Survival In Your Environment Project

Submitted by Julie Gilbert

6th Grade Teacher at Merton Intermediate School

This is an ongoing project for unlimited participants!

Curriculum areas are Science, Reading, and Technology.

Project Summary

The idea for this project came from a Sixth grade literature activity. One of the themes we explore in Sixth grade is Survival. We introduce this theme by reading the book, My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. The story is about a boy named Sam who decides to leave his home in New York to live in the Mountains. He takes with him $40.00, a penknife, flint and steel.

Before we begin reading about Sam's adventure, we discuss what items we would select if we were to leave our home to survive in the wilderness. The students are told that they may only take items that can fit in a backpack. The items they choose would allow them to survive in the environment where they live now since it is what they are familiar with.

 The students will begin by brainstorming their own list of what they would include in the backpack. Once they have finished, they will be put in groups of three to discuss the items they selected and why. Once each student has had a chance to share their items, they will need to develop a group list of survival items.

Finally, all groups will post their lists around the room. The class will compare and contrast the lists to see if we can decide as a class what the most important items are for survival in a Merton, Wisconsin environment.

Once we have completed our list, we will post the list on our web site. We would like other classes around the world to develop a list of items they would need to survive in their own environment. We are interested in discovering the similarities and differences in environments and survival skills. If possible, please include your email address so students can contact each other. They may have questions about the survival skills that are different from their own.

2001-2002 Collaborative Lists of Survival Items 

In order for this project to be successful, we need input from you! Our goal is to develop a database of survival methods for future classes to use. We would also like to find other classes who are exploring the theme of survival. We read other survival stories throughout the year. These books include: Hatchet, The Cay, Dogsong, Wolf Dog and Where the Red Fern Grows. We would like to find classes that are interested in Online discussions about these stories.

2000-2001 Raft Projects from The Cay  

2001-2002 Raft Projects from The Cay

 

Jean Craighead George, Author of My Side of the Mountain

Here are other sites with ideas for My Side of the Mountain