Suggested Activities Grades 9 - 12

Ideas to try….

Science and Technology
What causes storms on land and water? Research and describe the conditions that create hurricanes, cyclones, etc. What are the similarities and differences between land and water storms? How do they compare in frequency?
How are weather systems modeled and tracked today?

English Language Arts
Create a story or play about two captains meeting each other and describing their respective experiences at sea.
Write a newspaper story relating one of the incidents in this chapter, or create stories using social media formats.
Many novels and non-fiction works have been written about storms and other disasters at sea. Films have been created too. Choose some books to read and films to view, and then discuss with other students.

Social Studies
The captains in this chapter were merchant captains. They were not military; their voyages were for trade. Learn more about the cargoes carried by Maine ships (see other web chapters on Life at Sea, Shipbuilding, Working the Bay, and Maine and the Orient.) Pick a country mentioned in this chapter and compare trade and trade products between it and the U.S. today and in the 19th century.
How are merchant captains trained today as compared to the 19th century?
Find the locations mentioned in this chapter on a world map or globe. Calculate distances from Maine.
Learn about Maine’s deep water ports in Portland, Searsport, and Eastport and what is happening there today.
Research the recent sinking of the Bounty, a replica square rigged vessel that was lost in 2012 during “superstorm” Sandy. Compare the rescue operations to some of the stories in this chapter.

Visual Arts
Pick one captain and illustrate his story using a variety of media.
Illustrate the waterspout story in sequential panels, or as a diorama or shadowbox.
How do the arts help us learn history?
Do some research about shipwrecks and storms depicted in works of art.