How Polynesian explorers travelled and navigated
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how the early Polynesians sailed across the ocean.
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.
Teacher tip
Display a large world map on the board to show pupils where in the world the Pacific Ocean and the Polynesian islands are.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes a person that travels to places that they have never been before?
Q2.How did early explorers know which way to go?
Q3.Early explorers only travelled by foot.
Q4.How do we know early humans used canoes?
Q5.Choose the correct word to complete the sentence. Early explorers carved out the inside of tree trunks to make canoes. This left a __________ space inside the canoe where they would stand.
Q6.Why did early explorers travel to new places?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do we call a large piece of cloth attached to a boat?
Q2.What is the hard outer shell of a boat called?
Q3.What does a navigator do?
Q4.What is a seafarer?
Q5.What did Polynesian explorers use to help them to navigate?
Q6.What was special about the canoes that Polynesian explorers used?
To help you plan your 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 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.
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.
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