Seafaring 550 years ago
I can describe how European seafarers sailed at the time of John Cabot.
Seafaring 550 years ago
I can describe how European seafarers sailed at the time of John Cabot.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- European sailors, like John Cabot, had begun to use boats more similar to those of Zheng He.
- The boats were pointed at the front and square at the back, with a rudder to help them steer.
- The boats had many sails and used rigging to support and control the sails to help them catch as much wind as possible.
- European sailors had also begun to use the compass to navigate, like the Chinese before them, and the astrolabe.
- European sailors, like John Cabot, used lead lines to work out how deep the water they were sailing in was.
Keywords
Rigging - a ship's sails are held up and controlled by ropes known as rigging
Astrolabe - sailors used a tool called an astrolabe to work out how far north or south they were
Lead line - a lead line is a length of rope with a piece of lead attached to it
Common misconception
Pupils may think because European seafarers were using the navigation tools, they invented them too.
European seafarers didn't invent the astrolabe or compass. Many ancient people navigated by the stars like the Polynesians and Vikings.
To help you plan your year 1 history lesson on: Seafaring 550 years ago, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 history lesson on: Seafaring 550 years ago, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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