Navigation at sea

Navigation at sea

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about navigation.

Question 1Change answer

ocean going canoe
 
Early Polynesian voyagers used their knowledge of sailing and their environment to travel great distances safely. 
 
a)  Once a "new land" was discovered the explorers may have wanted to return home. 
     Name two features in the environment they could have used to help navigate their way home:

Question 1Change answer

b)  When looking for a "new land", the sailors would be watching for telltale signs of land. 
     What would two such signs have been?
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Planet Earth
Keywords: 
astronomical systems, night sky, navigation
Description of task: 
For this task students are asked two questions about early Polynesian navigation. Students need to identify features of the environment that explorers would have used to navigate home and to find new land.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y8 (12/1997)
a) Any 2 of:

•   Sun (position of)
•   Ocean current patterns
•   Stars
•   Wind patterns

 2 correct –
difficult

1 correct –
moderate
b) Any 2 of:

•   Coconuts/plant material floating in sea
•   Colour of sea changing
•   Birds/land birds
•   (High Islands create) cloud around high islands

 2 correct –
very difficult

1 correct –
moderate
Diagnostic and formative information: 

 

Analysis of responses

a)

40% of all answers given were correct. Of these:
51% mentioned using the Sun for navigation.
22% – stars.
22% – wind patterns.
5% – ocean current patterns.