Students investigate Hawaiian wayfinding through kilo, kūkuluokalani, winds, Earth materials and systems, natural resources, celestial patterns, and evidence of Earth’s history. They launch with a guided traditional waʻa voyage, create a star compass from natural elements, and interview kūpuna about wayfinding knowledge, identity, and intention. Collaborative crews then design, build, safety-test, and navigate their own waʻa with qualified adult supervision while using feedback to solve problems and refine leadership. Before leading kūpuna on a supervised exhibition voyage, each student shares a spoken reflection showing how their work, behavior, and teamwork demonstrate respect, responsibility, and readiness to lead.

Students will use kilo (careful observation), a kūkuluokalani made from natural elements, stars, the Sun, winds, and ocean conditions to explain and apply Hawaiian wayfinding. They will connect Earth’s place in the solar system, the history and interactions of Earth systems, and responsible use of natural resources to the design, construction, and testing of a waʻa. Students will interview kūpuna, integrate ancestral knowledge and evidence into voyage decisions, and collaborate through shared roles, feedback, problem-solving, and safe leadership. Before leading kūpuna on the exhibition voyage, students will present a brief spoken reflection showing how their work, behavior, and teamwork demonstrate respect, responsibility, and readiness to lead.

Students will create a natural-material kūkuluokalani, a star-and-wind observation log, and a naʻau compass connecting identity, values, and purposeful decisions. Teams will document kūpuna interviews in an audio or illustrated wayfinding story and use the knowledge to develop voyage maps supported by evidence about stars, Earth systems, natural resources, and changing landscapes. Each team will build and test a small waʻa in controlled water, record trial voyages, analyze results, and revise its design. For the culminating voyage on a traditional waʻa, students will lead kūpuna alongside qualified crew, present their navigation plan, and share a spoken reflection on respect, responsibility, teamwork, and readiness to lead.

Students begin with a safety-led voyage on a traditional waʻa, practicing kilo as they document the Sun, wind, waves, clouds, currents, and landforms that wayfinders use. With guidance from a cultural practitioner or kūpuna, teams responsibly gather approved natural materials and construct a ground-scale kūkuluokalani, then use evidence about Earth’s rotation and place-based conditions to explain directional choices. Students interview kūpuna about their wayfinding experiences and record questions, stories, and responsibilities that should guide their teamwork. The launch ends with the challenge to build and test a model waʻa, prepare to lead kūpuna safely on an exhibition voyage, and create an initial naʻau compass naming the values that will guide their journey.

Student crews host a supervised exhibition voyage for kūpuna, using their waʻa and assigned leadership roles to demonstrate safe teamwork and wayfinding through the kūkuluokalani, winds, ocean conditions, and other natural observations. Before departure, each student shares a brief spoken reflection showing how their work, behavior, and teamwork demonstrate respect, responsibility, and readiness to lead. At shore-based stations, crews display their waʻa designs, natural-material star compasses, voyage plans, and evidence connecting celestial patterns, Earth history and systems, and responsible use of natural resources. Students also share insights from their kūpuna interviews and invite guests to offer feedback on their scientific reasoning, communication, and care for community.