Transcript From Exploring the Titanic - Home

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Discussion Questions
Vocabulary
*What were you doing May 1-2,
2010?
*Most of us remember the big
flood that year.
*What did you learn from your
experience?
*
*bow
front of a ship
*stern
rear of a ship
*hull
outside frame of a ship
*
*deck
any floor on a ship
*funnel
smokestack
*mooring rope
rope that ties ship to dock
*
*mast
tall pole that holds a sail or radio
equipment
*crow’s nest
small platform on the mast for the lookout
*hold
cargo compartment
*keel
beam along the bottom of a ship
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*Factual information written
in a narrative form.
*Like a story, it might
introduce characters—
*real people—
*and allow you to live through
a factual event with them.
*
*Like a story, it might use
plot, setting, and conflict
to tell a story.
*Unlike fiction, it tells a
true story about events that
really happened.
*
*To be accurate, it relies on source
material, such as quotations from
real people, facts from reliable
accounts, and photographs.
*As you read Exploring the Titanic,
notice how literary elements and
source material help create an
interesting narrative. (Look for
suspense and foreshadowing!)
*
*1. accommodation (noun)
a room and food
*Several gigantic ships would have
accommodations which would be the
last word in comfort and elegance.
*
*2. aristocratic (adjective)
wealthy, privileged people
*First class held the rich and the
aristocratic passengers.
*
*3. competitive (adjective)
relating to rivalry
*Ismay’s goal was to give the White
Star Line a competitive edge in the
Atlantic passenger trade.
*
*4. desperately (adverb)
showing extreme need
*In the radio room, Bride and Phillips
were still desperately sending out
calls for help.
*
*5. feverishly (adverb)
*in a highly emotional way
*Bride and Phillips now knew how
serious the accident was and were
feverishly sending out calls for
help.
*
*6. indefinitely (adverb)
for an unlimited time
*The ship had watertight
compartments that would
allow her to float
indefinitely.
*
*7. novelty (noun)
*Something new
*In 1912, passengers on ocean
liners thought it was a novelty to
send postcard-style messages to
friends at home from the middle of
the Atlantic.
*
*8. omen (noun)
*A sign of a future happening
*Those who knew about the sea
thought that such a close call at
the beginning of a maiden voyage
was a very bad omen.
*
*9. prophecy (noun)
*a prediction
*The book was an eerie prophecy of
terrible things to come.
*
*10. tribute (noun)
*an act or gift to honor
someone
*Captain Smith was going to retire
after this last trip, a perfect final
tribute to a long and successful
career.
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*1. Why was the book The
Wreck of the Titan “an eerie
prophecy of things to come”?
*2. Explain why wealthy
passengers might choose to
travel on the Titanic.
*
*3. As the ship’s size is described,
compare the dimensions to
familiar items.
*4. How does the author help the
reader visualize the size of the
ship’s features?
*
*5. Why do the passengers
aboard the Titanic feel so safe?
*6. Where does the label
“unsinkable” come from?
*7. How does the introduction
of Ruth Becker affect your
interest in the narrative?
*
*8. How does the Titanic reflect
the society of its day?
*9. Name the simile the author
uses in describing the social class
limits of the time.
*10. On p. 98 at the big J, how do
you know some time has passed
since the New York incident?
*
*11. Why don’t the captain and
crew pay more attention to the
ice berg warnings?
*12. On p.99, the author begins to
pay attention to the time and
sequence of events. Why are
these references to time
important to this part?
*
*13. Once the iceberg has been
sighted, why doesn’t the crew steer
the Titanic out of the way?
*14. Through whose experiences does
the author present the moment
when the ship’s engines stop?
*15. How do these different
perspectives make this moment
“come alive”?
*
*16. Put yourself in Jack’s place on
p. 101. Why is he not more worried
about what is happening on the ship?
*17. Why doesn’t the captain
announce to all passengers about the
damage to the Titanic?
*18. Explain whether or not you
agree with his decision.
*
*19. What things do the crew
members do to attract rescue ships?
*20. How has the behavior of Harold
Bride, and Jack Phillips, changed as
they have become more aware of
the danger?
*21. Why can’t all of the passengers
be saved?
*
*22. How do Ruth Becker, Jack
Thayer, and Harold Bride survive?
*23. How does the author bring
the Titanic’s final moments to
life?
*
*Compare this narrative to
a fiction story. Cite three
ways they are alike.
*
*Was anyone to blame for the
sinking of the ship? Cite details
from the story to support your
judgment.
*Think about:
*The advance publicity of the
Titanic
*The safety record of the captain
*
*The Titanic boasted the
latest in technology as well as
the latest in luxury for 1912.
Are people today more or less
cautious about new
technology than they used to
be? Cite examples to support
your opinion.
*
*The Titanic was evacuated
traditionally, “women and
children first.” Do you
agree or disagree with this
principle? Cite examples to
support your opinion.
*
*Write an advertisement for
the Titanic. Be sure to cite
the details and features
from the narrative that you
could use to attract
customers.
*
*Write a message in a bottle
you might have thrown
overboard if you had been
one of the passengers on
the Titanic.
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