Supply each student with a color copy of a map showing the northwest Atlantic Ocean and outlining the Bermuda Triangle. Explain that the Bermuda Triangle's borders are imaginary. Ask students to use a ruler to measure one side of the triangle and compare the length to a land mass distance, such as the distance between the east and west coasts of the United States. Discuss with students possible explanations for a boat or airplane to go missing in this very large area of the ocean.
The first report of strange phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle was made by Christopher Columbus. While sailing through the area, he observed a fire in the ocean as well as erratic readings on his compass. In the early 1900s, rumors circulated of a pattern of ships disappearing in the area. In 1964, Vincent Gaddis coined the term "Bermuda Triangle" in a magazine article he authored about the area. Printable histories of the Bermuda Triangle suitable for the middle-school reading level are available online. Choose one or write a summary of several. Distribute a copy to each student. After students have read the history, open the topic for discussion.
Dozens of mysterious disappearances of ships, boats and aircraft have occurred in the Bermuda Triangle, and some have become famous. These include the 1918 disappearance of the battleship USS Cyclops, the 1945 disappearance of the Flight 19 U.S. bomber squadron as well as one of its rescue planes, and the disappearance in 1976 of the 590-foot cargo ship Sylvia L. Ossa. Choose 6 to 10 Bermuda Triangle mysteries and prepare a fact sheet on each. Divide students into pairs and assign a fact sheet to each pair.
Inform students that many stories surrounding disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle have been exaggerated. Remind them that official reports attribute the disappearances to weather, ocean currents or equipment malfunctions. Then instruct one student in each pair to act as scientist and the other to act as storyteller. The scientist will use the fact sheet and related research to write a report that offers a realistic explanation for the mystery. The storyteller will use the fact sheet and related information to write an imaginative explanation for the mystery. This assignment can be done as classwork or homework. Students will read completed assignments to the class.