The Vikings' secret weapon was not a sword — it was a ship! The longship was long, narrow, and fast. It had a big square sail to catch the wind and rows of oars so sailors could row when the wind stopped.
The front of the ship, called the prow, was often carved like a dragon's head to scare away enemies and sea monsters!
Here is the clever part: longships could sail on the deep, stormy ocean, but they could also float in very shallow water. That meant Vikings could sail right up rivers and land on beaches. No other ships of that time could do both. That is how the Vikings traveled so far!
1. What two things moved the longship through the water?
2. What was carved on the prow of many longships?
3. What made longships different from other ships of their time?
4. Why was a dragon head carved on the front?
Write what each word means in your own words.
Match each part to its job. Write the letter: A (catches wind), B (scares enemies), C (rows the ship), D (steers the ship).
| Part | Job (A, B, C, or D) |
|---|---|
| Square sail | |
| Dragon prow | |
| Oars | |
| Rudder |
Write T for true or F for false in each circle.
Draw a Viking longship. Include the dragon prow, the big square sail, oars, and shields along the side.
1. The Viking ship was called a .
2. The square caught the wind.
3. Sailors pulled the when there was no wind.
4. The dragon head was carved on the .
5. Longships could float in water.
6. That let Vikings sail up and land on beaches.
1. Longships were good at TWO things: deep oceans and shallow rivers. What is something that is useful because it can do two jobs?
2. If you had a longship, where would you sail first?
| I learned... | Circle one |
|---|---|
| The parts of a longship | YES / NOT YET |
| Why longships were special | YES / NOT YET |
| How Vikings traveled so far | YES / NOT YET |