← All ancient topics
How did people navigate without GPS?
Stars, sun and a very good memory
Grab your captain's hat and let's go on an ocean adventure to see how brave travelers found their way long before smartphones!
1/5
- Long ago
Watch the Sun
The sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. You can use its path across the sky to find your direction!
The big idea
Ancient explorers used nature, shadows, and the stars as their giant map.
Fun facts
- ✨ Polynesian sailors made maps out of sticks and shells to show ocean wave patterns!
- ✨ The North Star is named Polaris, and it sits right above the Earth's North Pole.
- ✨ Homing pigeons have a natural magnetic compass inside their brains to help them fly home!
Science words
- Navigate — To plan a path and find your way from one place to another.
- Compass — A tool with a magnetic needle that always points toward the North Pole.
- Horizon — The far-off line where the land or sea looks like it touches the sky.