Brunel's race to cross the Atlantic
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe Brunel's attempts to win the 'race across the Atlantic'.
Key learning points
- Just under 200 years ago, a race was underway to see which would be the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
- A British engineer called Isambard Kingdom Brunel designed the SS Great Western to try and achieve this.
- It was a wooden hulled steamship with masts, sails and a paddle wheel.
- The SS Great Western was narrowly beaten by the SS Sirius, which became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.
- Brunel then designed and built the SS Great Britain, the first iron steamship with a propeller to cross the Atlantic.
Keywords
Steamship - a steamship is a ship that uses a steam engine to help it move
Paddle wheel - a paddle wheel is a large wheel, turned by a steam engine, used to move a boat
Propeller - a propeller is something that spins in the water to move a ship forward
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the 'race across the Atlantic' was an actual race, like on school sports day.
At around the same time, people in different places were trying to achieve the same thing, so whoever achieved it first won the 'race'.
Teacher tip
Brunel designed many ships, railways and bridges. Explore some of his other designs with the class, you could show them photographs of the amazing Clifton Suspension Bridge for example.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Heating up water creates...
Q2.What does a sextant measure?
Q3.Which tool on a ship is very similar to a clock or watch?
Q4.What new feature helped steamships move through the water?
Q5.What else did steamships have that was useful on long journeys?
Q6.Put the ships in the order in which they were invented, starting with the earliest.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was Isambard Kingdom Brunel's job?
Q2.Which of these ships were designed by Brunel?
Q3.What was the hull of the SS Great Western made from?
Q4.True or false? Both the SS Great Western and the SS Great Britain had a wooden hull.
Q5.The engine of a steamship can move a...
Q6.Complete the sentence. Brunel wanted to win the ' across the Atlantic Ocean'.
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Brunel's race to cross the Atlantic, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 1 history lesson on: Brunel's race to cross the Atlantic, 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 1 history lessons from the John Cabot and Brunel unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.