Early Explorers

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Teaching and Learning Proforma -
EARLY EXPLORERS

(Big idea - Children will discover how significant events in history have shaped Australia to become as we know it today.)

Intended Outcomes:

Children will -

Develop research and presentation skills
Collect, analyse and organise information.
Develop map reading skills
Present research in a co-operative group situation
Give an oral presentation to the class
Learn about European knowledge of the world in ancient times
Access appropriate data to support geographic research from computer, encyclopedias, etc

Engaging students:

Familiarise students with the map of the world as it was known in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Discuss the reasons why people have explored over the centuries. (A desire for adventure, the lure of wealth, a thirst for new knowledge, a desire to spread Christianity)
What were the commonly held beliefs about the nature of the world?
Dangers inherent in voyages of discovery during the middle ages.

What do you know of Australia's history?

Refining (students’ questions, ideas and teacher’s intentions):

Discuss why people are motivated to explore for various reasons.

Marco Polo - voyages to Asia increased European knowledge of the world at that time. (Activity sheets)

Discuss European (especially Dutch) trade activities in the East Indies. Ensure students are aware of the routes taken by sailors when travelling from Europe to the Indies. Navigators used the Roaring Forties to carry them swiftly east before heading north to the East Indies.

Children will complete various cloze, comprehension and activity sheets.

Extending:

Stress the fact that the continent was occupied for the previous 40 000 years by the Aborigines. Their reaction to the arrival of the first Europeans is an important aspect which students should research

Group research -

Groups of three to research the voyages on one sea explorer

Christopher Columbus
Ferdinand Magellan
Vasco da Gama
Sir Francis Drake
John Cabot
Able Tasman
Dirck Hartog
Willem Jansz
William Dampier
James Cook

Group research will include -

The name of the sea explorer
The time the explorer lived
The name of the country the explorer came from
An outline of the voyages describing the conditions and any hardships encountered
The name of the ship(s) used
Reasons for undertaking the voyage(s)
A map showing the route that was taken
Names of the places that were newly discovered and any encounters with natives
What was his opinion of what he found
Your comments about what the explorer is mostly remembered for

Painting or drawings of some of the things Cook saw on his voyages.

Reflecting on what we have learnt

Groups will present their projects to the class. These will be displayed for children to peruse them at their own time.

Why were there so many ships near Australia's coastline in the 17th century?

Discuss the difference between what the explorers thought they had discovered and what they had actually discovered.

Find places around our coastline which have Dutch names.

Teaching Resources:

Fletcher, Helen Cloze in on Themes Book 1 Holding Educational Aids (Australiasia) Pty. Ltd.

Garoni, Dennis Practical Projects Longman Cheshire Pty Limited Melbourne 1990

Haigh, Isabel Australian Explorers Activities The Macmillan Company of Australia Pty Ltd South Melbourne 1983

Harrold, Jenni and Bartley, Sue Social Studies 6 RIC Publications Pty Ltd 1990

Harrold, Jenni and Bartley, Sue Social Studies Level 6 RIC Publications Greenwood WA 1992

Morcom, Merle This is Australia - Studies in Society and Environment 3 Macmillan Education Australia

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