The disappearance of planes and ships in the Great Lakes area is the focus of the three activities in this unit. Activity A involves studying the locations of missing craft and personnel. Activity B, which treats the loss of the freighter Edmund Fitzgerald as an example of a Great Lakes tragedy, consists of plotting bathymetric contours, investigating weather conditions on the day of the wreck, and constructing a model to study ship design. Finally, in Activity C students listen to and analyze "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" ballad. Both a student workbook and a teacher's manual are provided. The latter includes an overview of the unit, a materials list, objectives, teaching suggestions, and answer keys to student activities. (Author/WB)