1. Technological Advancements in the 15th Century
By J. Titus

2. Technological developments
Advancement in ship designs
Development in navigational instruments
Invention of the printing press
Weapons

3. Caravel- Advanced ship design of the 15th Century

4. The Caravel
Developed in the 15th century on the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal. Was based on the design of the vessels used by the Arabs (Muslims). It had two of three masts with triangular (lateen) sails. As time went by it increased in size with a square sail on the foremast and lateen sails on the others.

5. Caravel
The square and triangular shape combination of the sails gave the ship the ability to sail close to the wind, this was essential if successful voyages were to be made in regions where the wind pattern was unknown. Sailors could now handle the ship better at sea

6. The Stern-post Rudder

7. The stern-post-rudder
Helped sailors to maintain a steadier course.

8. The Astrolabe

9. The Astrolabe

10. The Astrolabe
Was used to tell the location of the ship at seas using lines of latitudes. The astrolabe was used to observe either the altitude of the sun at midday or the altitude of the polar star at night.

11. The Astrolabe
It consisted of little more than a graduated metal circle with a revolving pointer and a turning board in the centre.

12. The Quadrant

13. The Quadrant
This was a graduated quarter circle of wood, with sighting holes mounted on one edge, and a plumb-bob hanging from the apex. This was used to determine the location of the ship at sea.

14. Invention of printing

15. Invention of Printing
With the invention of the printing press information about geography, science, literature and news could be copied and passed on easily in the form of books, charts and maps.

16. Weapons
The earliest guns were probably produced by the Arabs in North Africa about AD These were soon copied in Europe and by the 15th century gunpowder and guns of all description s were widely used. Caravels soon carried cannons.

17. Assignment -Project
Define Unification, exploration, nationalism, crusade, imperialism, renaissance, colonialism, rivalry and aristocracy
Research the life and activities of Christopher Columbus in the form of a project. Project should be hand-written. It should include a biography of Columbus as well as his four voyages to the New World

18. Project Outline Cover Page Acknowledgement Table of Contents
Content- Definition of terms, Biography, voyage one, two, three and four.
Appendices-Pictures
Bibliography