Into Thin AirA Personal Account of the Mt.

Everest DisasterBY JON KRAKAUER

Outside Reading Assignment

YOU WILL:

COMPLETE PERIODIC DIALECTICAL JOURNAL ENTRIES ON AN EXCERPT OF YOUR CHOOSING

TRACK THE DEVELOPMENT OF ASSIGNED THEMES & SYMBOLS

ANSWER CHAPTER-BASED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

COMPLETE AN ANALYTICAL CULMINATING ASSIGNMENT

Thematic Topics & MotifsTHE NATURAL WORLD COMMERCIALIZATION

INDIVIDUALISM AND THE GROUP GUILT

TRUST LOYALTY

UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS SUFFERING

PERSERVERANCE AWE AND AMAZEMENT

TECHNOLOGY AND MODERNIZATION MORTALITY

FOREIGNNESS AND ”THE OTHER” AMBITION

SymbolsMOUNT EVEREST CAMP

OXYGEN CANISTERS ROPES AND KNOTS

Dialectical Journal Entries

What is a dialectical journal?

A dialectical journal is comprised of journal entries where a student

records observations about the text and interacts and engages with the text on a deeper level. Each entry should include quotes as well as

higher-level analysis.

Dialectical Journal - Process

STEP 1 - QUOTE

FIND A MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT PASSAGE FROM THE ASSIGNED

READING. LOOK FOR PASSAGES THAT MOVE THE PLOT ALONG, ADVANCE THE CONFLICT, INCLUDE FORESHADOWING, OR HAVE

LITERARY MERIT.

WRITE THE QUOTE AND CITE IT IN MLA FORMAT

“QUOTE” (AUTHOR’S LAST NAME PAGE #).

Dialectical Journal - Process

STEP 2 - ANALYZE

WRITE A BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT THE QUOTE. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN

THE QUOTE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? HOW DOES THIS QUOTE MOVE THE PLOT ALONG OR ADVANCE THE CONFLICT? DOES THIS QUOTE

RELATE TO ANOTHER PART WITHIN THE TEXT? WHAT SYMBOLIC OR

FIGURATIVE MEANING DOES THIS QUOTE INCLUDE AND WHAT DOES IT

MEAN?

5-7 COMPLETE AND THOROUGH SENTENCES

Dialectical Journal - Process

STEP 3 - CONNECT

CONNECT THIS QUOTE TO ONE OF THE CLASS CONCEPTS. WHY AND

HOW DOES THIS QUOTE RELATE TO THIS CONCEPT? BE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT OR UNDERLING THE CONCEPT IN YOUR EXPLANATION.

2-3 COMPLETE SENTENCES

Dialectical Journal - Process

STEP 1 - QUOTE

FIND A MEANINGFUL AND IMPORTANT PASSAGE FROM THE ASSIGNED READING. LOOK FOR PASSAGES THAT MOVE THE PLOT ALONG, ADVANCE THE CONFLICT, INCLUDE FORESHADOWING, OR HAVE LITERARY MERIT.

WRITE THE QUOTE AND CITE IT IN MLA FORMAT

STEP 2 - ANALYZE

WRITE A BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT THE QUOTE. WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE QUOTE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? HOW DOES THIS QUOTE MOVE THE PLOT ALONG OR ADVANCE THE CONFLICT? DOES THIS QUOTE RELATE TO ANOTHER PART WITHIN THE TEXT? WHAT SYMBOLIC OR FIGURATIVE MEANING DOES THIS QUOTE INCLUDE AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

5-7 COMPLETE AND THOROUGH SENTENCES

STEP 3 - CONNECT

CONNECT THIS QUOTE TO ONE OF THE CLASS CONCEPTS. WHY AND HOW DOES THIS QUOTE RELATE TO THIS CONCEPT? BE SURE TO HIGHLIGHT OR UNDERLING THE CONCEPT IN YOUR EXPLANATION.

2-3 COMPLETE SENTENCES

CHAPTER 1

TIME: 10 MAY 1996 (approx. 2 hours)

QUESTION: WHY DID THE AUTHOR START WITH THIS EVENT?

SNAPSHOT OF THE ‘PEAK’

- THE AUTHOR DESCRIBES THE BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME AS HE

REACHES THE SUMMIT OF

EVEREST AND PREPARES TO DESCEND

CHAPTER 2

TIME: 1852

QUESTION: WHAT ARE THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHERE EVEREST IS LOCATED?

HISTORY OF CLIMBING EVEREST

- WHEN EVEREST WAS ‘DISCOVERED’ AND NAMED

- BACKGROUND TO CLIMBING EXPEDITIONS ON EVEREST

- HOW THE AUTHOR GOT TO GO ON THIS TRIP

- SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND TENZING NORGAY SUMMITTED EVEREST ON 29 MAY 1953

CHAPTER 3

TIME: 2 MARCH 1996

QUESTION: HOW DO YOU THINK ROB HALL ‘MATCHES’ PERSONALITIES OF HIS CLIMBING CLIENTS TO ENSURE A STRONG TEAM DYNAMIC?

ARRIVING IN NEPAL AND

MEETING UP WITH THE CLIMBING GROUP

- BACKGROUND INFORMATION

ON ADVENTURE CONSULTANTS, THE GROUP KRAKAUER WILL BE

CLIMBING WITH

CHAPTER 4

TIME: 31 MARCH 1996

QUESTION: DESCRIBE SOME POSSIBLE ETHICAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN MOUNTAINEERS AND SHERPAS.

JOURNEY TO BASE CAMP

- KRAKAUER DOCUMENTS HIS JOURNEY ON FOOT TO THE

SMALL VILLAGE OF LOBUJE, ON

THE WAY TO BASE CAMP AT MT. EVEREST

CHAPTER 5

TIME: 8 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: WHAT LEARNER PROFILE TRAITS WOULD YOU NEED TO BE A CAMP MANAGER ON AN EVEREST EXPEDITION?

SETTING THE SCENE AT BASE

CAMP

- A DESCRIPTION OF THE

‘VILLAGE’ AT BASE CAMP AND A

HINT AT THE POSSIBLE FRICTIONS BETWEEN CLIMBING GROUPS

CHAPTER 6

TIME: 12 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: PREDICITING – IN JON’S GROUP, WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE WEAKEST AND STRONGEST MEMBERS PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY?

LEARNING ABOUT THE

CHARACTERS

- THE FIRST DAY OF SERIOUS

CLIMBING REVEALS MORE

ABOUT THE ABILITIES OF THE PEOPLE IN JON’S GROUP

CHAPTER 7

TIME: 13 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE SUCH HUGE RISKS WITH THEIR LIVES?

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH

EVEREST

- WE LEARN ABOUT ANOTHER

TEAM AT EVEREST AS AN

EXAMPLE OF THE POWER THE MOUNTAIN HAS OVER PEOPLE’S

PERSONALITY

CHAPTER 8

TIME: 16 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: HOW DOES TREATMENT OF PEOPLE CHANGE DEPENDING ON THEIR BACKGROUND OR CULTURE?

EXTREMES OF CULTURE

- THROUGH WRITING ABOUT TWO PEOPLE, WE LEARN ABOUT THE

EXTREMES OF WEALTH AND

POVERTY AT EVEREST

CHAPTER 9

TIME: 28 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: WHAT FACTORS CAUSE DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT GROUPS CLIMBING EVEREST?

RELATIONSHIPS ON THE

MOUNTAIN

- THIS SHORT CHAPTER GIVES A

TASTE FOR THE DIFFERENCES OF

OPINION AND CULTURE THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE CLIMBING

TEAMS ON THE MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER 10

TIME: 29 APRIL 1996

QUESTION: HOW DO YOU THINK THE AUTHOR IS FEELING ABOUT SUMMITING EVEREST AFTER COMPLETING THE ACCLIMATISATION?

MOTIVATIONS FOR CLIMBING

- A GLIMPSE INTO SOME OF THE MOTIVATIONS DRIVING PEOPLE

TO GO CLIMBING AND SOME

MORE ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE TEAM MEMBERS

CHAPTER 11

TIME: 6 MAY 1996

QUESTION: HOW DOES LACK OF SLEEP AFFECT YOU ABILITY TO MAKE DECISIONS?

THE ASCENT

- THE STRESS OF BEING ON THE MOUNTAIN BEGINS TO SHOW

CHAPTER 12

TIME: 9 MAY 1996

QUESTION: WHY IS THE HIERARCHY OF GIVING ORDERS SO IMPORTANT AT THIS STAGE OF THE ASCENT?

CAMP THREE AND UPWARDS

- WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH STATUS OF SEVERAL KEY

PEOPLE AND LEARN MORE

ABOUT THE DECISION-MAKING PROCEDURE ON THE MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER 13

TIME: 10 MAY 1996

QUESTION: SUMMARIZING AND PREDICTING – LIST 4 EVENTS/DECISIONS THAT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE DESCENT.

THE FINAL CLIMB

- STEP BY STEP, KRAKAUER AND THE OTHER CLIMBERS MAKE THEIR

WAY TO THE SUMMIT

CHAPTER 14

TIME: 10 MAY 1996

QUESTION: REVIEWING – WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF JON’S TEAM THAT ARE STILL ON THE MOUNTAIN?

SUMMIT

-DETAILS OF THE DESCENT BACK TO CAMP FOUR

CHAPTER 15

TIME: 10 MAY 1996

QUESTION: CAN YOU SUGGEST ANY OTHER WAY THAT THE CLIMBERS MIGHT HAVE MADE IT BACK TO THE TENTS?

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR

- CONFUSION REIGNS AS MIXED GROUPS OF CLIMBERS TRY TO

RETURN TO CAMP FOUR

CHAPTER 16

TIME: 11 MAY 1996

QUESTION: DOES THIS CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY CHANGE YOUR OPINION OF THE AUTHOR?

THE MORNING AFTER

- WHO HAS REALLY MADE IT ACK TO THE CAMP AND WHAT HAS

HAPPENED TO THE OTHERS?

CHAPTER 17

TIME: (backtrack) 10 MAY 1996

QUESTION: WHAT DECISIONS WOULD YOU SAY CAUSED THE MOST CONFUSION OR DANGER ON THE MOUNTAIN?

SUMMIT PERSPECTIVES

-DETAILED RADIO TRANSCRIPTS DCCUMENT EVENTS FROM THE

SUMMIT AND DESCENT

CHAPTER 18

TIME: (backtrack) 10 MAY 1996

QUESTION: DISCUSS – ‘ABOVE 8000 METERS IS NOT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN AFFORD MORALITY.’

SUMMIT PERSPECTIVES

-THERE WERE MANY TEAMS ON THE SUMMIT THAT DAY

CHAPTER 19

TIME: 11 MAY 1996

QUESTION: ON DISCOVERING CLIMBERS WHO ARE CLOSE TO DEATH, DO YOU THINK THE SURVIVORS MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE?

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES

-AS RESCUE ATTEMPTS ARE MADE, THE SURVIVORS HAVE TO

MAKE SOME TOUGH CHOICES

CHAPTER 20

TIME: 12 MAY 1996

QUESTION: WHY IS THE WILLINGNESS TO HELP LINKED WITH ALTITUDE?

RESCUE

-OTHER TEAMS OFFER ASSISTANCE AS THE CLIMBERS

MAKE IT TO CAMP TWO

CHAPTER 21

TIME: 13 MAY 1996

QUESTION: DESPITE THE NUMBER OF DEATHS, PEOPLE STILL ATTEMPT TO CLIMB EVEREST? WHY?

THE DAYS AFTER

-KRAKAUER RETURNS TO KATHMANDU, THEN THE USA TO

FACE THE PRESS AND RELATIVES

OF HIS DECEASED TEAM MEMBERS

CHAPTER 22 - EPILOGUE

TIME: 29 NOVEMBER 1996

QUESTION: DO YOU BELIEVE THIS IS A FAIR ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS ON EVEREST?

EPILOGUE

-THE AFTERMATH OF THE EVENTS CONTINUES TO BE FELT LONG

AFTER KRAKAUER RETURNS TO

THE US