the planet.