Lesson Plan: Disaster on the Ice

Essential Questions:

• What drives human exploration? 
• What does it take to be a leader?
• What does it take to survive?

Literature Connections:

• Biography: Who Was Ernest Shackleton? by James Buckley Jr. 
• Graphic nonfiction: Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi 

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the play in their magazines or online. Then preview the text features using the following prompts:

• Look at the illustration on the title page. Describe in detail what you see and the mood the image conveys. (In other words, how does it make you feel?) Sample answer: A boat is balancing on a huge chunk of ice, surrounded by other large chunks of ice. The sky is mostly dark and cloudy. It does not look safe to be on that boat. The mood is tense, like something bad is about to happen.
• Look at the map included with the play and read its caption. From which country did the Endurance begin its voyage? In which sea did the Endurance get trapped? The Endurance began its voyage from Argentina. It got trapped in the Weddell Sea.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (Antarctica, expedition, stowaway, mast, frostbite, amputated) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow

Make a Plan for Reading

• Before students read the play, set a purpose for reading by telling them that they will make inferences about “Disaster on the Ice.” Explain that making an inference means using clues from the text to figure out something that isn’t directly stated. (You may also consider showing our “Skills in Action: What Is an Inference?” video.)

• Assign parts to students and read the play aloud as a class. Stop after each scene and ask students to summarize what happened.
• After reading, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• How does the conversation in Scene 1 between Shackleton and Perce Blackborow show what kind of person Shackleton is? (inference) The conversation in Scene 1 shows Shackleton as both strict and kind. When Perce is found on board, Shackleton says, “Foolish boy! We may not survive this journey.” This shows that Shackleton understands the dangers ahead and takes them seriously. But when Perce says that life without adventure isn’t worth living, Shackleton hides a smile and gives him a job in the kitchen. This shows that Shackleton appreciates Perce’s adventurous spirit.
• Look at the map and the image caption titled “The Place.” How do these text features help you understand the play? (text features) The map shows the Endurance crew’s route on their expedition. It shows the long distances they covered through the icy waters of Antarctica and helps the reader imagine their journey. The caption provides additional information about Antarctica. It states that Antarctica is almost completely covered in ice. This detail helps readers understand the harsh conditions that Shackleton and his crew faced during their expedition.
• At the end of the play, Perce says, “And we only survived because of our Boss.” What details in the play support this statement? (key details) Several of Shackleton’s actions in the play show that he is a selfless and determined leader. In Scene 3, after the Endurance begins to sink, Shackleton says, “Leave the ship! Take the lifeboats!” showing that he cares more about the safety of his crew than saving the ship or finishing the expedition. In Scene 5, on Elephant Island, Shackleton announces that he and five crew members will go in search of help, promising those he is leaving behind that he will not abandon them. In the next scene, we learn that he has kept his promise when he returns and rescues the crew.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• What qualities make someone a good leader? Do you think Shackleton was a good leader? Why or why not? Answers may vary. Many students will likely say that Shackleton was a good leader because he kept his crew alive throughout a dangerous and scary experience, and because he brought back help to save his crew. 
• Why do you think humans have a desire to explore the world and, in particular, dangerous places like Antarctica? Answers will vary. Students may say that humans explore because we are curious about our world. Another reason could be that we are looking for something in particular, such as a certain resource or a shorter route from one place to another. Humans may also be driven to explore by a desire for fame and recognition.

• Have students work in pairs to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Inference activity at the end of the play.
• Assign students to work independently on our Understanding Genre Skill Builder. (Click here to see all your Skill Builders for this feature.)
• Writing prompt: Choose a member of the crew of the Endurance. Write a diary entry as that crew member at any point in the story. Describe in detail what’s going on and how the character is feeling.