How Polynesian explorers travelled and navigated
I can describe how the early Polynesians sailed across the ocean.
How Polynesian explorers travelled and navigated
I can describe how the early Polynesians sailed across the ocean.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Some of the earliest seaborne explorers were a group of people known as Polynesians.
- A long time ago Polynesians spread across the Pacific Ocean using canoes that they built.
- These canoes had to have a strong hull and sail to travel across the ocean.
- The Polynesians navigated to new islands by watching the waves and the paths of sea creatures.
Keywords
Seafarer - a seafarer is a person who often travels by sea
Navigate - when people navigate, they control where their boat is going
Hull - a boat's hull is its stiff outer shell
Sail - a sail is a large piece of cloth attached to a boat that uses the wind to help the boat move
Common misconception
Pupils may think that Polynesia is a country.
Polynesia is not one single country. It is a large area of the Pacific Ocean containing lots of different islands.
To help you plan your year 1 history lesson on: How Polynesian explorers travelled and navigated, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 1 history lesson on: How Polynesian explorers travelled and navigated, 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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