[LM_NET] HIT: Activities for Flotsam, Part 2

["Hunter, Velda J" <VHUNTER1@HOUSTONISD.ORG>]

Velda Hunter
Jack Yates High School
vhunter1@houstonisd.org
 

Activities for Flotsam: PART II

 

1.  When the book won the Caldecott there was a great video news story on CNN.com 
about the cargo ship that dumped a huge number of storage containers into the sea. 
(I think the video clips can still be seen on their website.) Some of the 
containers had broken open and spilled out furniture, shampoo bottles, motorcycles, 
and many other things. Many of these things washed up on the nearby southeast coast 
of England and people were taking whatever they could get their hands on.  The 
authorities explained that it didn't mean these things were "up for grabs". I had a 
fun discussion with the kids in my classes about what they would do in this 
situation.

 

 

(In the panel of the book with the octopuses it shows them sitting on living room 
furniture with a crushed and open container in the background.)

 

Just in the last couple days there was a (life preserver?) "ring" presumed to be 
from the Edmond Fitzgerald that was found on the shore in Michigan. 

 

A couple years ago I did some special lessons tied to "treasure"...especially 
shipwrecks like the Atocha off the Florida Keys. There is soooo much valuable 
"flotsam" that continues to wash up on the beaches. (Kids (of all ages) are 
fascinated by treasure.) :-)

 

2.  High School: Here is something that I plan on doing with our Journalism 1 
class.  Have groups of students (3 or 4 per group) choose a photograph from the 
book and then write or use the subscription databases to locate a newspaper article 
that would correspond with that the period of history depicted.  A writing class 
could make up a story  or a joint history/language arts assignment could be to 
create a historical fiction piece.  Wouldn't some of the activities taking place 
underwater be great for inspiration for a fantasy writing class or even a fantasy 
writing contest?

 

 

 

 

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