Use our short radio play and visual resources to set the scene and whet children’s appetite to find out more about the explorer Captain James Cook.

Captain James Cook was the first European to make contact with Australia. An investigation into his 18th century voyage of discovery to the southern hemisphere gives a wealth of cross-curricular learning opportunities. Our radio play ‘Voyage of discovery’ offers an inspirational starting point for this work. There are two versions – one is shorter and has simpler vocabulary – so choose the version that is most suited to the age and ability of the children you are teaching. Depending on the age of your class, you may wish to offer some background about Cook’s voyage before listening to the play. Older children may enjoy listening to the play and speculating on the story behind it before carrying out their own independent research into the historical events.