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Shackleton’s icebound ship

ask questions against all odds

N O N F I C T I O N

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Imagine being stuck in the ice in the coldest place on Earth. That’s what happened to Ernest Shackleton, a British explorer. In 1907, he went with a crew to Antarctica. He hoped to be the first person to reach the South Pole. But his attempt failed. Another explorer beat him to it.

So in 1914, Shackleton and his men returned. This time the goal was to be the first to walk across Antarctica. Instead, 28 men became stranded for two years in the coldest place on Earth!

P ra c t ic e t h e St rat e g y

ASK QUESTIONS

1 You ask questions to help you think about what you’re reading. after reading this page, what do you wonder about Ernest shackleton’s journey to antarctica?

Against All Odds

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The Endurance arriving in Antarctica

The sinking of the Endurance

ask questions against all odds sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance Publishing

a Crushing thawIn December 1914, Shackleton and his crew set out for Antarctica from South Georgia Island, off the coast of South America. Experts warned him not to sail there at that time of year. It was summer in Antarctica, and the ice was breaking up. The experts said that his ship, the Endurance, might get stuck. But Shackleton made a big mistake. He ignored the advice and set sail anyway.

After a month of sailing, the ship became trapped in the ice. About ten months passed before the ice began to thaw. But when it did, the moving ice crushed the ship. When the vessel sank, the men abandoned ship. They moved their supplies and lifeboats onto the thicker ice. Then they set up camp in the cold.

2 How might the ice breaking up cause shackleton’s ship to get stuck?

T h i n k A b o u t I t

�ask questions against all odds sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance Publishing

a Bold PlanShackleton and his men tried to pull the lifeboats into the open waters. But the lifeboats were loaded with supplies. They were too heavy to move. So the men had to wait again—for another five months. The crew kept themselves busy playing hockey and having dogsled races on the frozen ice.

In April 1916, the ice broke up enough for the men to launch the lifeboats. At last, Shackleton was able to lead his crew on a voyage to a small island about 100 miles away.

The weeklong voyage to Elephant Island was risky and cold. Many of the men suffered from frostbite and hunger. Shackleton knew that if they were going to survive, he had to get help right away.

Rea d W h at ’ s T h e r e

3 Why were shackleton and his crew stranded for another five months on the ice?

Shackleton’s crew trying to pull the lifeboats

�ask questions against all odds sundance Comprehension strategies Kit © sundance Publishing

Happy endingThe weather was getting worse. Shackleton knew they couldn’t wait for help. He took five men in one of the boats. They headed to a tiny whaling town on South Georgia Island—800 miles away. The others stayed behind.

The men in the tiny boat battled choppy waters and dangerous ice buildup for 17 days before they reached the island. Only it was the wrong side of the island!

Shackleton and two of the men hiked across a mountain for 36 hours without sleep to get to the town.

Once there, Shackleton organized a rescue team. It took four more months to get a ship back to Elephant Island. But it did happen. The expedition was over. All of the men survived!

P ra c t ic e t h e St rat e g y

ASK QUESTIONS

5 What new questions about shackleton’s journey do you have after reading Against All Odds? Where can you go to find the answers?

December 5, 1914 depart south georgia island

January 18, 1915 Endurance trapped in the ice

november 21, 1915 Endurance sinks

april 9, 1916 launch boats for Elephant island

april 24–May 10, 1916 Boat journey to south georgia island

august 30, 1916 Crew rescued on Elephant island

Charting the Journey

Rea d Be t w e e n t h e L i n e s

4 look at “Charting the Journey” above. What happened about ten months after Endurance was trapped in the ice? How long did the entire journey take, from beginning to end?