The boat is on fire!

Teacher Notes You have permission to adapt this activity for your class.

Worksheet. Flow:
Click here. A copy will be
made in your Google Drive 1. Read the story as a class.
that you can edit for your 2. Review the items. Briefly discuss how each item could be used.
class. 3. Have the students do Task 1 individually.
4. Then put the students into groups of 2-4 (in-person or Zoom breakout rooms)
and have them do Task 2.
5. Finally, compare and discuss groups’ answers as a class.

Remind the students

- The boat is adrift. You can’t see the shore and no one in your party knows
where you are on a map.
- The lifeboat doesn’t have a motor, nor oars.

Tally the groups’ answers at the end to discuss which items were the most popular.
According to other rubrics I’ve seen, the Coast Guard rates the little mirror as the
most important item to take on the lifeboat (mirror, flare gun, food and water).
Send any questions to:
ryandetwiler@eslvideo.com The inspiration for this activity came from: Lost At Sea
Warm up questions

Have you ever gone sailing or deep-sea fishing?

Do you get sea sick?
Have you ever been on a cruise?

If you were on a boat in the middle of the

ocean and it caught on fire, what would
you do?
The boat is on fire!
One sunny day, a few of your
classmates invite you to go sailing. You
say yes.
The boat is beautiful. It is large. It has
several beds, a bathroom, and a
kitchen, or “galley.”
In three hours, you are fishing about 10
miles off the coast. You catch a lot of
fish.
You cook the fish for dinner and have a
nice evening looking at the stars and
talking with your friends.
When you wake up the next day, you
can't see the shore. The boat drifted far
away from land. It's strange.
Suddenly there is a scream, "Aagh! The
boat is on fire!" A fire started in the
kitchen. You can see smoke - a lot of
smoke. More and more smoke! The
boat is on fire!
You and your friends quickly grab the
lifeboat and put it in the water. Before
you get in the lifeboat, everyone finds
something to take with them.
Here is what you find:

- a little mirror
- a box of protein bars
- several bottles of water
- a bottle of sunscreen
- a map
- a can of oil and some matches
- a cell phone
- a plastic tarp
- 20 feet of rope
- a bottle of tequila
- a flare gun
- a compass
- a fishing pole
- a box of chocolate bars
- a large wool blanket
Unfortunately there are two problems.
The first problem is that the lifeboat is
too small. We can't bring everything.
The second problem is that the boat is
on fire, and it is starting to sink! We
must hurry!
What should we
take with us?
Task 1 (5 minutes)
You can’t take everything. You have to
decide what to take with you.

Look at the list of items on slide #12

and list the 7 items you would take with
you.

1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4.
 Look at the list on slide #12

What 7 items would you take with you?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Unfortunately, not everyone in
your group agrees. Some people
think we should bring the blanket,
but you don't think we need it. You
want to bring the cell phone, but
they say the batteries will die and

?
there is no service. What should
you do?
Task 2 (15 minutes)
Task 2
Talk with your group and decide, as a group, what
to bring with you. What are the 7 items your whole
group agrees are the most important things to take
with you on the lifeboat?

Look at the list of items on slide #12 and list the 7

items you would take with you.

1. 5.
2. 6.
3. 7.
4.
 Look at the list on slide #12

What are the 7 items on your group list?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Final Tally: What 7 items did the groups choose?
According to what I’ve found online, the U.S. Coast
Guard rates the little mirror as the most important
item to take on the lifeboat, along with the flare gun,
food and water.
Good luck!

Photos on Unsplash by:

Alina Kacharho on Unsplash
Austin Neill on Unsplash
Federico Garcia
Gene Gallin
Patrick Connor
Jorge Mallo