Micronesian Stick Chart

Download this file

• Background Info
• Questions
• Fast Facts
• Explore More
• Vocabulary

• Audience versions of this page: Student Family

  Ancient mariners from the Marshall Islands developed "stick charts" to understand the vast Pacific Ocean. However, the devices are not really sticks and they're not really charts!

   

  The charts aren't made of sticks. Most stick charts are made of coconut fiber and shells. Placement of the fibers and shells indicate the location of islands, waves, and currents. 

   

  Stick charts were not used for navigation in the way we use maps or charts today. In fact, the Marshallese probably did not consult stick charts on their long journeys throughout Micronesia. Navigators memorized the chart before the journey was made.

   

  Charts were highly individualized. Sometimes, a stick chart could only be read by the person who made it! Still, there are some standard features used to interpret ocean features. 

   

  Teaching Strategies

   

  Use "Fast Facts" to help students better understand how Marshallese navigators represented the ocean.

   

  Read the "Questions" to see if students could navigate the Pacific using clues in the stick chart above.

• 1. Read the Fast Facts first! Assume this stick chart is being held in the traditional orientation: north at the top, east at the right.

      

     How many islands are depicted on this stick chart?

     Show Answer

     There are 29 islands on this stick chart, represented by shells.

  2. In what direction is the greatest concentration of islands?

     Show Answer

     Most islands are scattered in the north, particularly in the far northwest and northeast.

  3. In what direction is the most isolated island?

     Show Answer

     The island in the southwest corner of the stick chart is most removed from other islands.

  4. Where is the area with the strongest swells, or wind waves?

     Show Answer

     The northeast is marked with many long, curved sticks representing swells and other wind waves.

  5. Where is the largest stretch of open ocean, with few islands, currents, or swells?

     Show Answer

     The central west or southeast are nearly empty of any representation.

• • Stick charts use natural materials found on and around Pacific islands to represent specific phenomena, characteristics, or locations.

  • Shells represent islands.

  • Coconut fibers ("sticks") represent wave patterns. Straight lines represent currents—consistent, predictable waves.

  • Bent or curved lines represent swells. Unlike currents, swells are created by the wind. Their strength and direction can change with the weather.

• Articles & Profiles

  • Micronesian Stick Charts
  • The British Museum: Navigation Chart

  Images

  • Polynesian Stick Charts

  Maps

  • National Geographic Education: Australia & Oceania MapMaker Kit
  • National Geographic Education: MapMaker 1-Page Map: Australia & Oceania

  Worksheets & Handouts

  • Micronesian Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences: Traditional and Nineteenth Century Communication Patterns in the Marshall Islands

• Term	Part of Speech	Definition	Encyclopedic Entry
  ancient	Adjective	very old.
  chart	Noun	type of map with information useful to ocean or air navigators.	Encyclopedic Entry: chart
  compass	Noun	instrument used to tell direction.	Encyclopedic Entry: compass
  current	Noun	steady, predictable flow of fluid within a larger body of that fluid.	Encyclopedic Entry: current
  fiber	Noun	long, thin, threadlike material produced by plants that aids digestive motion when consumed.
  island	Noun	body of land surrounded by water.	Encyclopedic Entry: island
  latitude	Noun	distance north or south of the Equator, measured in degrees.	Encyclopedic Entry: latitude
  longitude	Noun	distance east or west of the prime meridian, measured in degrees.	Encyclopedic Entry: longitude
  map	Noun	symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface.	Encyclopedic Entry: map
  mariner	Noun	sailor.
  maritime	Adjective	having to do with the ocean.
  navigation	Noun	art and science of determining an object's position, course, and distance traveled.	Encyclopedic Entry: navigation
  navigator	Noun	person who charts a course or path.
  phenomena	Plural Noun	(singular: phenomenon) any observable occurrence or feature.
  shell	Noun	hard outer covering of an animal.
  stick chart	Noun	map made with sticks and shells, used by South Pacific islanders to navigate ocean swells, islands, and reefs.
  swell	Noun	stable, crestless wind wave formed far out at sea.
  voyage	Noun	long journey or trip.
  wave	Noun	vibrations (oscillations) around a fixed location, usually involving a transfer of energy from one point to another.
  weather	Noun	state of the atmosphere, including temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity, precipitation, and cloudiness.	Encyclopedic Entry: weather
  wind	Noun	movement of air (from a high pressure zone to a low pressure zone) caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun.