Lesson video

Hello there and welcome to today's history lesson.

I'm Mr. Moss.

I'm really passionate about history and I'm also really looking forward to teaching you.

With you today, you need to bring your looking eyes, your listening ears, and your thinking brains.

As well as that, having something to write with and write on and someone or something to talk to would also be really helpful.

All right then, let's get straight into today's history lesson.

In today's history lesson, we are considering how seafaring, so travelling by sea and ocean, has changed over time.

And in particular, we're going to be considering the shift from sails and using wind power to steam power and the use of steam engines, things like water paddles and propellers.

So, the outcome for today's lesson, is I can explain how Turner's painting "The Fighting Temeraire" shows an important change in seafaring from sail power to steam power.

So we are going to look at how historically there was a shift from the use of sail power and harnessing the power of the wind in ships to steam power.

And we're gonna be looking at a historical source to help us with this, a painting by a very famous British painter called "The Fighting Temeraire".

The Temeraire was a ship.

Here are the keywords for today's learning.

We have steam power.

Make sure you say these back to me.

Steam power.

And we have witness.

So, something uses steam power when it uses a steam engine to heat water to create steam, and therefore movement.

And we are going to be having a look at how about 150 years ago, steam power became widely used in seafaring with the creation of steam ships, and the word witness.

If someone is present at an event, they witness it, and we are going to be considering whether witnessing an event is important or not when considering JMW Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire".

So we are considering this shift, this change in seafaring from sail to steam power.

We are going to begin by looking at what seafaring was like 150 years ago and comparing it to what had come before.

And then we're going to look at JMW Turner and "The Fighting Temeraire", a very famous painting.

We're gonna consider what it can tell us about the shift from sail to steam power.

So let's get on with looking at seafaring, or travelling by sea and ocean about 150 years ago.

So here we have a timeline, and onto it we've put 450 years ago and 150 years ago.

We also have some illustrations.

What I'd like us to do is to begin by comparing the ships in the illustrations and considering what's different about them and what had changed from 450 years ago to 150 years ago.

We have an illustration of a European ship from 450 years ago on the left.

On the right, we have an illustration of a ship from 150 years ago.

One is a steam ship, that is the one from 150 years ago.

Throughout history, ships have changed a lot.

There are some similarities with these ships, but also some major differences.

And about 150 years ago, there's some quite radical shifts, not only in how ships were powered, but also the materials that they were made out of.

We can see our ship from 450 years ago and the influences that were made upon the ship by ships like the Chinese junks from earlier, the large masts and sails, the wooden hull with that square or rectangular back and that narrow front.

This ship would also have had a rudder, which allowed the ship to change direction.

If we look at our ship on the right though, I can see a funnel or chimney from which the smoke is coming out.

This is because 150 years ago, ships began to become steam-powered.

We can see that this ship has some water paddles.

There will be one on either side of the ship, they would've spun around and allowed the ship to move forward.

Whilst this ship also has a mast and sails, it meant that the ship didn't have to just rely on wind power.

It could also rely on a steam engine to move it forward.

This was a great advancement in seafaring.

So, what I'd like you to do for me is to have a look at both of these ships.

Draw on your knowledge and your wealth of knowledge as well about how ships changed over time.

How are these ships similar and how are they different? Have a think now, and if you'd like, talk to someone around you.

Excellent.

You clearly have so much knowledge already, are incredibly perceptive, and have noticed some of the clear similarities and differences between ships about 450 years ago and those about 150 years ago.

So, 450 years ago, ships like the one in our illustration here had wooden hulls.

So, the outer body of the ship that gives the ship its shape and keeps water out was made of wood and they had large sails to catch the wind.

They would've had multiple masts and that sails could have been controlled by rigging, which are those ropes that are on the ship.

They may also have had flags as well.

These ships could have gone on incredibly long journeys, but it would've been quite dangerous, particularly in very stormy weather.

Choose two things that ships 450 years ago had.

Sails, paddle wheels, wooden hulls.

Pause the video now and select the two features of ships from 450 years ago.

Fantastic job.

You've clearly been paying a lot of attention.

Ships 450 years ago would've had sails and wooden hulls, so that outer body would have been wood.

They did not have paddle wheels.

Paddle wheels occurred in steam ships much later, about 150 years ago, in fact, from today.

150 years ago, ships still had sails, but they also had steam engines to power things like paddle wheels and propellers.

So we can see from this illustration of a ship here, which I believe might be the SS Sirius, which was the ship that won, the steamship that won the race across the Atlantic.

We can see the paddle wheels on either side of the hull and then the chimney in the middle from which smoke would've come because of the steam engine on the inside of the ship.

Those paddle wheels on combination with the sails would have propelled the boat forward.

This was an advancement in sailing as you weren't then just relying upon strong winds to move your boat or ship forward.

You could use steam engines and steam power to propel you.

This was a huge advancement about 150 years ago in steam fairing.

Interestingly, this ship's hull is still wooden, which is a similarity with the ships from 450 years ago, but about 150 years ago as well, there then came another advancement in the material that was used to create ships.

So, true or false, ships 150 years ago were different to ships 450 years ago? And in what ways were they different if you think this is true? Pause the video now.

Off you go.

Good job, team.

This is absolutely true.

Although there were some similarities, there were also some key differences.

Ships 150 years ago weren't just reliant upon wind power, were they? Like the ships from 450 years ago, which would've had masks and sails and rigging.

They had steam engines too, which could have powered first things like paddle wheels and later propellers.

This was a really important advancement in seafaring as sailors weren't then just reliant upon strong winds.

They could rely upon steam engines.

About 150 years ago, one of the biggest changes in ship building happened too, and that was the material of the hull.

Remember, the hull is the outer body that gives the boat it shape and keeps water out.

Here we have the illustration of the launch of the SS Great Britain, a ship that was designed by the great British engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

At the time of it being built, this was the largest ship of its kind.

It was a passenger ship that was about 98 metres long.

And really importantly, it had an iron hull.

The whole of its body was made of iron.

It was not made of wood.

Iron lasted longer than wood and timber.

It was stronger.

It meant that ships could carry more weight and was less easily damaged by water and was at lesser threat from accidents.

We can see all of the people here coming to view the launch of the SS Great Britain because no ship had been seen like this before.

So instead of being made from wood, the hulls of the new steam ships about 150 years ago were made of a metal called iron.

This was a really big change in seafaring about 150 years ago.

Notice too with this ship, it doesn't have paddle wheels like the previous steam ship we looked at.

This ship would've had a propeller on its underside, which would've been connected to a steam engine and would've then allowed the ship to propel forward.

Notice also that it still had masts with sails so that it could harness the power of the steam engine and also the wind.

So, ships about 150 years ago became iron-hulled.

Can you say that for me? Iron-hulled.

Their hulls, their bodies became made of that metal iron.

And here we can see that the example of the SS Great Britain that was designed by the incredibly famous engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Well, what material were hulls of new ships, steamships made of 150 years ago, wood, plastic, or iron? Pause the video and select the correct answer now.

Excellent.

The answer is iron.

About 150 years ago during the industrial age, iron and other metals became more widely used.

Ships no longer have to be made from wood, they could be made from that stronger material, that metal iron.

So for our practise task now what I'd like you to do for me is to look at the following features.

Were the following features of ships around 150 years ago, 450 years ago, or both? So looking at these features and sorting them into the correct column.

Put them into the correct group around 450 years ago, around 150 years ago, or both.

And the features are wooden hull, sails, iron hull, steam power, metal propeller, paddle wheels.

Now, remember, the hull is the outer body of the ship that gives it a shape and keeps water out, and steam power is power provided by the heating of water by a steam engine.

So sort these features now into the correct columns.

Off you go, team.

Show me your knowledge.

Excellent job.

I'm incredibly impressed.

You are very knowledgeable about this advancement from ships 450 years ago to 150 years ago.

Your answers should look something like this.

In our around 450 years ago column, ships would've had a wooden hull and they would also have had sails.

Notice that sail is in both as ships 150 years ago didn't suddenly stop having sails, but they had them in conjunction with steam power.

And that steam power could be used to power things like metal propellers and paddle wheels on ships.

And one of the key changes was the material that was used to create the holes of the ships around 150 years ago, which was iron, meaning the ships could be stronger, carry more, and be less easily damaged.

Did you manage to sort these into the correct columns? Pause the video now, make any corrections, share your learning.

Brilliant.

So we've spent some time there considering the key changes to seafaring around 150 years ago and comparing it to seafaring around 450 years ago.

Now we want to look at a historical source from the time and consider what it can tell us about these changes from sail to steam power.

We are going to be looking at a really famous painting by JMW Turner called "The Fighting Temeraire".

So this is a painting of JMW Turner.

He was a famous British painter and he lived around 150 years ago when these changes to seafaring were occurring.

He painted many pictures of what Britain looked like 150 years ago, and therefore we can use his work as a source.

JMW Turner was a famous actor, painter, or writer.

Pause the video now and complete the sentence correctly.

Fantastic job.

He was a famous painter who painted many paintings around 150 years ago that give us an insight into what life was like.

One of Turner's paintings from around 150 years ago shows an important moment in the history of seafaring.

Remember, this is why we are looking at this painting.

It shows this change from sail to steam power.

This is the photo here.

It is a photo of Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire".

Take some time, first of all, just to look at the photo of the painting.

What can you see in the painting? Brilliant.

It's a really beautiful painting, isn't it? I can see a number of ships in this painting, and that's what we are going to be talking about now.

So this painting is called, my turn, your turn, "The Fighting Temeraire".

The HMS Temeraire was the name of a famous Royal Navy ship.

Remember, that a navy is that group of ships and sailors that will fight at sea for their country.

And it had been an important ship in many wars and battles.

It had won many battles for the Royal Navy.

So I can certainly see two ships, and it looks like one of the ships looks like a ship that looks older, perhaps more like those ships that we looked at from about 450 years ago with huge masts that appears to be made out of wood.

It's a sail ship, but I can see a small steamboat ahead of it that has water paddles and is pulling it along.

So about 150 years ago, the Temeraire, which had been a great ship previously in the Royal Navy, was no longer safe to sail in.

It had run its course.

So, the HMS Temeraire was the name of a car, dog, or ship.

Pause the video now and finish the sentence.

Off you go.

Great job.

It was the name of a ship, a ship from the Royal Navy.

So Turner's painting shows the sad moment when the incredible warship, the HMS Temeraire is pulled along the River Thames by a much smaller steamship for its final journey.

And we can see that steamship, ahead of its water paddles pulling along the much larger but older HMS Temeraire.

So Turner here captured what is effectively that moment of change, that moment of these great sail ships being overtaken by the steamships, the newer, modern, new boats.

So we have here the HMS Temeraire and the smaller steamship that is pulling it up the River Thames.

The painting represents how using steam power was becoming more important and less people were using sail power.

It shows how there was a big change in seafaring 150 years ago, the fact that we are moving from sail power and wind power over to steam power when sailing.

So, true or false, Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", shows an important change in seafaring 150 years ago, and what is that change if it does show a change? Off you go.

Brilliant.

It is absolutely true.

It's a really fascinating source for us as historians.

It shows us that sad moment that even a great warship like the HMS Temeraire had run its course, that it had been outdated and taken over by even a much smaller steamboat.

It showed that steam power was becoming more important than wind and sail power.

Let's listen to what these two have to say about JMW Turner's "The Fighting Temeraire".

This person says, "I don't think Turner was a witness when this event happened.

What do you think?" Remember that a witness was one of our keywords.

If you witness something, you see it happen for yourself.

Hmm.

This person says, "I think he probably knew about it as it was probably recorded in the news perhaps, and he decided to paint it because it was an important moment in history." So it's an interesting thing for us to think about.

Do we think it matters whether JMW Turner was there or not? We know that this moment, this event had happened perhaps in history, but does it matter that he saw it of his own eyes or not? Can we still take something from this historical source, this painting from the time? It's an interesting thought, isn't it? Does it really matter whether he saw it or not? Can we still from this source consider this key change in seafaring about 150 years ago? JMW Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", was so historically important that it's actually even been included on the 20 pound English bank note.

Bank notes often reserved for key historical events and figures, which shows the importance during this era of this change from sale to sea power as a key moment in history.

And here, if you look in the background, you can see a photo of an English 20 pound note with Turner and his painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", in the background.

Here it is.

So the painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", was chosen to be shown on a bank note, a ship, or a coin.

Pause the video now and finish the sentence.

Fantastic job, team.

It was chosen to be shown on a bank note, often reserved for really key historical moments or significant figures.

So, for our practise now, what I'd like us to do is to explain to your learning partner how Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", shows us that seafaring, so travelling by sea, changed 150 years ago.

You could use these words and phrases to help you.

We have sail power, steam power, smaller steamship, bigger warship.

Consider all of the learning that we've done in this learning cycle.

Talk to your learning partner now.

How does Turner's painting, "The Fighting Temeraire", show us that seafaring changed 150 years ago? Off you go.

Brilliant job, team.

I love your considerations of our historical source of JMW Tanner's painting there.

So, you might have said something like this person said.

The painting shows a smaller steam ship, and we knew it was a steam ship because of its water paddles pulling a bigger warship, The HMS Temeraire, to be broken up.

It shows steam power had become more important than sail power.

That huge HMS Temeraire had run its course.

It was no longer seen as useful.

The new power of steamships and Steamboats was important.

It's been really fascinating considering the shift in seafaring from sail to steam power today.

Lots of important changes happened in seafaring about 150 years ago.

Earlier than 150 years ago, boats used only sails, but this change when boats began using steam power.

150 years ago, people began to build hulls out of iron instead of wood, iron being that metal, which meant that the hulls were stronger, the ships could carry more, and they would last longer than the wooden hulls before.

Even though he was not a witness, so he didn't see it for himself, JMW Turner painted a picture of an event to show the great changes in seafaring.

The painting is called "The Fighting Temeraire" and it shows steam power had become more important than sailing power.

Keep up the great history learning and I'll see you again soon.