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How do we navigate?
We are all navigators! It’s a skill we need to find our way to school, work, or a holiday destination, and back home again. We use landmarks, maps and technology to work out where we are and where we want to go.
But navigation wasn’t always so simple. What did people do before phone apps existed? Throughout history, people from different cultures came up with clever ways to navigate using the stars, special instruments, and songs. This was especially important on ocean voyages when there was no land in sight.
Watch this introductory video to introduce your students to different methods of navigation before exploring the Navigators and Traders modules.
Discussion questions
A: navigation is the process of determining your location and planning a route. In simple terms, it’s figuring out where you are and where you need to go.
A: a compass.
A: sextant is used to determine latitude (i.e. how far north or south of the equator you are). It is calculated by measuring the angle between the horizon and the sun when the sun is at its zenith or highest point (i.e. midday).
Historically, mariners and navigators used marine chronometers to determine their longitude when they were at sea.
A marine chronometer is a very precise clock which can keep time accurately. They are not affected by changes in temperature or the motion of a ship. This makes them ideal pieces of equipment for long sea voyages.
Mariners logged their time and longitude every day to keep track of their distance travelled and location. When at sea, mariners would wait until the sun was at its zenith or highest point (i.e. midday). Then, they would check the time on the ship’s chronometer which was set to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The difference in time between the ship (midday) and the chronometer, would help mariners to determine their longitude. 1 hour equates to 15° of longitude.
A: Songlines are maps used by First Nations Australians. They are told in the form of songs and stories. They contain important information, such as the location of landmarks, where to find food and water, inform trade networks and act like a passport when moving across Country.