History of navigation

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/history-of-navigation

1. What is the foundational navigational cultures?
2. What is the key navigational instruments?
3. What did early sailors like the Austronesians use to navigate without compasses?
4. How did the Greeks and Romans improve navigation?

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 foundational navigational cultures?Austronesians (Pacific), Phoenicians (Mediterranean), Greeks, Romans, Norse, Chinese
2. What is the key navigational instruments?Astrolabe, quadrant, magnetic compass, marine chronometer
3. What did early sailors like the Austronesians use to navigate without compasses?They used waves, wind, clouds, birds, star patterns, and ocean currents to find their way across the Pacific.
4. How did the Greeks and Romans improve navigation?They added geometry and astronomy to help manage trade routes and their large empires.

Spherical Trigonometry: A branch of mathematics dealing with triangles on the surface of a sphere, essential for celestial navigation.
Longitude: A measure of how far east or west a location is from a prime meridian, historically difficult to determine at sea.
Marine Chronometer: An extremely accurate clock designed to keep time at sea, crucial for determining longitude.