Day 64: The Conditions on the Ships (6/7/11)

Standard: 7.11.1 Know the great voyages of discovery, the locations of the routs, and the influence of cartography in the development of a new European worldview.

Aim: The historians of 2016 will be able to describe the conditions on ships during the voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries.

Task 1: Submit your homework from last night.

Task 2 Quick Question: Would you travel to Mars if it meant months in a cramped space shuttle, eating terrible food and sleeping in terrible conditions?

Task 3: Open your notes from yesterday. Read aloud and take notes as we go through the information on the conditions aboard the ships used during the explorations of the 15th and 16th centuries.

"Living conditions aboard such ships, especially on long voyages, was appalling. Ships constantly leaked and were crawling with rats, lice, and other creatures. They were also filthy, with little or no sanitation facilities. Without refrigeration, food and water spoiled quickly and horribly. Disease was rampant, especially scurvy, caused by a vitamin C deficiency. A good voyage between Portugal and India would claim the lives of twenty per cent of the crewmen from scurvy alone. It should come as no surprise then that ships' crews were often drawn from the dregs of society and required a strong and often brutal, hand to keep them in line."

Task 4: Track Mr. Sanders as he explains how to research your explorer and review the rubric and expectations of the project. Here is the rubric for how you will be graded.

Task 5: Work on your presentation of your European explorer.

Homework: Read about the famous explorers of Spain and complete the workbook page and map when you are done.