First Fleet

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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/first-fleet

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 fleet commander?Captain Arthur Phillip
2. What is the primary objective?Establish the first British penal colony in Australia
3. What was the First Fleet and why did Britain send it?The First Fleet was a group of 11 ships that left Britain in 1787 to start a new settlement in Australia. Britain sent it to move prisoners to a new place and to claim land for its empire.
4. Who led the First Fleet and what were his duties?Captain Arthur Phillip led the fleet. He had to carry convicts, marines, officials, and free settlers, and also set up a new town and look for good places to live.

Convict Transportation: The practice of sending convicted criminals to distant colonies as punishment and labor.
Imperial Ambition: The drive of a powerful nation to expand its influence and control over other territories.
Indigenous Australians: The original inhabitants of the Australian continent and its islands, with a rich and ancient culture.