Austronesian vessels

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/austronesian-vessels

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the technological origin?Taiwan, with innovations dating back to approximately 3000-1500 BC
2. What is the construction method?Prominent use of lashed-lug plank-built vessels, allowing for hull flexibility
3. What made Austronesian boats strong enough to travel across the open ocean?They used a special lashed‑lug construction that made the hulls flexible, so the boats could bend and survive the waves of the sea.
4. Why did Austronesian sailors build catamarans and outrigger canoes?Catamarans had two hulls that gave them great stability and room for cargo, while outriggers kept a single hull balanced, making the boat fast and easy to steer.

Austronesian Expansion: The prehistoric migration of Austronesian-speaking peoples across Oceania and into the Indian Ocean.
Lashed-lug construction: A method of joining wooden planks in boat building using cordage passed through holes.
Maritime Trade Network: An interconnected system of sea routes used for the exchange of goods and services between distant regions.