New
New
Year 1
Seafaring in the early Mediterranean world
I can describe the galleys of the early Mediterranean.
New
New
Year 1
Seafaring in the early Mediterranean world
I can describe the galleys of the early Mediterranean.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- While the Polynesians were exploring the Pacific Ocean, other humans were exploring the Mediterranean.
- The ancient Minoans, Phoenecians and Greeks used galleys to transport people and goods around the Mediterranean.
- Galleys had sails and many oars.
- Galleys were also used for warfare and would sometimes ram into each other.
Keywords
Galley - a galley is large, low ship with a sail and many oars
Oar - an oar is a long pole with a flat end, used for moving a boat
Oarsmen - the people who push and pull the oars on a boat are oarsmen
Warship - a ship used for fighting is known as a warship
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the Mediterranean is a single country.
The Mediterranean is a large area surrounding and including the Mediterranean Sea. Many countries are part of this area.
Display a world map in the classroom to show pupils where the Mediterranean is and which modern day countries are found there. Show pupils which modern day countries are in the historic regions referred to in the lesson.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Starter quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Match the parts of a boat to the correct description
the hard outer shell
a large piece of cloth attached to the boat
Q2.
Which ancient people explored the Pacific Ocean?
Ancient Greeks
Ancient Romans
Europeans
Q3.
Why did the Polynesians travel to different islands?
To visit interesting new places
To test their new boats
To try new experiences
Q4.
Which people were some of the most important for Polynesian life?
children
teachers
Q5.
Why did the Polynesians decide to make their boats stronger than traditional canoes?
They didn't like the traditional style hollow canoes.
They had extra wood they needed to use up.
Q6.
How did the Polynesians navigate?
They used the latest maps and drawings.
They used a written list of directions.
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
How do seafarers travel?
by train
by bike
by car
Q2.
What is the opposite of war?
quiet
calm
safe
Q3.
What type of ship did early Mediterranean seafarers use?
early canoes
canoes with sails
Q4.
Who pushed and pulled the oars on a galley ship?
swimmers
doctors
Q5.
What type of ship is used for fighting?
canoe
boat
Q6.
In which area did the Phoenicians, Minoans and Ancient Greeks live?
America
Asia
Q3 image 1 "Pesse dug-out canoe" is licensed under CC BY 3.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Q3 image 3 © Elenarts/Shutterstock.com
Additional material
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