Name: Class: Unit: Survival Yr8

Name: Class: Unit: Survival Yr8

What is survival? Annotate all around the word survival what does it mean to you. Discuss with the person next to you and then in a different colour one (if you have one add their comments to your word) Now using a dictionary define what it means write some of your mind map words into a number of sentences, each of which uses one of these words: survival, survive, survivor.

The day I survived Think about a time when you only just survived, tell your story: Your survival story could be surviving moving to a new school, losing your way on holiday, surviving a school dinner, or family wedding etc (be creative)! You must use the 5 senses in your story Peer Assess Write a WWW Are the 5 senses described? Give another EBI

Being a survivor What are some common survival situations? List in two columns: man-made and natural. Man-made natural What are some of the features or factors that transform a situation into one of survival? What is a survivor? Write down dictionary definition of survivor

I Escaped from Cuba in the Wheels of a DC-8 The jet engines of the Iberia Airlines DC-8 thundered in earsplitting crescendo as the big plane taxied toward where we huddled in the tall grass just off the end of the runway at Havana s Jose Marti Airport. For months, my friend Jorge Perez Blanco and I had been planning to stow away in a wheel well on this flight, No. 904 Iberia s once weekly, nonstop run from Havana to Madrid. Now, in the late afternoon of last June 3, our moment had come. We realized that we were pretty young to be taking such a big gamble; I was 17, Jorge 16. But we were both determined to escape from Cuba, and our plans had been carefully made. We knew that departing airliners taxied to the end of the 11,500-foot runway, stopped momentarily after turning around, then roared at full-throttle down the run way to take off. We wore rubber-soled shoes to aid us in crawling up the wheels and carried ropes to secure ourselves inside the wheel well. We had also stuffed cotton in our ears as protection against the shriek of the four jet engines. Now we lay sweating with fear as the massive craft swung into its about face, the jet blast flattening the grass all around us. Let s run! I shouted to Jorge. We dashed onto the runway and sprinted toward the left-hand wheels of the momentarily stationary plane. As Jorge began to scramble up the 42-inch-high tires, I saw there was not room for us both in the single well. I ll try the other side! I shouted. Quickly I climbed onto the right wheels, grabbed a strut and, twisting and wriggling, pulled myself into the semi-dark well. The plane began rolling immediately, and I grabbed some machinery to keep from falling out. The roar of the engines nearly deafened me. As we became airborne, the huge double wheels, scorching hot from takeoff, began folding into the compartment. I tried to flatten myself against the overhead as they came closer and closer; then, in desperation, I pushed at them with my feet. But they pressed powerfully upward, squeezing me terrifyingly against the roof of the well. Just when I felt that I would be crushed, the wheels locked in place and the bay doors beneath them closed, plunging me into darkness. So there I was, my five-foot-four-inch, 140 pound frame literally wedged in amid a spaghetti-like maze of conduits and machinery. I could not move enough to tie myself to anything, so I stuck my rope behind a pipe. Then, before I had time to catch my breath, the bay doors suddenly dropped open again and the wheels stretched out into their landing position. I held on for dear life, swinging over the abyss, wondering if I had been spotted, if even now the plane was turning back to hand me over to Castro s police. By the time the wheels began retracting again, I had seen a bit of extra space among all the machinery where I could safely squeeze. Now I knew there was room for me, even though I could scarcely breathe. After a few minutes, I touched one of the tires and found that it had cooled off. I swallowed some aspirin tablets against the head-splitting noise, and began to wish that I had worn something warmer than my light sport jacket and green fatigues.

Try to answer these questions to help you understand the text 1) Who do you think is the intended audience? 2) What is the purpose of the text? 3) What form is the text written in? 4) What type of language is used in the text? 5) Who is the narrator? 6) Have they used any techniques/methods? 7) Has the structure of the text contributed to meaning? 8) What is the mood/tone of the article? 9) What atmosphere is created for the reader? 10) Do you think this is a survival story? 11) If so, why (or why not)?

Now go back and underline / circle or highlight EXPLICIT ideas/facts about the boys escape. List 4 EXPLICIT about their escape 1 2 3 4 Now can you find 4 IMPLICIT ideas about their escape 1 2 3 4 Go back to the article on their daring escape and discuss the different ways the text is about survival (harsh landscapes, predators, physical hardships, mental challenges etc.). Use quotes from the text to support your ideas.