6th Grade Outline

WORLD MARITIME HISTORY


TIME CONCEPTS (ALL STUDENTS)

  1. Evolution of primitive watercraft
  2. Concept of time
  3. Mediterranean – Isle of Crete (Minoans)
  4. Egyptian/Phoenician/Roman/Greek eras Gregorian Calendar
  5. Circumference of earth (optional)
  6. Ancient world civilizations

STATION #1 – NORTHERN EUROPE/NORTH AMERICA (10 MINUTES))
    1. VIKINGS
      a. Warriors and traders from Norway
      b. Conquered towns and villages in Northern Europe
      c. Leif Erikson settled Greenland and NE coast of North America
      d. Iceland still speaks old Norse
STATION #2 – MEDETERRANEAN (10 MINUTES)
    1. REED BOAT
      a. Reeds/balsa which grow along the edges of rivers, lakes
      b. Dried, tied into bundles, then bundles shaped and tied into finished boat
      c. Oldest known primitive watercraft, origin most likely the Nile River in Egypt
      d. Still used today on the Nile and Lake Titicaca in Peru (see photo)
      e. Made famous in the Kon Tiki story.
    2. BIREME
      a. Used in Mediterranean for 1500 years
      b. Name refers to rows of oars
      c. Used to protect merchant ships from pirates
      d. Ram used as a weapon
      e. Sail was for cruising, oars in battle

STATION #3 – ANCIENT ASIA (10 MINUTES)
    1. CHINESE JUNK
      a. Design goes back to antiquity
      b. Junks used as family homes in many SE Asian harbors
    2. TURTLE BOAT
      a. Developed by Korean Admiral
      b. Used to defend Korea form Japanese invaders