Shipwrecked!Read the short story below and then follow the directions. You will have 20 minutes to work by yourself to make a blog entry about your decisions. You may use your dictionary if necessary.The teacher will then give you a partner and, later, a group for your discussion.
The Story You were on a cruise ship enjoying a nice vacation in the South Pacific. First you sailed to Cairns, Australia, and then towards Samoa and Fiji. The weather was great and you met a lot of nice people. On the tenth day, suddenly a huge storm rose up and badly damaged the ship. It sank quickly and you only survived because you were able to grab onto a piece of wood floating by. Exhausted from your terrible ordeal, you passed out. Some time later (you cannot remember how long), you awoke and could not see the cruise ship or any of the other passengers that might have survived. About one kilometer away you could see a small island. Although you were very tired, you swam as much as you could to reach the island. One hundred meters from the shore, you lost the piece of wood but managed to swim hard and finally crawl up onto the beach. The Island The island that you find yourself on is quite small (approximately 2 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide). All around the edge is beach and the middle is mostly jungle. There are small animals and birds on the island, but no dangerous animals. Luckily, there is a small spring that comes up in the jungle, so you have lots of water. There are also a lot of fruit trees and wild potatoes and vegetables to eat. The weather is very warm (since it is the South Pacific), so you don’t need to worry about being cold. You cannot see any other islands around and have not seen any boats or planes pass. The Problem You are on the island alone and have no way of getting off. You do not know exactly where the island is located. It is possible that you will be on this island for a very long time…maybe forever! The good news is that a backpack from the cruise ship has floated up on the beach. There are five items in the backpack. Look at the list below and circle (or highlight) the five items you would most like to find in the backpack. You should be able to explain why you chose those five items (i.e. what would you use them for?). My Five Items: 1) _________________________ 2) _____________________________ 3) _____________________________ 4) _____________________________ 5) _____________________________ The Discovery You make a miraculous discovery! You are not alone on the island. There is one other survivor from the cruise ship. However, there is a small problem. There is only one backpack with five items in it, so you must agree to have the same five items from the list above. Talk with your partner and choose the five items that you will keep. You MUST agree, so try to convince your partner to choose the same items. When you have decided, write your five items on the lines below. 1) _____________________________ 2) _____________________________ 3) _____________________________ 4) _____________________________ 5) _____________________________ |
List of Items1) 50 matches
2) an axe 3) a pack of cigarettes 4) a fork 5) a pair of binoculars 6) a gun 7) 4 batteries
8) a metal cup 9) a sleeping bag 10) a fishing hook and fishing line 11) a bucket 12) a flashlight 13) a radio
14) 20 bullets 15) a pack of flares 16) a knife 17) a book (your favourite novel) 18) a hammock |
Assignment 1 (Blog Entry #1)
As you read the story and look at the items under the picture, write any new vocabulary (and the definition). Then write a reflection on your website by answering the question below.
REFLECTION: How did you feel when making the decisions on your own? How did your feelings and ideas change with a partner? and as a group? How much input/clout did you have in each of the 3 stages? How did you decide your five items by yourself? With a partner? With a group of 5? When working with a partner and group, were you able to convince the others with reasons and a clear voice or did the others decide for you?
REFLECTION: How did you feel when making the decisions on your own? How did your feelings and ideas change with a partner? and as a group? How much input/clout did you have in each of the 3 stages? How did you decide your five items by yourself? With a partner? With a group of 5? When working with a partner and group, were you able to convince the others with reasons and a clear voice or did the others decide for you?