Quest for Transportation Day 1

November 10, 2009	
==Description==
Welcome to The VFK Transportation Epic Quest Day 1 - Ships!<BR><BR>
Transportation, from the most primitive wheel to the most technologically sophisticated plane exemplifies world changing discoveries and innovations. Today we will embark on a 7 day epic quest so we will be able to travel around in a whole new way. We will explore the history of the basic forms of transportation from boats and planes to automobiles. On today's quest, we will explore the history of boats and ships!<BR><BR>
Your reward for completing this quest will be 1,000 credits, and the Ship Pin!<BR><BR><BR>
===Prizes===
===Questions===
1. Water is necessary for human survival, and as a result people commonly live next to water. They have made use of things that float in order to use water for transportation. Trees or reeds can be bundled together into floating rafts. A hollow log can be turned into a dugout canoe. Once the concept of a watertight hull such as skin stretched over a frame has been learned, it is easy to build a simple boat. How old is the oldest boat to be discovered?
* 1200 B.C.
* 4000 B.C.
* 6300 B.C.
* 500 B.C.
2. The very first boat discovered to date is the remains of a dugout canoe dating back to 6300 B.C. Two main problems with the design of a dugout canoe led to the development of modern boats: the narrow shape of the hull and the shortness of the distance between the waterline and the top of the deck (freeboard). Go to Audubon's Dark Forest and say "That tree should be perfect for making a canoe!"<BR><BR>
3. Dating back to around four thousand years B.C., the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations used boats extensively. They traveled on the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Nile is a very predictable waterway as the wind blows North to South and the current flows South to North. This stable water thoroughfare is thought to have led to what boat development? 
* Sails
* Paddle wheels
* Metal hulls
* Stone ballast<BR><BR>
4. The Egyptians would sail upstream using a large rectangular sail and then row going back down the river. The Egyptians constructed ships that could cross oceans. They had both sails and oarsmen and used their ships for trade and travel. One of the earliest boats known was Egyptian and dates from 2500 B.C. It is 143 feet long and 20 feet wide and is made from cedar planks. Go to the first Australian Outback and say: "Sails helped the boats go faster."
<BR><BR>
5. By 1200 B.C., the Greeks and Phoenicians were building large ships of two different designs. One design with rounded ends was most suited to cargo and passengers. The other was a longer boat with a rounded stern and a battering ram for a bow used for war. The cargo ships could carry around 100-200 tons. Approximately how long were these two masted cargo ships?
* 175 feet
* 200 feet
* 150 feet
* 100 feet<BR><BR>
6. To increase the speed of a ship, the Phoenicians added more oars. Ships could only be so long and then their structure began to weaken. Having "banks of oars" solved this issue. A boat with two levels of oarsmen, one above the other was called a bireme. The Greeks added a third bank calling the boat a trireme. The Carthaginians had 5 banks of oars or a quinquereme. Go to the outside of the Marshall's office in Western Age and say "To go faster, add more oars." <BR><BR>
7. The Roman navy used the quinquereme design and became rulers of the Mediteranean. By the late 1000's Vikings took their place on the seas with their renowned rowed longships. A Viking ship was typically "clinker-built" from oak planks with a central mast. It had two high pointed ends and had 16 oars along each side. What does clinker-built mean?<BR>
* Overlapping planks attached to the ribs
* Edge-to-edge planks attached to the ribs
* Metal edge planks attached to the ribs
* Elaborately decorated<BR><BR>
 
8. When the Vikings were losing their control of the oceans, by the 1200's, another type of ship was becoming popular. This ship type had a large square sail in the middle. It also had platforms where cannons, people, shelter and cargo were located. The ships were called cogs. Go to the Space Corridor in Space Age and say the names of the platforms. Say, "They were called castles."<BR><BR>
9. Many cultures added their own innovations to boat design that other peoples would copy. The Chinese added a couple of significant innovations. Because of the violent typhoons in their region, they needed a strong hull. They added a partition across the interior of the hull called a bulkhead. This feature also gave the ship watertight compartments that helped when a ship needed repair. What was another feature they added called? 
* Sternpost Rudder
* Keel
* Lateens 
* Mystery Fire<BR><BR>
10. The most efficient sailing ship in the 1400's was called a caravel. It originated in the Mediterranean, but soon was being used by the Spanish. It was sturdy and quite fast for the time. Go to the Victorian park and say: "Columbus used this ship type in his expedition!"<BR><BR>
===Answers===
1. 6300 B.C.
 
2. Go to Audubon's Dark Forest in Western Age and say: "That tree should be perfect for making a canoe!"
3. Sails
4. Go to Australian Outback I in Australia, and say: "Sails helped the boats go faster."
5. 100 feet
6. Go to Outside Marshall's Office in Western Age and say: "To go faster, add more oars."
7. Overlapping planks attached to the ribs
8. Go to The Corridor in Space Age and say: "They were called castles."
9. Sternpost Rudder
10. Go to the Victorian Park in Victorian Age and say: "Columbus used this ship type in his expedition!"
Category:Quests Category:Epic Quests