Julie Rooney

Literature for Young Adults, 112B

12/5/08 Unit of Study Presentation

Scare Yourself Alive

Learning Life Lessons Through Survival Stories

How many of us are adventurous enough to want to scale the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest? Or, if we have no desire, what important life lessons can be learned from those who survive everything from wild and unimaginable outdoor adventures, to severe emotional or physical abuse, to receiving an unexpected injury, to the atrocities of war? What do all these experiences have in common? And, in the face of danger, what makes one person weak, while the other is heroic? "Scare Yourself Alive" will explore a variety of survival scenarios and how they can apply to teen lives. The aim of this curriculum is to share a safe and non-threatening environment for teens to experience an actual survival situation by reading a careful selection of non-fiction stories, two classic fiction short stories, two poems, a song, and watching a documentary film on the topic.

The ideas suggested for this teaching unit would apply to a ninth to twelfth grade course of study, focusing on non-fiction American Literature, since the foundation story Into Thin Air, is by Jon Krakauer, an American Journalist.

Krakauer's Into Thin Air chronicles the enthusiastic mountain climbing and seasoned journalist's adventure on the world's highest mountain during 1996, Everest's most tragic year of climbing due to a combination of unpredictable weather, human folly, and a mind-set committed to client satisfaction that ultimately killed 12 people. Into Thin Air is an exciting focal point that will carefully educate and explore the explosive reality when a series of consequences are unleashed and the forces of nature and man collide.

Launching the Unit

Before reading and discussing Into Thin Air with your students, consider using one of the following as a teaser activity.

1. Play the song "The Adventure" by Angels & Airwaves from the CD We Don't Need to Whisper. Request that students listen and write down any significant words or phrases from the lyrics, and use these as the basis for a writing prompt to kick off a discussion. Some key lyrics are "I wanna have the same last dream again"/ "the one where I wake up and I'm alive."/ "Just as the four walls close me within," / "my eyes are opened up with pure sunlight."

2. Read "To Build a Fire," by Jack London and "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. Discuss some of the major themes and survival techniques used in each short story.

3. Discuss prompt questions for students' writing journals:

a. What sort of adventure do you dream about doing? Is it something that scares or frightens you? Is it important to challenge yourself and face things that you fear? Why?

b. What does nature mean to you? Are there things in nature that terrify you? If so, what?

c. Have you ever felt like a survivor? Describe the experience. What does it mean to survive? What types of feelings did this experience elicit for you?

d. Have you ever been in an emergency situation or a disaster? What were your feelings? What did you do? Did you feel weak or strong in your actions?

4. Read the following poems (have the poems on a transparency overhead or as a hand out) from Kathleen Delicato and Rachel Fein. "The Mountain" reflects the beauty of nature and our struggle to not only contain it, but our desire to challenge ourselves whether it be by ascending a mountaintop, river rafting in the rapids, backpacking in the wilderness, bungee jumping off a bridge, or scuba diving in the ocean. On the other hand, "Survivor" explores the stark inner emotions of a victim of physical abuse and the decision to live strong despite her mistreatment.

These poems are intended to help stretch and stimulate students understanding of a challenging adventurous and/or emotional or physical situation and how each relates to finding various ways to cope and survive. "The Mountain" is exceedingly more positive and will highlight the thrill and excitement of surviving against nature, while "Survivor" specifically addresses a girl being abused and will emphasize the inner world of the survivor and how they might choose to cope with extremely difficult situations. After discussion about these two different forms of survival, request students to research a poem with similar themes and bring them to class for other students to review.

Extending the Unit

Incorporate the following Young Adult texts to complement the canonical piece, Into Thin Air. Pair up students and have them choose their "survival" books by doing a Book Pass Activity of the novels. Each pair of students will get five minutes to review the book title, skim the table of contents, and read the book reviews. After fifteen to twenty minutes, students should choose a book with the understanding that it will be presented to the class via a creative interpretation. Some ideas for communicating the elements of the books' important survival themes might include:

1. Write a brief script and act out a dramatic scene from the book, one of the short stories or poems.

2. Write an "I am" poem based on the major characters or a theme presented in the book, one of the short stories, or poems.

3. Select or write a song that could be a soundtrack for the book, one of the short stories, or poems.

4. Produce a short video demonstrating the theme of the book or one of the short stories.

5. Make up an interview about someone you know who may have survived an ordeal or emotionally or physically scarring event and present the interview in a Talk Show format.

6. Create a painting, multi-media piece, sculpture or any other artwork depicting a "survival" theme.

7. Produce and perform a dance based on the key emotions revealed in the book, short stories, poems, or song.

8. Write a dramatic monologue from the book or one of the short stories highlighting the protagonists' experiences.

9. Produce, write and direct your own "survival" story documentary.

Young Adult Literature Selections

The following annotations are taken from the popular online bookstore, Amazon.com, unless otherwise noted. The full citation appears in the Works Cited section below.

1. Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer: Heroism and sacrifice triumph over foolishness, fatal error, and human frailty in this bone-chilling narrative in which the author recounts his experiences on last year's ill-fated, deadly climb. Thrilling armchair reading.

2. A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive by David Pelzer: This autobiographical account charts the abuse of a young boy as his alcoholic mother first isolates him from the rest of the family; then torments him; and finally nearly kills him through starvation, poisoning, and one dramatic stabbing. Pelzer's portrayal of domestic tyranny and eventual escape is unforgettable, but falls short of providing understanding of extreme abuse or how he made his journey from "Victim to Victor." One of the greater obstacles to healing for males is admitting that they have been victims, especially if their perpetrator is a woman. This author has overcome that obstacle and succeeded in life by such masculine norms as joining the Air Force and receiving awards for his volunteerism. However, while personal accounts of child maltreatment provide crucial information about the realities of childhood, youngsters need insight and hope in order to digest the raw material of abuse.

3. A Journey by Bicycle Through Africa by Dan Buettner: A readable, personal travelogue of the experiences, hardships, and triumphs of a bicycle trip from the northern coast of Africa to the continent's southernmost tip. In 1992, Dan Buettner and his brother, Steve, assembled a multiracial and multinational team of bikers to accompany them on their journey from Tunisia to South Africa, and, along the way, into the Guinness Book of World Records. As the author's journal counts off the days that have passed and the miles successfully covered, he also chronicles the team's encounters with local people and setbacks endured because of injury, climate, and politics. In addition to the numerous full-color photographs, maps are nicely used to record the forward motion, including the elevation of the terrain. What is most evident is the dogged determination of the author to accomplish his goal. Readers cannot help feeling that some of the decisions to carry on, while they turned out positively, could just as easily have been disastrous. Nevertheless, this account gives an opportunity to experience vicariously a brief visit to far-off places, and an exciting adventure as well.

4. Dear Author: Letters of Hope by Joan Kaywell: If there was ever a book that every young adult librarian and every reading teacher should read, this is it. And the students with whom they work will be clamoring to get their hands on it as well. Dear Author is an astounding compilation of letters from teen readers to writers, and their replies. The letters speak of heartache, abuse, bullying, ostracism, and other issues that these young people have faced. They have written to the authors because they have identified with one or more of their characters. Lois Duncan and John Ritter reply with heartfelt responses, identifying with their readers and encouraging them to be strong. Following the letters are short biographies and bibliographies for each of the authors included. Why is this book so essential? First, it clearly shows what a tremendous impact YA literature has on teens. Second, it is immensely helpful in highlighting titles that just may help students deal with situations that are looming large in their lives.

5. Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham: Jane, 15, is smart, good-looking, and the best artist in her school. After a shark attack at a local beach results in the amputation of her right arm, nothing is the same. Bingham's free-verse novel neatly accommodates the teen's loss; her dreams, anger, and frustration are explored as she rebelliously tries to adjust to her new circumstances. The main narrative is interspersed with news clippings, internal dialogue, and letters of support from other amputees, and even though Jane resists being part of that community, there are connections. Her voice is authentic and believable as both a teenager and victim. This engaging read will entice enthusiastic and reluctant readers; the drama of the shark attack will hook them, and Jane's inner journey will hold them till the end.

6. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shakleton by Jennifer Armstrong: Filled with intriguing details and written with dramatic style, this riveting account of the ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition reads like an adventure novel. In 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton attempted to be the first explorer to cross Antarctica by foot "from sea to sea." On the eve of World War I, he set out with a crew of scientists and sailors on a specially designed ship, Endurance, but he and his team never reached their objective. The ship became entrapped in ice, and the men were forced to abandon their mission and try to survive in the brutally harsh Antarctic wasteland for 19 months. Thanks to Shackleton's leadership, the bravery of his crew, and a lot of luck, everyone survived. The astonishing circumstances of their ordeal include a treacherous hike across miles of frozen wasteland, an 800-mile open-boat journey through savage seas, and a perilous trek across the uncharted mountain ranges of South Georgia Island. Armstrong brings all of these experiences vividly to life, frequently using quotes from members of the expedition. Excellent black-and-white photographs taken during the journey document the entire adventure story. Armstrong crafts an unforgettable story of true heroism and triumph of the human spirit.

7. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat: This moving memoir of a Palestinian woman's childhood experiences during the Six-Day War and its aftermath is presented in beautifully crafted vignettes. Barakat, now living and working in the United States, frames the story of her life between 1967 and 1970 with a pair of letters from herself as a high school student in 1981. Detained by soldiers during an ordinary bus trip, she was prompted to try to recall her shattered childhood and share her experiences with others around the world. She begins with a description of her three-year-old self, temporarily separated from her family in their first frantic flight from their Ramallah home as the war began. The author's love for the countryside and her culture shines through her bittersweet recollections. Careful choice of episodes and details brings to life a Palestinian world that may be unfamiliar to American readers, but which they will come to know and appreciate.

8. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank: A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity. The diary's universal appeal stems from its riveting blend of the grubby particulars of life during wartime (scant, bad food; shabby, outgrown clothes that can't be replaced; constant fear of discovery) and candid discussion of emotions familiar to every adolescent (everyone criticizes me, no one sees my real nature, when will I be loved?). Yet Frank was no ordinary teen: the later entries reveal a sense of compassion and a spiritual depth remarkable in a girl barely 15. Her death epitomizes the madness of the Holocaust, but for the millions who meet Anne through her diary, it is also a very individual loss.

9. We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pack Led to Success by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt: The Three Doctors, as the subjects of this inspirational book call both themselves and their nonprofit foundation, grew up in a tough neighborhood in Newark, NJ. Draper tells an epiphanic story featuring each of the young men by turn, followed by his comments on how a single event affected him across time. Davis, for instance, remembers the hospital where he later became an emergency-medicine physician as the same one where his foot was treated after an incident when he was six. Hunt recalls first meeting Sampson and Jenkins in ninth grade. Jenkins tells of the friends' success at moving from high school to college. The book takes the young men through college and medical school and into their careers. While Jenkins seems relatively calm and serious from the beginning, Hunt found himself in trouble right into medical school. Davis had trouble getting an emergency-medicine internship–and then found himself back in his Newark neighborhood, right where he knew he'd be serving his hometown.

Short Stories

The following annotations are taken from the popular online bookstore, Amazon.com, unless otherwise noted. The full citation for Amazon.com appears in the Works Cited section below.

1. "To Build a Fire," by Jack London.

It was so cold that his spit froze in the air before it hit the ground. He was so far above the Artic Circle that the sun never rose. Seventy below zero, and there was nothing but whiteness in every direction: ice and snow. No trees, no houses, no wood, no warmth.
He had only a few matches and a handful of frozen fingers. And yet, to survive, he had to build a fire.

2. "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell.

Considered Connell's best-known work, this short story concerns a big-game hunter trapped on the island of a sadistic fellow hunter who, bored with conventional prey, has come to see humans as the only quarry worthy of his skill (human hunting).

Poems

The following poems were taken from two online sources and the full citation appears in the Works Cited section below.

"The Mountain"

Kathleen Delicato

Looking up into the heights, the sky blue,
I begin my ascent of the mountain.
With my first step, steady, honest and true,
My heart's filled with the goal I shall attain.

Though as I reach the higher paths I find
Determination begins to waver.
The rocks and icy winds are so unkind
And erode the courage I did savor.

T'would be easy to give up and go back,
Return to my safe and comforting home.
Then my inner voice cries, "Attack, attack!"
So I grit my teeth and push myself on.

When I reach the summit, see all I've gained,
Well worth all the trials, well worth all the pain.

"Survivor"
Rachel Fein

The loud cries unheard,
by the oblivious outside world.
The clothes ripped off,
laying naked on the bed.
The strong arms,
holding down the helpless body.
The rough fingers,
touching where no one should.
With every devastating thrust,
the innocence is slowly chipped away.
This deed may be done,
but will never be over.
The moment relived,
through the horrible nightmares,
of the lonely dark nights.
The constant horror and distrust,
felt for every man,
who just wants to care.
But still I am a survivor,
But still I am strong.
That monster will not ruin me,
That monster will not win.
Every day I get up,
And make a choice to live life.
Every day I get up,
And make a choice to live on.

Song

The following song was taken from an online source and the full citation appears in the Works Cited section below.

"The Adventure"

Angels & Airwaves

I wanna have the same last dream again,
the one where I wake up and I'm alive.
Just as the four walls close me within,
my eyes are opened up with pure sunlight.
I'm the first to know,
my dearest friends,
even if your hope has burned with time,
anything that's dead shall be re-grown,
and your vicious pain, your warning sign,
you will be fine.

Hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.

Any type of love—it will be shown,
like every single tree reach for the sky.
If you're gonna fall,
I'll let you know,
that I will pick you up
like you for I,
I felt this thing,
I can't replace.
Where everyone was working for this goal.
Where all the children left without a trace,
only to come back, as pure as gold,
To recite this all.

Hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.
Tonight,
hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.
Tonight,
hey, oh, here I am,
and here we go, life's waiting to begin.

I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me
I cannot live, I can't breathe
unless you do this with me

Hey, oh, here I am (do this with me),
and here we go, life's waiting to begin (do this with me).
Hey, oh, here I am (do this with me).
And here we go, life's waiting to begin,
life's waiting to begin.

Documentary Film

The following documentary was taken from an online source and the full citation appears in the Works Cited section below.

Into the Thin Air of Everest - Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom (1999)

The incredible story of the world's highest mountain and the adventurers who tempt fate to reach its deadly summit. Reaching five and a half miles into the sky, Mount Everest is a massive pyramid of intimidating rock, freezing cold and hurricane force winds. It towers above all other peaks and is the highest point on earth. Known as Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the World, by the Sherpa people who live in its shadow, this awesome mountain has become the ultimate test of man's strength, endurance and will power. It is also deadly...for every five people who reach the summit, one dies trying. All who attempt its slopes risk their lives. Some survive in triumph, but many others never return from its icy heights.

Concluding Activities

As a final activity, watch the documentary film, Into the Thin Air of Everest to showcase another media format. By the close of the unit, students will have been exposed to many different types of survival scenarios and have better insights into how they might choose to react in any given situation. Encourage students to discuss some of their life fears and/or challenges, whether they are physical or emotional. Refer students back to their journal entries made over the course of the unit and have them identify a specific adventure or challenge they would like to explore. If the challenge involves some physical adventure such as learning to rock climb, scuba dive, backpack, go on a mountain bike ride, perform in a play, or a more emotional challenge such as confronting someone who hurt you, learning to paint, singing in front of an audience, or creating a poem or a song, all these activities are meant to encourage students to "Scare Themselves Alive" and to dare students to do something they would not normally do.

To conclude the unit, have each student provide a "Show and Tell" presentation of five to ten minutes to share a demanding experience that took them out of their comfort zone and what they learned about survival and themselves. Also, if there are enough students interested in the same challenge, consider the possibility of a field trip, (with parental participation and consent) to explore an idea as a class and enjoy a shared experience.

This curriculum is fashioned to provide students with healthy way through reading, performing, or creating different projects to simulate an inspiring activity intended to bring out a students' resourceful nature and to learn important elements about their core personality.

Works Cited

<http://www.amazon.com>.

Angels & Airwaves. "The Adventure." We Don't Need to Whisper. Geffen, 2006.

Armstrong, Jennifer. Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shakleton. New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 1998.

Barakat, Ibtisam. Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.

Bingham, Kelly. Shark Girl. Massachusetts: Candlewick, 2007.

Buettner, Dan. A Journey by Bicycle Through Africa. Minnesota: Lerner Pub Group, 1997.

Connell, Richard. "The Most Dangerous Game." The Most Dangerous Game. Tark Classic Fiction, 2007.

Davis, Sampson, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt. We Beat the Street: How a Friendship Pack Led to Success. New York: Puffin, 2006.

Delicato, Kathleen. "The Mountain." Helium Online Writing Resource. 15 October 2008. <http://www.helium.com/items/698236-poetry-mountain-climbing>

Fein, Rachel. "Survivor." Rachel Fein Online Blog. 25 October 2008.

<http://illrise.blogspot.com/2006/02/poem-of-survival-survivor.html>

Frank, Anne. The Diary of Anne Frank. London: Longman, 1989.

Into the Thin Air of Everest - Mountain of Dreams, Mountain of Doom. Dir. Roger Young. Perfs. Lhakpa Dorji, Dorje Sherpa, Ed Viesturs. 1999. DVD. MGM/UA Home Video, 1999.

Kaywell, Joan. Dear Author: Letters of Hope. New York: Philomel, 2007.

Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air. Maryland: Anchor, 1999.

London, Jack. "To Build a Fire." To Build a Fire and Other Stories. Bantam Classics, 1986. 11-13.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, Kenneth L. Donelson, and Dr. Mary Warner. Literature for Today's Young Adults. Custom Edition. Massachusetts: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2008.

Pelzer, Dave. A Child Called "It." Florida: HCI, 1995.