Try Out Historical Fiction Aboard the Titanic
Would you like your child or student to try out a historical fiction novel that is aimed at a middle-schooler. Iceberg, by Jennifer Nielsen, is a good start. Students are fascinated by the story of the young stowaway Hazel Rothbury and her struggle to stay alive on this sinking ship. However, they should have a little background first. And you should have access to a quiz or assessment afterwards.
The story of The Titanic reads almost like a myth, or a legend. Some people think it is a fictional story. Yet it is real. The Titanic was a real ship, and it really did sink. In the years since 1912, fascination with this doomed ship has only grown stronger.
At Beyond Words Learning, we have a five-activity bundle on this novel. It contains study questions, a mid-point quiz, an end-of-book test, a Word Search, and an enrichment lesson called “What Really Happened on the Titanic?”
This last item -- the enrichment lesson – is three pages long, complete with pictures and links, and it explains it all in clear student-friendly fashion. It contains a brief background on this mammoth ship and why it was considered so luxurious at the time.
Then it quickly goes to the night of the disaster, explaining what happened, how the crew handled the emergency and why so many people died. It also contains a link to a fascinating early Gaumont newsreel with actual (colorized) film footage of the real Titanic, plus reactions and newspaper headlines from 1912.
This is a fascinating introduction or finale to a unit on Jennifer Nielsen's novel Iceberg. It’s also a great way to get kids into historical fiction.
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