home

The First Fleet



A Pathfinder for Stage 2 students

Introduction Welcome to the First Fleet Pathfinder! This pathfinder will help you learn about: life in Australia before the arrival of the Europeans, the First Fleet, the life of a convict, and the beginnings of Sydney. On the list below are resources that can be found in the library. Some are printed reference and non fiction resources, while others are online. Some resources will be more useful to you than others...you be the judge and think about what makes a useful resource. Before you start you will need to check out your Information Skills Process sheet in the front of you Library Journal which will help you along the way. You can also follow the steps at [|Information Skills Process]

First of all, here are some keywords and definitions.

Keywords and Definitions

Colony - an area of landed that is settled and controlled by people from a distant land. Convict- a prisoner, a person found guilty of a crime Eora - Aboriginal people who lived in the Sydney region at the time of the First Fleet Flagship - the leading ship of a fleet which carries the commanding officer of the fleet Fleet - a number of ships grouped together for a special purpose Hulks - old warships that were used as floating prisons in England in the 1700's Marines - soldiers on board ships at sea Musket- light gun used by soldiers Navigation- finding the location and working out the ships' course using astronomy and maths Penal colony - a colony where priconers were sent as punishment for crime Scurvy - a disease caused by lack of fresh fruit and vegetables containing Vitamin C Sentence - the punishment given for a crime Storeship - ship carrying food and equipment Transportation - a punishment for convicts that meant they were taken to a different country for a number of years and forced to work List of Resources

__ Reference Sources - Print __ //Macquarie Atlas of Indigenous Australia//. (2006) by Arthur, B and Morphy, F. Sydney: Macmillan Education. This resource will help you to understand how indigenous Australians lived in the time before the arrival of the Europeans in Australia and what impact the arrival had on their way of life. You can use the maps to investigate different language groups in New South Wales. The pictures and information will provide you with lots of details about Aboriginal culture and history before, during and after the arrival of the First Fleet.

//Jacaranda Atlas 5th edition// (2001) Published by John Wiley. Use this atlas to complete a map showing the route of the First Fleet. Use the contents page to find a suitable map of the world. The page about NSW has an interesting satellite photo of the Sydney area.Think about why Phillip preferred Sydney Harbour.

__ ﻿Reference Sources - Online __ [|Encyclopedia Britannica for Kids] There are many links to useful information in this resource using keywords. eg.enter 'Arthur Phillip' as your search term.Then choose from the list to read an article.Enter a new search term at the top of the page or use the back arrow to return to the list. There are many interesting pictures and maps too.

__ Books __ // The First Fleet //by John Nicholson (1995) Published byAllen & Unwin. This book is full of interesting information,pictures, maps and diagrams. It is a great place to start your research.You can either read it through from the start to give you a good overview or use the contents and index page to locate what you are looking for. A glossary will explain new words. Look for its page number in the Contents.

//Sailing on the First Fleet// by Angela Crocombe (2005) Binara Publishing. Use the topics in this book to read about the journey from different points of view and read biographies of some of those on board.Each page contains a box called "The Evidence". How do these first hand reports add to your understanding of the First Fleet? Try your hand at drawing or painting portraits based on those found here. Use the Contents to locate the Timeline. Compare this to timelines in other books listed here. What is different ?

//The First Fleet//- Milestones in Australian History by John and Jennifer Barwick (2001). Published by Heinemann Library. This book will help you think about questions such as: Why was Australia colonised? What was the impact on the Aboriginal people of New South Wales? What were the convicts really like? Use the index to find out about Watkin Tench who served with Captain Phillip.Read some of his diary.Find out what the first contact with Aboriginal people was like.

//Grim crims & convicts//. by Jackie French Published by Scholastic. ** Have fun reading Jackie French's factual story of early Sydney from 1788 up to 1820. Discover what everyday life was like and the challenges faced by the convicts and settlers to stay alive. You may like to draw your own cartoon strip showing something about convict life. Use the library catalogue to locate historical fiction about early Sydney. **  ﻿ __ Websites __ [|The World Upside Down] This website contains a timeline of Australian history from 1788, when the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Cove until 1830. You can access each year by clicking on the image or date. This website will help you find out about important events of the early years of European settlement in Australia.

[|First Fleet Fellowship] This website has been created by people who are directly descended from men or women from the First Fleet! They are very proud of their heritage. By clicking on the first option, you can read a story of the journey of the First Fleet from England to Sydney. Close the link to return to the home page to make your next selection.Click on "List of Provisions" to find out what supplies and animals were on board.

[|Picture Australia] This website is from the National Library in Canberra and contains lots of images about Australian history. You will need to choose appropriate keywords for your Search e.g. First Fleet 1788, Sydney Cove. You can enlarge any image by clicking on it,then clicking on 'View Image' on the new screen. When you have finished looking at 1 image, enter a new keyword in the search box.. The pictures can be printed to use in your research assignment. You will find portraits of Arthur Phillip,Aboriginal leaders, paintings of Australian plants and animals and scenes of the First Fleet and early Sydney ,that were created by artists at the time, and some pictures of historical artefacts.

[|Convict Sydeny] Click on these 3 titles on the home page menu. 1. A Day in the Life of a Convict: Use this to draw a mind map about convict life.Use the back arrow to return to menu. 2.Captain Arthur Phillip: a biography of the man in charge of the Fleet and settlement of Sydney. Pretend you are Phillip and write a letter to relatives in England about Sydney Cove, after you read some of his journal. 3. Why were Convicts Transported to Australia? Find about what was happening in England at the time of the First Fleet and what life was like on a prison hulk.

[|Discovery and Colonisation of Autsralia] Have a look at the URL and notice the domain ‘gov’. What does this stand for ? How does this help us to know that this site should be accurate and reliable? Use the subheadings to help you locate information. Click on highlighted words in the text for more details.eg Click on “Instructions to establish the first British colony”. The link takes you to the website of National Archives of Australia. Click “Transcript” on the left side of the screen to read the original orders Captain Phillip was given by the British Government.

[|Today in History][|/] Listen and read along to the story of the First Fleet on this blogspot. How does this information compare to the previous website? Try listening and taking notes. Was this a helpful research tool? Does the author tell you where he found his information? How would you improve this blogspot? [|Convict Central] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Find out whether you have a convict in your family on this interesting website. Click on “All Convict ships” in the search list at the top of the page, then choose “NSW (1788-1800) on the list of topics on the left of the new page. Here you can see the ships of the First Fleet and details of convicts on board each. Choose a highlighted ship’s name to read some real life stories of convicts on board.

__<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Search Engine __ __<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">[|Ask kids] __ <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">This search engine will help you continue on your journey of discovery about the First Fleet. Enter suitable search terms. Then use the suggestions in the left hand side menu to narrow or expand your search.You may like to compare this search engine with a search engine you are already familiar with. What are best features and weaknesses of each? Which one helped you most in your research and why? <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Make sure websites you find are good ones by using the website criteria you have used in class. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">You will find the C.A.R.S checklist [|here] if you need it.