Lesson Plan - Trapped in Ice

Learning Objective

Students will be able to explain why Ernest Shackleton’s 1914 expedition to Antarctica is considered one of history’s greatest survival stories.

Text Structure

Sequence, Problem and Solution

Content-Area Connections

World History

Standards Correlations

CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.9, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1

NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change

TEKS: Social Studies 3.1

1. Preparing to Read

Watch a Video: Journey Into Danger

Discuss: What were some of the challenges or tests Shackleton and his crew faced?

Preview Words to Know

Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

  • expedition
  • blizzards


Set a Purpose for Reading

Point out the “As You Read” question. Have students note at least two challenges the crew faced.

2. Close-Reading Questions

1. What is an expedition? What was the purpose of Shackleton’s 1914 expedition? An expedition is a long journey or voyage taken for a reason. Shackleton set off on his expedition with the goal of being the first to walk across Antarctica.

(RI.3.4 VOCABULARY)

2. What steps did Shackleton and his crew take to get help after the Endurance sank? Shackleton and his crew dragged lifeboats across the ice until they came to water; then they rowed the boats to an island. Next, Shackleton and a small group sailed to a different island, where they borrowed a ship to rescue the others.

(RI.3.3 SEQUENCE)

3. How does the author support the idea that Shackleton’s expedition was one of history’s greatest survival stories? The author explains that no crewmen died, despite the huge challenges they faced.

(RI.3.2 KEY DETAILS)

3. Skill Building

FEATURED SKILL: Critical Thinking/Point of View

Use the Skill Builder “What Would You Take?” to have students think critically about the supplies they would take for survival if they were in Shackleton’s shoes. 

(W.3.1 POINT OF VIEW)

Text-to-Speech