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History of fiberglass and its use
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Sailing and sailboat terminology
-
Cancer types and treatments (morphine)
-
David recalls that Owen did not believe
in locks or in things that hold or confine things . . .
a lock will not stop someone if they want to steal
something . . . do you agree?
-
David deals with Owen's death in various
ways - when does David's hope end and his reality come
to the surface?
-
Cremation and discarding remains in the
ocean - what are the legal issues?
-
Owen asks David to accomplish a
difficult task in the isolated sailing adventure, do you
think you could have taken care of the "box"? Have you
ever had a close relative or family member pass on? Did
you do anything special for them? Do you think you would
have been willing to help them in some way if you
could?
-
Map the route David traveled - without
looking at the map in the back of the book first -
compare your route with the one in the book - how
accurate were you with David's estimations and
descriptions?
-
Draw your version of what the boat looks
like and where things are located
-
Research different kinds of sail boats
and their durability
-
A sailing enthusiast guest speaker or a
field trip (real or virtual) on a sailboat will add to
the immersion and understanding of the novel
-
Explore "reefing"
-
Explore the use of speed in terms of
knots and make comparisons
-
On many different instances David
notices small seemingly insignificant instances that in
retrospect could be seen as premonitions or warning
signs - what are some of these signs, and do you think
you would have paid them any attention?
-
David remembers that Owen once told him
he wanted to know everything about everything . . . is
that possible? David later decides it is vital to his
survival to remember everything he has ever learned and
study his own brain, it that possible?
-
In chapter 4 there is a reference to a
joke between a mathematician and an engineer, pose the
question to your kids (replacing the beautiful woman
with any object of interest to the kids), then have them
actively try to solve the "problem"
-
Blue fire
-
Words that sound like their meaning -
come up with as many (school appropriate words, of
course) that you and your class can
-
David encounters a very serious storm
early in the novel, what kind of storm do you think this
is? Do some weather and historical research to find out
about storms that occur in the Pacific - do they vary
from storms close to home in the Atlantic? Why is
knowing the weather especially important to sailors?
-
In the storm, David realizes that his
watch no longer works - do a science experiment coupled
with research to find out if waterproof watches really
are waterproof and he difference between waterproof and
water resistant
-
At the end of chapter 6, David is
seriously injured, lost, and alone, what would you do
know? Write about it, act it out, write a song or rap to
express your feelings - be creative and tap into your
most comfortable learning style
-
How important is it to stay calm in a
situation like David's, why?
-
David is worried about the amount of
water he has to drink in his water tank and mentions a
rumor of strange things happening to those who drink sea
water . . . what are the effects of drinking sea water?
-
Based on the estimations given in the
book, how much water has David pumped, drank, etc. -
Lots of math word problems and problem solving - do your
kids think math is not important discuss how David
relies on his math skills for careful calculations and
estimations vital to his survival
-
Make comparisons between David's
situation and Karana's in The Island of the Blue
Dolphins and Tom Hanks's character in CastAway
and other survival books and movies.
-
Why is it important to take inventory of
everything you have when you prepare to take a trip?
-
Proper storage of food, especially
leftovers
-
Make a prediction at the end of chapter
15 as to where you think David has landed
-
David craves burgers, fries, and a malt
when he reaches civilization, what would you want?
-
Themes of death, grief, loss,
friendship, and survival
-
Loss of a dear loved one
-
Theme of being alone in many ways - do
you think David is ever really alone on the ocean?
David makes a very difficult decision when he encounters
the whale research ship. Are you surprised at his
decision after everything he has been through up to this
point? Do you think he is "older and wiser" than he was
at the beginning of the novel?
-
Create your own ending to the novel . .
. write it, act it out, create a PowerPoint or
HyperStudio multimedia ending, write a song . . be
creative and use your preferred learning style
-
How would the story have been different
if David has gotten lost in the wilderness of the forest
instead of the ocean. Discuss the importance of the
ocean as a setting for the story.
- Do you think that David's thoughts on sailing have
changed because of his journey? Do you think that he
respects the waters more or less?
