Maritime History

The study of maritime history is a great way for students to learn about the history of ships and about inventions and discoveries that enabled explorers to travel farther and farther from home. It also helps young people to understand the political, economic, and personal motivations that explorers had to travel to different parts of the world. There is excellent information on the Internet that will enable students and teachers to study this subject. Below is just a sampling.

The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia has created Exploration through the Ages, which contains a wealth of information for students in grades 3-12. There are visual images, text, bibliographies, and interactive activities that cover centuries of exploration and trade.

A section of The National Maritime Historical Society website is titled Just for Kids. Here you will find a variety of informational pages and activities, including vessel types, the commerce of historical shipping, famous mariners, underwater archaeology, professions and occupations of the sea, the historical stories of kids who went to sea, games, and puzzles.

San Francisco Maritime (National Park Service) provides insights into the role of women in maritime history.

The BBC presents A History of Navigation, charting the course of maritime navigation "from the days of rough reckoning to the ground-breaking technological advances of the late 1700s." An animated slide show is used to present the information.