Teaching Guides
Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie
This teaching guide includes 2 - PDF files; 1 - PowerPoint Slideshow; & 12 Images all available for download
The Little Red Lighthouse
This guide includes a history, workbook - with many downloadable worksheets and photos
Picture Prompts for Young Writers
Images can serve to inspire and guide a story. In this file are seventy-five images of lighthouses to help young writers overcome “writers’ block” and to facilitate strong, fluent thinking that produces sound writing.
Ghost Canoe
Will Hobbs’ Ghost Canoe is a choice reading piece because of its strong story elements and its excellent local storyline, which takes place at Cape Flattery Lighthouse. It’s a wonderful selection to be read in small literature circles of 6-8 children.
A Reading Kit for Middle School Students - Nubble Lighthouse
The U.S. Lighthouse Society’s “Education Committee” has produced an online, downloadable “Learning Kit” based on the nonfiction book, All about Nubble Light by Jeremy D’Entremont. The USLHS is expanding its youth initiative for middle school youth (grades 6-8). In this kit, we emphasize: How to read and use a nonfiction book and the information it contains.
PowerPoint Slide Presentations
Portable Libraries - The Lighthouse Keeper's Library
This is a very interesting slide show presentation that describes with beautiful photos and descriptions, the libraries that many of the Lighthouse Keeper's had. The presentation was created on PowerPoint and can be easily downloaded by opening it and then saving it to your computer.
Lighthouses for Kids
Here is a fun PowerPoint presentation to help kids learn about lighthouse
Quick Lighthouse Tour
Here is another great presentation about lighthouses, discussing a variety of historical aspects relating to such things as design, technology and the reasons for the different types of lighthouses that were constructed.
Lighthouses and Lightships of Washington State
Lighthouse Dictionary
Lighthouse Dictionary - This resource will help you familiarize you with many of the terms used in the articles about lighthouses. It was originally created by Candace Clifford and photos were added by Elinor DeWire. The contents were reviewed and edited by Wayne Wheeler, Thomas Tag, Candace Clifford and Elinor DeWire.
Lighthouse Curriculum & Lesson Plans
Teacher’s Lighthouse Resource for Grades K-4
The U.S. Lighthouse Society originally designed this packet to furnish teachers with basic information about lighthouses, their purpose, history, operation and technology in a form presentable to young students.
Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association
They have an excellent collection of educational materials for teachers that revolve around visiting the Ponce Lighthouse and Florida related topics.
Including reading lists, lesson plans and activities. These materials can be easily adapted to any lighthouse visit.
Safe At Sea
An educational resource from Trinity House (England). Contains teacher’s notes, worksheets, games and videos
Lighthouse Educational Materials
The Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S, Lighthouse Society has an interactive web page with some games, lighthouse projects and a number of other children orientated educational materials.
U.S. Mint Website Teacher Resource - Life of a Lighthouse Keeper
The teacher will introduce the concept of lighthouses and the lighthouse keepers who helped guide ships to safety. Students will research how lighthouse keepers lived and learn about their daily tasks. Students will compare the life of a lighthouse keeper with their own life and share findings through a project of their choice.
Lighthouses Lesson Plans - National Park Service
- NPS List of Historic Lighthouses & Light Stations
- NPS Lesson Plans for NPS's National Register of Historic Places
Books That Can Help Plan Lessons
Lighthouses for Kids: History, Science, and Lore with 21 Activities (For Kids series) by Katherine House
This comprehensive reference provides children with an in-depth history of lighthouses and firsthand stories of the challenges faced by lighthouse keepers. Filled with engaging activities such as learning how to tie a bowline knot and building a model lighthouse, this unique book also includes a field guide to U.S. lighthouses, places to visit, a time line, glossary, websites to explore, and a reading list for further study. Available on Amazon and other internet sites or at your local book store.
Lighthouses or North America-Exploring Their History, Lore & Science (A Kaleidoscope Kids Book) by Lisa Trumbauer
This book is suitable for ages 9 to 12 years. With fun, hands-on activities, dramatic play, and creative thinking, children will discover the wonder of lighthouses and the geography that made lighthouses necessary, as well as the science that improved the strength of the light itself. Available on numerous internet websites (new and used).
Lighthouse Activity Book, 2nd Edition Paperback – 2007 by Elinor DeWire
Includes read-aloud stories, word games, puzzles, coloring pages, art activities, poems, biographies of famous lighthouse people, cartoons, scrambles, trivia and much more. Fun for any lighthouse fan of any age.
Kids Corner and Other Fun Activities
There are a lot of fun activities, games, puzzles, art projects and building projects that can be used to encourage a child's interest in lighthouses. The Fun page of the USLHS website has a Kid's Corner that is filled with examples of these activities.
