The Living

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Packing for the Lifeboat”

In this activity, students will work in small groups to decide the most important items to take on Shy’s lifeboat.

Shy only had moments to decide what to do as he fled the sinking cruise ship. Imagine he could have stopped time and worked with his friends to plan their escape, each person bringing two items with them. What should they bring?

• Review details from the novel and make a list of the items Shy had in the lifeboat.
• What items did he wish he had?
• Brainstorm a list of items that would have helped Shy as he survived in the lifeboat.
• Now, imagine he, Addison, and William Henry had each been able to bring two items with them. What would be the most critical six items to bring? Discuss and come to a consensus with your group.

Share your ideas on the board or display before joining a class discussion on each group’s choices.

Write a journal entry reflecting on this decision. How challenging was it to come to a consensus with your group? What helped or hindered the process? How open-minded were you during the process? How did your knowledge and comprehension of the story help you to generate the list?