Lesson Plan - Ship of Doom

Watch a Video
Watch the video “Searching for the Titanic.” Discuss: How was the Titanic wreck discovered?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• demise
• expeditions

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify reasons they think many people are so interested in the story of the Titanic.

1. Based on the article, why did the Titanic make headlines even before it set sail?
The Titanic made headlines even before it sailed because it was enormous and very fancy. The article says, “At the time, it was celebrated as the biggest, most luxurious ship in the world.” People were also calling it the safest ship ever built.
^{(RI.4.1 Text Evidence)}

2. What details in the article help you understand why the Titanic’s final resting place was a mystery for many years?
The article describes the remote location where the shipwreck was eventually found, which helps readers understand why for decades, no one knew where the wreck was. The article says that the ship was “about 1,250 miles off the coast of New York and more than 2 miles under the sea.”
^{(RI.4.3 Explaining Events)}

3. What do you think Robert Ballard meant when he said, “No matter who you are . . . there’s something about the Titanic story that pushes one of your buttons”?
Ballard meant that almost everyone finds the Titanic story interesting in some way.
^{(RI.4.1 Inference)}

FEATURED SKILL: Cause and Effect
Use the skill builder “Titanic’s Last Moments” to have students read a timeline of the ship’s sinking and answer related questions.
^{(RI.4.5 Chronology)}