Lesson: 2

History: Captain Cook

Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will have an opportunity to demonstrate
their ability to:
1. Write a creative piece in a letter
2. Use their knowledge to recall facts from Captain Cooks first journey
Australian Curriculum:
English:
Create literary texts that explore students own experiences and imagining (ACELT1607)
Write using clearly-formed joined letters, and develop increased fluency and automaticity
(ACELY1696)
History:
The journey(s) of at least one world navigator, explorer or trader up to the late eighteenth
century, including their contacts with other societies and any impacts (ACHHK078)
Identify different points of view (ACHHS085)
Resources:

Overhead Projector
PowerPoint
History Books
Pencils
Rubbers
Whiteboard
Whiteboard Markers

Students Prior Knowledge:

Prior knowledge will come from previous lesson on Captain Cook.

Lesson Procedure:
Introduction (10 Minutes)
-

Sit class on the carpet.

Ask class what they remember from their previous history lesson about Captain
Cook.
Ask questions such as: Who is Captain Cook? What is he famous for?
Explain that today they are going to learn about the first journey that Captain Cook
undertook, how long it took him and where he went
Instruct class to go back to their seats and take out their history notebooks

Main Content (30 Minutes)

-

Explain that Captain Cook left on his journey in 1768. He was chosen to lead an

expedition to the South Seas to search for the unknown Great Southern Continent
He left England in August on 1768 and made port in Madeira in September, before
making port in Rio De Janerio in Brazil in November and December of 1768.
Write dates on the board so the students have the dates for their letter writing
Instruct the class that they are going to pretend to be Captain Cook and write a
letter back home to his family explaining his adventures and what he has seen so far
Students will have 15 minutes to write their letters

Conclusion (5 minutes)
-

Do the attention clap to get the classes attention

Instruct the class to pack up their history books and get ready for the next lesson.

Differentiation for diverse learners:

Students who are diverse learners will need to have a fact sheet in front of them to make
sure that they can remember the information. The teacher will also need to make sure that
they have understood the task and they are writing the letter correctly.

Extension Activities:
If students finish early, they can begin to write another letter from Captain Cooks family to
the Captain as reply to his letter.
Assessment of Student Learning:
The assessment of writing a letter is formative as teachers are assessing how students write
a letter and recalling facts.

Evaluation- Objectives:
Did the students understand when Captain Cook left on his first voyage and where he made
port?
Did the students write a creative and thoughtful letter pretending to be Captain Cook?
Evaluation-Self as a Teacher:

Did I explain where Captain Cook landed?

Did I explain the dates and make sure the students understood when this
happened?
Did the students write a letter properly describing Captain Cooks adventures?