FICTION
Short story: “Sea Devil,” by Arthur Gordon
“Sea Devil” tells of a man whose name we never know, but of whom we learn that he likes to fish at night, because “he found in it a reality that seemed to be missing from his twentieth century job and from his daily life.” He fishes by using a cast net. On one particular velvety Florida night, he casts his net only to have the sea “explode in his face.” He has ensnared a “sea Devil”—a large manta ray—in his net and because the net is attached to his wrist, the man finds himself suddenly dragged into the ocean, and struggling for his life. How he survives, and he does survive, is told in stirring descriptions which lend themselves to being read aloud. As a result of his experience, the man learns something about his relationship with nature which changes his life.
Questions:
-
1. Why does the man like casting alone at night?
-
2. The man is described as a person who “Worked with his head, not with his hands.” Is it his head or his hands which finally saves him? Tell how he saves himself.
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3. At the beginning of the story, the author says, “He liked being the hunter, skilled and solitary, and elemental.” But at the end of the story the man sets a captured mullet free. Why?
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4. In this story, how does the setting add to the conflict and the tension?
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5. At the end the man thinks, “He knew he would do no more casting alone at night . . . No, not he.” Why?
-
Log Assignment
: Have you ever been in a life threatening or in an emergency situation? Tell about it. Use words of action, color, size, shape, and feel. Tell how the situation was resolved.
Vocabulary
: Before students begin reading, acquaint them with the following words. The teacher may have students write definitions and sentences or complete the small exercise which follows the words.
1. bay
|
2.lagoons
|
3. sea wall
|
4. roe
|
5. skiff
|
6. moored
|
7. atavistic
|
8. retrieve
|
9. gunwale
|
10. channel
|
11. port-starboard
|
12. bow-stern
|
13. tenaciously
|
14. pinioned
|
15. respite
|
16. imminent
|
17. doggedly
|
18. pilings
|
19. ebb
Matching Exercise: Write the letter of the word or group of words which has the closest meaning to the first word.
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1. lagoon: (a) large ocean (b) grassy plains (c) desert (d) lake of brackish water
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2. sea wall: (a) barrier to prevent beach erosion (b) a kind of fish (c) barrier to prevent swimmers from going out too far (d) sea area where the heavy density of fish prevent navigation
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3. roe: (a) small boat (b) fish eggs (c) young mullets (d) seaweed
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4. skiff: (a) sharp wind (b) to run away from (c) small flat-bottomed boat (d) sailor’s hat
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5. moored: (a) rowed slowly along the shore (b) stuck in mud (c) tried to signal location (d) secured a boat to shore
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6. atavistic: (a) throwback to the primitive (b) antagonistic (c) trying to accomplish the impossible (d) understanding how others think
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7. channel: (a) short, simple song (b) tall building (c) deep, navigable passage (d) thin, narrow ship
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8. tenaciously: (a) uncertainty (b) doggedly (c) completely (d) precariously
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9. pinioned: (a) hemmed shirt or pants (b) asked someone’s opinion (c) nailed a board (d) held in place
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10. imminent: (a) about to occur (b) very famous (c) dangerous (d) to be happy
-
Project
: Locate information about the ray described in this story. Draw a picture and describe the ray’s habits. Are there other members of this family? Are they as frightening as this story depicts them? Design a bulletin board using the information you’ve collected.
Poem: “Carmel Point,” by Margaret Phyllis MacSweeney
In this poem the speaker witnesses a “daring” young crab eaten alive by a beautiful, soft flower-like sea anemone. The speaker runs to his or her father and tells him that he or she is “sorry to be born” because he or she is frightened by so many things. The imagery in the poem is quite beautiful and at the same time menacing. The poem uses personification portraying the anemone as a woman.
Questions:
-
1. Why is the speaker horrified to see the anemone eat the crab?
-
2. What aspect of this occurrence makes the speaker afraid?
Log Assignment: Have you ever seen anything that frightened you? Describe what you saw. Describe the colors, sizes, shapes, smells, and feelings of the time. How did you feel as you watched? What did you do afterward? When did you first realize you were afraid? Did this experience change you in any way?
Project: There are many kinds of sea anemones. Design a story board or a series of slides with pictures of various anemones. Write a dialogue in which you describe the plants, their habitat, and their life cycles.
Poem: “First Lesson,” by Philip Booth
In this poem a father comforts his daughter during her first swimming lesson. The poem flows rhythmically and visually like the waves in the ocean. The speaker encourages his daughter not to float “face down” but when afraid to “lie back” and let the waves “hold you.”
This poem, like “Carmel Point,” uses the sea to express a viewpoint about living. It is an optimistic poem with a lesson about riding with life. Have students reread the last five lines of the poem and talk about what they mean.
Log Entry: How can the last five lines of the poem be applied to life generally. Give an example from your life to show how this advice could be used.
Project: Write and illustrate a poem of your own about a “First lesson” you had. It does not have to be about swimming, but could be about a first day at school or a first party or the forest boy or girl you dated. Think about the first time you did something or realized something, and fashion your own poem.
Novelette: The Snow Goose, by Paul Gallico
The Snow Goose is a short novel which takes place in England from 1930 to 1960. Rhayader, hunchbacked and with a misshapen arm, resides alone in an old lighthouse amidst estuaries which he has shaped into a wildlife preserve. One afternoon, a young girl, Fritha, comes to his home carrying a wounded large white bird. Rhayader helps the bird, a Canadian snow goose, and the bird and the girl become regular visitors to the lighthouse. Years pass and the girl and the bird grow to adulthood.
During this time Rhayader and Fritha have grown to care for one another and share a mutual regard for the wildlife which surrounds them.
World War II erupts and Rhayader attempts to enlist but is rejected due to his deformity. Then in 1940 British men are stranded along the shore in the Battle of Dunkirk. A general call is issued for anyone possessed of a boat to go in under fire and rescue the stranded soldiers. Rhayader goes, despite Fritha’s protestations, valiantly rescues many men, and is killed. The snow goose returns to Canada, and Fritha continues to care for Rhayader’s birds until the lighthouse is bombed by the Germans. The sea regains the land and the estuary becomes barren and desolate.
Although sentimental, the story is simply and beautifully told. It’s easy to see the similarities between Fritha, Rhayader, and the snow goose, and students will respond to Rhayader’s courage. Students will also learn something about the relationship of man to nature and about the destructive manner of war to all things.
Questions: Chapter 1
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1. What is the setting of the story? Describe it.
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2. Why had Rhayader gone to live in the lighthouse?
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3. Describe Rhayader’s personalty. What skills does Rhayader possess?
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4. What brings Fritha to the lighthouse? How does Fritha react to Rhayader at first? Later?
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5. The author says that Fritha reminded Rhayader of wild water birds. What does he mean?
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6. When the snow goose leaves, Fritha also leaves. How does Rhayader react to her going?
Chapter 2
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1. Why was Rhayader surprised when the snow goose returned?
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2. What did Fritha learn from Rhayader?
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3. How did Rhayader react the summer the bird did not return?
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4. The year the bird returned, it was full grown. Compare the bird with Fritha.
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5. How does Fritha feel about Rhayader now? How do you know?
Chapter 3
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1. In spring 1940, when the pink-feet geese migrated, what did the snow goose do?
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2. How did Fritha and Rhayader react?
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3. How does Rhayader explain his going to Dunkirk in his little boat?
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4. Why does Rhayader tell Fritha she can’t go with him? Who does go?
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5. What happens to:
-
____
a. Rhayader
-
____
b. Fritha
-
____
c. snow goose
-
____
d. the lighthouse?
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6. Why do you think it was important to Rhayader to go to Dunkirk?
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7. What effects does war have on people? The land? Wildlife?
Log Assignment: Are there ever reasons to go to war? If so, what are they? Explain and use examples. If not, explain.
Projects
: Find information about the wild birds mentioned in the story. Draw pictures and write brief reports of their habits and lives.
Read about the battle of Dunkirk. Report to the class the happenings, results. Use pictures or slides to aid your report.
Design a bulletin board about the Canadian snow goose. Show pictures, patterns of migration, life cycle.
Read about and describe the effects of war on nature. Illustrate your report with photographs and eye-witness accounts.
(figure available in print form)
Across
2. low part of a river influenced by tides
4. with suspicion
6. land covered at high tide and exposed at low tide
7. small bodies of water remaining after ebb tide
8. adroit, dexterous
Down
1. still exists
3. face
5. was next to
Vocabulary:
1. mud flats
|
2. tidal pools
|
3. estuaries
|
4. bulwark
|
5. encroaching
|
6. breached
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7. abutted
|
8. beacon
|
9. garnered
|
10. askance
|
11. visage
|
12. pinioned
|
13. extant
|
14. uncompromising
|
15. deft
Play: The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, by Herman Wouk
Lieutenant Stephen Maryk is being court-martialed for relieving his superior officer, Commander Philip Francis Queeg, of his duty during the course of a storm. Because this breech of the law occurs during World War II, Maryk’s life is at stake. He is being defended by Lieutenant Barney Greenwald at the request of the prosecuting attorney, Lieutenant Commander John Challee. Challee has requested Greenwald to take the case because he recognized his friend as a fighter for lost causes.
At first Maryk has little faith in Greenwald. Greenwald has expressed his view that he’d rather prosecute Maryk than defend him. Greenwald refuses to tell Maryk the plan for Maryk’s defense. When Maryk asks him why he took the case, Greenwald explains that he is the only person who can free Maryk.
Maryk decides to gamble and the trial begins. Various witnesses tell of the conditions aboard ship, the storm, and the ship’s takeover. The trial is masterfully presented as Maryk’s witnesses are shown to be scheming, idiotic, or unknowledgeable. Greenwald realizes that the only way to save his client is to prove Queeg incompetent. This he does by skillfully manipulating Queeg and bending the legal system. Maryk is acquitted but at the expense of Queeg’s career.
At a victory celebration Greenwald surprises everyone by demonstrating that Lieutenant Thomas Keefer, a novelist and supposed friend of Maryk, engineered the takeover and that Queeg, for all of his unpleasant eccentricities, had a noble side. He was there when the war began, or, as Greenwald puts it, he kept “Mama out of the soap dish.”
Students must understand a little about World War II and the navy regulations in order to understand the play. once that is accomplished, they should find the play easy going. Because this play is simply staged, have the students act it out. Because each character is so distinct, students will gain much from watching the actions. Have the student take turns directing various scenes.
In this play is a variety of conflict. It exists between persons, between the individual and the institution, and between the reality of life versus the ideal. The question, “Is there a time to go to war?” is again raised. There is enough conflict to encourage excellent discussions.
Questions: Act I
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1. What kind of man is Greenwald? Why does the writer spend so much time on him during scene 1.
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2. Describe Maryk.
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3. Of what is Maryk accused? What is the penalty if found guilty?
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4. What is Maryk’s attitude toward Greenwald at the beginning of the play?
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5. What is Maryk’s attitude toward defending Maryk? Why?
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6. Why doesn’t Greenwald want Keefer on the stand?
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7. What is Blakely’s role at the courtmartial. What are his attitudes toward Greenwald at first?
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8. Why is Blakely surprised when Greenwald says he’d call Queeg for the defense?
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9. What did Greenwald mean when he said, “You don’t understand, do you? Not about Keefer. Not even about yourself?”
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10. Why was Urban an unsuitable witness?
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11. What did Greenwald mean when he said to Maryk, “Implicating Keefer harms you”?
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12. Did Keith’s testimony help or hurt Maryk? Tell why or why not.
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13. Why is Lundeen’s testimony important?
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14. Lundeen said that Queeg “revises reality in his own mind so that he comes out blameless.” What evidence can you find to support the truth of that statement?
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15. Why does Greenwald keep emphasizing the word
paranoid
?
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16. How did the way Greenwald questioned Bird affect Bird’s testimony?
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17. Was the outcome in scene 1 in Maryk’s favor? If so, when did it begin to change?
Act II
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1. Why does Greenwald want to know if the Caine was in the last extremity when Maryk relieved the captain?
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2. Why did Maryk keep a record of Queeg’s mental health?
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3. Is there a change in Blakely’s attitude? What brought that change about?
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4. Explain the “strawberry” incident.
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5. What holes in Maryk’s story does Challee uncover?
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6. Why was Maryk stunned when his testimony was over?
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7. Why did his testimony and Queeg’s differ?
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8. When did Queeg’s testimony begin to show that he was not completely truthful?
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9. Why did Greenwald threaten to subpoena Langhorne?
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10. Challee says that Greenwald is turning the trial into a courtmartial of Queeg. Do you agree with Challee? Explain.
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11. When does Queeg begin to crack on the stand? How do you know?
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12. How does his long speech affect his audience?
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13. Why is Challee angry with Maryk?
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14. Why did Greenwald defend Maryk?
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15. What did Queeg’s responses during testimony suggest about his reactions during the storm?
Act II, Scene 2
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1. What reasons did Greenwald give for bending the law? Do you think he was right or wrong? Explain.
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2. Why does Greenwald make a hero of Queeg?
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3. Why does Greenwald say that Keefer is really the guilty person? Why doesn’t Greenwald like Keefer?
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4. Why does Greenwald get drunk?
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5. Explain Greenwald’s attitude when he says to Maryk, “See you in Tokyo, you mutineer.”
The Play as a Whole
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1. The theme is the message of a story. What do you think the theme of this play is? Give reasons.
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2. What is the importance of Greenwald’s mother to the play?
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3. What is the climax of this story? Explain.
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4. What are Greenwald’s feelings about the Navy?
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5. Who do you think was the most admirable character in the play? The least? Give reasons for your answers.
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6. Part of this play lies in determining what is the truth. How did the testimony of each character aid in determining what really happened?
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7. Do you think Maryk should have been found innocent or guilty? Why?
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8. Did Queeg receive a just verdict? Explain.
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9. What were Greenwald’s motives for defending Maryk? Explain.
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10. The way in which the play is told served to make it more interesting. What did you like about the play? Explain.
Projects:
-
1. Construct a diorama of the set.
-
2. Analyze the following characters. What made them tick?
-
____
a. Lt. Barney Greenwald
-
____
b. Lt. Commander Philip Francis Queeg
-
____
c. Lt. Thomas Keefer
-
____
d. Lt. Commander John Challee
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3. Read the novel,
The Caine Mutiny
. Write a paper comparing the book with the play.
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4. Read about World War II. Gather pictures and keymaps. Form a committee and present your finds to the class. Afterward form a panel discussion.
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5. Find someone who participated in WWII. Interview them and take their stories. Gather pictures if possible. Tell their story to the class or bring the person to class and present the story.
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6. What effects can absolute power of a captain have on a crew? Research and write a paper of actual incidents which featured in some way the total power of a commander at sea.
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7. Research World War II ships. Draw or build models of three ships and explain how each ship functioned.
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8. Explore the nature of justice. Is justice always served by following the letter of the law? Write an essay in which you present your point of view and support your ideas with examples.
NON FICTION
Narrative:
Dove
, by Robin Lee Graham
At sixteen years of age and already an experienced seaman, Robin Lee Graham yearns to see the world. He wants to run away from school, regimented civilization, and the crowded, polluted cities in which he has lived. He wants to do something different, special, and totally his own.
Robin’s father, fearing dread consequences of his son’s restlessness, buys and outfits
Dove
, a 24 foot fiberglass sloop. And on July 27, 1965, Robin begins his trip, alone, around the world.
In his book, also called
Dove
, Robin recounts his adventures. As he sails from island to island, Robin tells of the wonderful people he meets and their customs. He describes his battles against stormy seas and his struggles with loneliness during calms. During this five year voyage, Robin also meets his future bride, but most importantly he tells how he grows as a person.
This book is more modern than some of the around-the-world- alone adventures and should be easy to read because it is told in a straightforward manner. It is a book with which most teens can identify because Robin is a very ordinary boy who has the same feelings about school, adults, love, and the world that most students have.
Questions: Chapters 1-4
-
1. Why does Robin Lee Graham want to go to sea?
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2. Describe his attempt to go to sea in the HIC. Why do you think they survived?
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3. What effect did the HIC have on Robin’s father?
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4. On the first leg of Robin’s voyage he says, “The voyage to Hawaii was almost too easy.” What does he mean? Do you agree?
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5. Robin’s uncle gave him two kittens whom Robin names Joliette and Suzette. Throughout the voyage Robin carried pet cats. Why?
-
6. How did Robin cope with the loneliness he often felt?
-
7. When
Dove
first loses its mast Robin says that “What separates the men from the boys is the emergency moment that might never happen again. What does he mean?
-
8. After Pago Pago, Robin lands in the VaVau group of islands which he describes as the friendliest. Why does he feel that way?
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9. In Fiji Robin has difficulties for the first time. Why? How does he solve his problem?
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10. Would Robin agree with the following statement: “All South Sea islanders are the same”? What would he probably reply?
-
11. How does Robin meet Patti Ratterree? How does he help her?
-
12. In the Yasawas Robin and Patti become lovers. What characteristics of Patti did Robin admire? How did the atmosphere of the islands contribute to their happiness?
Chapters 5-8
-
1. What part does National Geographic play in Robin’s trip?
-
2. How do Solomon Islanders feel about Americans? Why?
-
3. On his way to Darwin Island, Robin experiences a storm and also several days of becalmed seas. How did he respond to each situation? Which was easier? Why?
-
4. a. How do Robin’s relatives respond to the news about Patti?
-
____
b. What does Robin decide to do as a result?
-
5. On the way to Mauritius,
Dove
lost its mast a second time. How did Robin handle this situation? In what way was he careless?
-
6. On the way to Durban,
Dove
almost foundered in a storm. How did Robin react? What was he thinking? What did he do?
-
7. What were some of the difficulties Robin and Patti experienced when they wished to marry? Why do you think Robin’s parents changed their minds?
-
8. Why was crossing the Atlantic difficult for Robin?
Chapters 9-13
-
1. Why does Robin decide to sell
Dove
and get a new boat? What does he name the new boat?
-
2. How does Robin react to the news that he’s about to be a father? Why?
-
3. Robin says the hardest leg of his journey was the 2600 miles from Galapagos to Long Beach, California. What made this leg of the journey difficult?
-
4. How did Robin feel on his way into Long Beach Marina?
-
5. What is his response to the attention he received from the media?
-
6. How have the Grahams decided to live now that the trip is over and the baby born? What are their reasons?
The Book as a Whole
-
1. Why did Robin make the voyage?
-
2. How did the loneliness affect him?
-
3. What were the most difficult parts of the journey? How did he react to these challenges. What kept him going? Why did he survive?
-
4. What were his feelings about the sea? Did they change? How? Why?
-
5. Did Robin grow as a person through this experience? Why?
Projects
-
1. Design a model of
Dove
I or
Dove
II. Label the important parts of the ship.
-
2. Select one of the countries Robin visited. Go to the library and find out as much as you can about the country.
-
3. Have you visited any of the places where Robin stopped? Tell about your experiences in that country. If you have slides or pictures, include them as part of your report. You can design a slide-tape show if you wish by recording your feelings about each slide or picture.
-
4. One of the places Robin visited was the Galapagos Islands. Much study and research have been devoted to the wildlife there. Read about it and make a report.
-
5. Plot Robin’s course on a large map or design the map yourself, plotting his course.
-
6. Read about other people who have circled the world alone. Compare their voyages with Robin’s. Write about the things that were the same and those which were different.
-
7. If you were to circle the world, not necessarily alone or by sailboat, where would you stop and why?
-
8. Loneliness seemed to be a real problem to Robin. There have been cases of people who went mad alone on the seas. Do you think you could circle the world? What would you do to combat the loneliness?
Vocabulary:
1. sloop
|
2. slip
|
3. mainsail
|
4. mast
|
5. jib
|
. jibing
|
7. harbor
|
8. keel
|
9. boom
|
10. rigging
|
11. ketch
|
12. buoy
|
13. tiller
|
14. spray
|
15. genoa
|
16. comber
|
17. chronometer
|
18. barometer
|
19. compass
|
20. sextant
|
21. longitude
|
22. latitude
|
23. doldrums
|
24. draw (as in “she drew 4 feet”)
|
25. cockpit
|
26. gunwale
|
27. step (as in “to step the mast”)
Exercises:
-
1. The teacher can divide the class in half, giving each half 15 words to look up, writing down the definition and a sentence for each. When the sentences are finished, the teacher selects a word and each student writes his sentence for that word on a transparency. The following day, the class examines all the sentences for a given word and decides which are good sentences. Students then select good sentences to put in their logs for vocabulary study.
-
2. A student makes a line drawing of a ketch or a sloop. Students then label parts of the diagram using words from the vocabulary.
Matching Exercise: Match the letters on the right side with the correct words on the left.
-
1. sloop a. instrument used to measure altitudes of celestial bodies
-
2. ketch b. backbone of a boat to which frames are attached
-
3. chronometer c. ship of two masts with the mast closest to the bow taller than the main mast
-
4. comber d. single-masted fore and aft rigged sailboat
-
5. spray e. instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure
-
6. keel f. float moored in water as a marker
-
7. jib g. mass of dispersed droplets from a wave
-
8. sextant h. triangular sail stretching from the fore mast to the bowsprit
-
9. buoy i. a long cresting wave of the sea
-
10. barometer j. extremely precise timepiece
Note:
There are several other books about people who have sailed alone. I have found all of these stories interesting as the people involved are rather eccentric individuals:
-
1.
Sailing Alone Around the World
, by Captain Joshua Slocum
-
2.
Gipsy Moth Circles the World
, by Sir Francis Chichester
-
3.
Tinkerbelle
, by Robert Mandry