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See all the wonderful things Monique Pepper has made

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Education resources for schools teachers and students - ABC Education

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ABC Education has 4000+ educational games, videos and teaching resources for schools and students. Free Primary and Secondary resources covering history, science, English, maths and more

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Fantastic website containing all you need to know about James Cook

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Fantastic website containing all you need to know about James Cook

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Timeline of Cook's life

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The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum marks the site of Cook's birthplace in Marton on the outskirts of Middlesbrough and is situated in the beautiful landscaped grounds of Stewart Park. Outside a traditionally carved Nootka totem pole from Canada guards the entrance

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James Cook
| James Cook was born on 27 October 1728 near Middlesborough in Yorkshire, England.
Who was James Cook?
James Cook was a was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer (drew maps).
What is James Cook famous for? James Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands and brought Australia and New Zealand into the British Empire.  He was the first British ship commander to circumnavigate the globe in a lone ship. He was also the first British commander to prevent the outbreak of scurvy by regulating his crew’s diet, serving them citrus fruit and sauerkraut to prevent the disease. In October 1769, he became the first European to land on New Zealand. James Cook charted many areas and recorded several islands and coastlines on European maps for the first time. His explorations and maps provided much information about the Pacific Ocean, and about those who lived on its islands and shores.
The US space shuttle Endeavour is named after Cook's ship the HMS Endeavour.
Cooke was killed on 14 February 1779 at Hawaii.

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A fabulous slide show of Captain Cook's life and adventures

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The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum marks the site of Cook's birthplace in Marton on the outskirts of Middlesbrough and is situated in the beautiful landscaped grounds of Stewart Park. Outside a traditionally carved Nootka totem pole from Canada guards the entrance

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Captain James Cook: Interesting Facts for kids ***

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Check out this site for interesting facts about Captain James Cook for kids. Short Summary, Biography and Fun Facts about Captain James Cook. Biography and Interesting Facts about Captain James Cook for kids.

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It was the year 1768, first Lieutenant James Cook and his men set sail aboard the HMS Endeavour.

NARRATOR: At 2 p.m. we got under sail and put to sea, having on board 94 persons near 18 months' provisions and stores of all kinds.

Their aim was to observe a rare event when the planet Venus moved across the sun, but they also had a secret mission to find the rumoured Great South Land and claim it for England. It was an epic three year journey that shaped our country's history, but the ship that made it possible sank years later and its full wreckage has never been found. So in the 1980s, historians helped build this - a replica of the Endeavour in all its 18th century glory.

MIKE, FIRST MATE: The ship itself is sailed exactly the same way, is exactly the same. So we still play the same game if you like as Cook's men did all those years ago.

Now the ship's docked at port so kids can hop aboard and explore what it would've been like to be on Cook's famous voyage. Above deck, the ship is just like it would've been more than 200 years ago, right down to the toilets.

GUIDE: This was their toilet paper! Into the bucket of saltwater, wipe their bottoms and that was it.

Down below, the ship is also decked out like the 1700s; from an old school oven, to canons, even the ship's cat! There was also another kind of cat that kept the crew in order, the dreaded cat-o-nine-tails!

MIKE, FIRST MATE: If someone was going to be punished for say, disobeying an order that an officer gave them, they'd probably get 12 lashes with this cat across their bareback.

JESSICA: It'd probably be pretty annoying 'cause you'd have to follow everybody's rules, like the Captain's rules cause you don't want to get whipped.

Something else that would have been tough on the crew was the food.

REPORTER: So this is where the crew would've eaten all their meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Things like porridge, maybe a thin boiled soup with some meat in it and even this - a biscuit called Hard Tack. Hmm, maybe not.

The kitchen area doubled as another room too.

REPORTER: And this is where the crew would've slept. Pretty comfy really, not bad.

JAKE: I actually can't believe how many people could fit on this boat. And how humid it is and really hot it would've been.

But for some crew members things weren't so bad.

REPORTER: And this would've been a luxury cabin. Top class. It's a little small, but not bad!

It's the kind of room the gentlemen onboard like James Cook and botanist Joseph Banks would've had.

REPORTER: And this is where Captain Cook would've spent most of his time, sitting right here on the original Endeavour, most of the time charting his maps and eating his meals.

GIRL: I thought everything was really cool, but I really liked going into Captain Cook's like cabin, I thought that was really cool.

BOY: I think it was great, like how it shows, like what it was like, how many ropes there were, how much they had to do.

So it seems James Cook and the Endeavour have inspired some of us to take the helm and sail the high seas on a voyage of discovery! Well, maybe one day.

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Two hundred and forty-six years ago, James Cook landed on the east coast of Australia for the first time. The ship that brought him here was the HMS Endeavour, a British Royal Navy research vessel. But what was life like for the 94 people aboard that long journey to the other side of the world?

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A short clip about Captain James Cook

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Biography >>Explorers for Kids

Captain James Cook

Occupation: Explorer

Born: October 27, 1728 in Marton, England

Died: Killed by natives at the Hawaiian Islands on February 14, 1779

Best known for: Exploring the South Pacific

Biography:

James Cook was a British navigator and explorer who sailed and mapped much of theSouth Pacific.

Where did Captain Cook grow up?

James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in Marton,England. His father was a farmer, but as James grew older he began to feel the lure of the sea. At around the age of 18 he took an apprenticeship as a merchant seaman. Although he did well and was advancing in the merchant navy, Cook decided to enlist in the Royal Navy at the start of the Seven Years War.

It was during the Seven Years War that James became a master at map making. His ability at surveying, navigating, and creating large accurate maps was noticed by those high up in the Navy.

The Endeavour

Cook was given command of the Endeavour by England's Royal Society. The ship was a cat-collier that was typically used for carrying coal. It wasn't fast, but it was durable and could carry a lot of supplies.

Captain Cook introduced some rigid and innovative rules in order to keep his crew healthy and safe. He required his men to bathe every day, the ship to be kept very clean, and the bedding to be aired twice a week. He also brought lots of fresh fruit to keep his men from getting scurvy. These rules and planning helped his men to stay healthy throughout the long voyages ahead.

First Expedition

Cook set off for his first journey on August 26, 1768. His main objective was to observe the planetVenus as it passed between the Earth and the Sun. This would help astronomers to calculate the distance of the Sun from the Earth. He also hoped to find the fabled southern continent.

Routes of Captain James Cook through the South Pacific
The first voyage is in red, the second in green, and the third in blue.
By Andre Engels
Click to see a larger view

During this trip he visited Tahiti (where he made the observations of Venus), the Society Islands, and New Zealand. He mapped much of the two main islands of New Zealand, but also ended up fighting with the local Maori tribe.

Next stop on the journey was the east coast ofAustralia. Here James and his crew found all sorts of interesting animals and plants including the kangaroo. Unfortunately, the ship was damaged on some coral and they had to stop for a while to do repairs. Many of the crew got malaria from mosquitoes during this stop and over 30 of the crew died from the disease.

Finally they returned home in July of 1771, nearly three years after their departure.

Click here to see an animated route ofCook's first voyage.

Second Expedition

Captain Cook's second expedition took place from 1772-1775. This time he took two ships, the Adventure and the Resolution. His goal was to either discover the southern continent or prove that it didn't exist. He went below 70 degrees latitude. This was the furthest south any European had explored. He also visited Easter Island.

Click here to see an animated route ofCook's second voyage.

Final Journey

Cook's final expedition lasted from 1776 to 1779. The goal of this journey was to find a northwest passage across North America to Asia. He searched the coast of Alaska to no avail. He did find theHawaiian Islands, however (they were named the Sandwich Islands at the time).

At first Captain Cook and his men got along well with the natives of the Hawaiian Islands. However, things went bad when the natives stole a sailboat. Cook tried to kidnap the chief to hold him as ransom for the boat. In the attempt a fight broke out and he was killed by the natives.

Cook's ship the Resolution
by John Murray

Fun Facts about Captain Cook

The first European to set foot on Australia's east coast was Cook's nephew Isaac Smith.

The Endeavour also had scientists aboard including botanist Joseph Banks. They collected and recorded numerous plants and animals throughout their journey.

Tahiti was so nice and the natives so friendly that some of Cook's crew wanted to stay.

The Maori warriors in New Zealand wore tattoos on their faces. Some of the Endeavour's sailors got tattoos on their arms and started a tradition that continues today.

As Cook was exploring during the American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin wrote to the captains of America's warships telling them to not attack or harass Cook's ships.

Activities

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More Explorers: Works Cited

Biography for Kids >> Explorers for Kids

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Kids learn about the biography and life of British explorer Captain James Cook. He discovered much of the South Pacific for England.