Lesson II: Salty Vocabulary

Transcription

1 Lesson II: Salty Vocabulary Purpose: The language used aboard a ship can feel foreign at first. We use the nautical terminology precisely and accurately not only for authenticity, but also to promote safety. Our extensive use of nautical language also adds an important layer to the challenge ahead of your students. If students are comfortable with some of the language we will be using, they will be more comfortable with the work. We will also be able to get farther together. It may be helpful to explain to your students the origins of some of the terms. You can find many word origins by looking them up online or in a nautical dictionary, but there are some general notes about nautical terms that are good to keep in mind. 1. Sailing ships tended to be international places, many nautical terms come from different languages and there is a predominance of Northern European and Scandinavian roots. 2. Many words are pronounced differently than they appear or are shortened for convenience. 3. Many terms are compound words, often shortened for convenience. The vocabulary below encompasses the terms that all students in your class should know. There are a few additional specialized terms in the Crew Packets (see lesson VI) that each student should learn. You can use the lesson suggested below or any other vocabulary activities that work for your class. Materials: Vocabulary lists (see below) Diagrams (See below) Introduction (5 minutes) Call your lads to attention with some salty language: Ahoy, lads! Ask students to brainstorm any nautical terminology they already know. Then explain the purpose of learning accurate terms (see above). Remind the students that they will all need to know these terms to complete their voyage successfully! Activity: (30-45 minutes) Students might work best on this project in groups of three. Display the vocabulary words without definitions (write them on the board, post them on the wall, or put them on an overhead. Ask students to volunteer definitions for any terms they already know. Name a term or two nobody knows and ask for guesses. Pass out a copy of the vocabulary to each group with definitions and pass out the [insert #] diagrams provided below. Ask students to label the diagrams using the words on the list. Remind them that they have resources: each other s knowledge, the definitions on the page, and dictionaries. (Note: if you put one of each group s diagrams on over head transparencies rather than paper, students can display their work for the whole class during the review).

2 Closing: (10 15 minutes) Review the diagrams and answer any questions. Students may want to correct their work. Further Practice: (Spread this work out over several days or weeks.) Quick Draw Divide the class into two teams, or pit crews against each other. Put all the vocabulary terms in a hat. A designated student from each team stands at the board and tries to represent the term visually. Whichever team guesses the word first wins the round. Categorizing Ask the students to cut out the words from a list you provide. Then, working in pairs if you want, ask them to invent new categories and place the words in those categories in a way that makes sense. If you like, you can create the new categories ahead of time. Categories might include: things made out of metal/wood/rope, things you can touch/can t touch, words you understand/need to work on, etc. For extra practice, you might ask students to put the words back in the original categories as they are listed above. Charades play the classic game using words from the list. Find pairs some (aft and forward) are obvious; others take more work (fall line and cleat-- because you cleat the line, OR hawser and bollard, OR oar and oarlock). If your students understand the words, they will find plenty (though not all the words can be easily paired). Post the words in a way that makes sense (by category? on a diagram?) and refer to it frequently. Note: Many of the strategies in this lesson will also be useful to crews as they learn the vocabulary specific to their work.

3 Verbal Commands Ahoy Hello Avast! Stop! Aye Yes Aye Aye I understand your orders and will carry them out Carry on I am done with my orders and expect a response Working on Lines Haul Away Pull on a line, hand over hand Slack Away Let a line out, hand under hand Heave (Ho) Pull all together on command Avast Stop and hold on! Up Behind Let go of the line, get clear Bitter End The end of a line not attached to anything Working end The end of a line you haul or slack on Standing part The part of a line secured to the ship Names of lines and Places to Secure lines Bitt Small posts fixed through the deck of the vessel for fastening lines to Bollard Steel posts secured to the pier used for mooring vessels Cleat Specially shaped piece of wood or metal used for tying off a line Block and tackle Pulleys rigged with a rope to provide mechanical advantage Fall line Line that comes from the upper block of a block and tackle, when you haul or slack it the load moves up and down Tag line Line that controls a load, when you haul or slack it moves the load fore, aft, port or starboard over the deck Hawser A large line that ties the ship to the pier Heaving line A lightweight line for throwing, it attaches to a hawser Lead line A long line with a weight on one end, marked in fathoms, used to measure the depth of the water Parts of a Ship and other useful vocabulary Bow Front part of a vessel Stern Back part of a vessel Port Left side of a vessel when looking forward Starboard Right side of a vessel when looking forward Fore At or towards the bow Aft At or towards the stern Davit Used for holding a longboat over the side of a large vessel or pier Fathom Six feet Forecastle Area forward on a ship where the common sailors sleep Galley Kitchen on a ship Gangway The way to get on or off a vessel in port Mast Vertical spar Square sail Largest sails, made for sailing before the wind Stay sail Smaller sails used for stability and sailing into the wind Yard Horizontal spar

4 Top View

5 BOW MAST PORT STARBOARD STERN SQUARESAIL YARD Top View STAYSAIL GALLEY FO C AFT FORE