New
New
Year 1
Chinese innovation in seafaring
I can explain why the Chinese were such good navigators.
New
New
Year 1
Chinese innovation in seafaring
I can explain why the Chinese were such good navigators.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Zheng He and other Chinese sailors were able to navigate across large distances because of various things they used.
- The Chinese used strong ships called junks with many large sails.
- These ships had a rudder, which allowed the Chinese to steer them without oars, which was easier.
- The Chinese were the first seafarers to use a compass, which made navigation more simple and reliable.
Keywords
Junk - a Chinese ship with sails and a rudder was called a junk
Rudder - a rudder is a flat moveable piece of wood at the back of a boat that can help it change direction
Navigate - to navigate means to find a way from one place to another
Compass - a compass is a tool used for navigating that always points north
Common misconception
Chinese ships must have had engines.
Engines had not been invented yet. Chinese sailing ships relied on the wind and power of the sea to make long journeys.
Try some model making. Pupils could work in pairs to make their own models of a Chinese junk ship using recyclable materials - make a junk from junk!
Teacher tip
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.
Look at the picture. What do we call this?
a painting
a toy
Q2.
Which statement is true?
Zheng He was an Emperor.
Zheng He was a teacher.
Q3.
Where was Zheng He buried?
In China
In Africa
Q4.
What special name was used to describe Zheng He's ships?
money ships
prize ships
Q5.
Zheng He's Chinese ships were very small.
true
Q6.
Match up the pairs to create sentences about Zheng He.
from China.
across the Indian Ocean.
carved into steles.
from other countries.
Q1 © Vmenkov. GNU Free Documentation License - Wikipedia
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Which part of a junk helps the ship to change direction?
sail
flags
Q2.
On a junk, what are sails for?
To impress people
To protect the hull
Q3.
Which direction does a compass always point to?
west
east
south
Q4.
Which tool was first used by Chinese explorers?
map
galley
junk
Q5.
Which word means to find a way from one place to another?
junk
rudder
Q6.
Choose the things that would be on a Chinese junk.
computers
Additional material
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