shackleton's journey guided reading planning

Shackleton’s Journey – Planning Overview

Written by Dan

Last updated March 8, 2024

The story of Ernest Shackleton’s incredible journey has captivated audiences for over a century. An endurance feat like no other, the famous Antarctic explorer faced impossible odds and unfathomable perils to survive his remarkable voyage – but with strong leadership, carefully crafted plans, and an unwavering determination, he ultimately gave future generations a heroic tale of resilience that still resonates today.

For teachers looking to introduce this extraordinary story in their classrooms, it can seem overwhelming to cover such an expansive topic effectively.

However, by breaking down the essential elements of Shackleton’s journey into manageable planning points, you, too, can traverse the icy terrain and deliver an inspiring lesson your students will never forget!

Related : For more, check out our article on  Harry The Poisonous Centipede  here.

Table of Contents

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill

Shackleton’s journey is a beautiful and inspiring children’s book written and illustrated by William Grill. The book tells the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew as they set out on a dangerous expedition to cross Antarctica in 1914.

The journey began when Shackleton and his men sailed from England on the ship Endurance. They encountered many challenges, including treacherous weather conditions, thick ice, and hungry polar bears. Despite these obstacles, they persevered and continued on their journey.

However, disaster struck when the Endurance became trapped in ice for months. The crew was forced to abandon the ship and camp on an ice floe. They had limited supplies and were far from any civilization.

Despite these dire circumstances, Shackleton remained optimistic and determined to save his men. He led rescue missions over several months, braving freezing temperatures and dangerous terrain to reach safety.

All of Shackleton’s men survived thanks to his leadership and determination. The story of Shackleton’s Journey is a testament to the human spirit, showing that even in the face of extreme adversity, we can find hope and strength within ourselves.

Critical Themes In Shackleton’s Journey

Perseverance:.

This theme is evident throughout the story as Shackleton, and his crew face numerous challenges on their journey, including treacherous weather conditions, thick ice, and hunger. Despite these obstacles, they continue their mission, showing remarkable perseverance and determination.

Leadership:

Shackleton’s leadership skills are on full display in this story. He remains calm and focused even in the most challenging situations, inspiring his men to follow him and trust his decision-making abilities. His leadership ultimately leads to the successful rescue of his crew members.

The Endurance crew must work together to survive in harsh conditions with limited resources. They rely on each other for support and encouragement, demonstrating the importance of teamwork in achieving a common goal.

Even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, Shackleton never loses hope that he will be able to save his men. His unwavering optimism inspires those around him to keep going despite the odds.

Resilience:

The crew demonstrates incredible resilience as they endure months of living on an ice floe with limited supplies and uncertain prospects for rescue. They find ways to adapt to their circumstances and persevere through difficult times.

Main Characters in Shackleton’s Journey

Here are the main characters in Shackleton’s Journey:

• Sir Ernest Shackleton – The expedition’s leader and the story’s protagonist.
• Frank Hurley – The photographer who documents the journey through photographs.
• Tom Crean – A skilled seaman who becomes one of Shackleton’s most trusted men.
• Frank Worsley – The captain of the Endurance, responsible for navigating the ship through treacherous waters.
• The crew of the Endurance – A group of 27 men from various countries who join Shackleton on his journey to cross Antarctica.

Teaching Opportunities

The story of Shackleton’s Journey can be an excellent tool for improving children’s writing skills in several ways:

• Vocabulary: The story is rich with descriptive language and technical terms related to sailing and exploration, which can help expand children’s vocabulary. Please encourage students to identify unfamiliar words and look up their meanings.
• Character development: The characters in the story are well-developed and complex, allowing students to analyze their motivations, actions, and relationships. Students can practice describing character traits and using evidence from the text to support their claims.
• Narrative structure: The story follows a clear narrative arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Students can study how the author builds tension and suspense throughout the story, using foreshadowing, imagery, and pacing techniques.
• Persuasive writing: Shackleton was known for his ability to inspire his crew members even in the most challenging circumstances. Students can analyze his leadership style and practice writing persuasive essays or speeches to motivate others toward a common goal.
• Research skills: The story of Shackleton’s Journey is based on actual events, providing an opportunity for students to conduct research on topics such as Antarctic exploration, sailing technology, or the history of polar expeditions. They can use this research to enhance their understanding of the story and incorporate factual information into their writing.

Key Vocabulary

Here are some key vocabulary words that children may encounter when reading Shackleton’s Journey, along with their definitions:

• Expedition – A journey or voyage taken for a specific purpose, often involving exploration or research.
• Antarctica – The southernmost continent on Earth, known for its extreme cold and ice-covered landscapes.
• Endurance – The name of the ship that Shackleton and his crew sailed on their expedition to Antarctica.
• Iceberg – A large piece of ice floating in the ocean, often dangerous to ships because it can be challenging to see.
• Navigation – The process of planning and directing the course of a ship or other vehicle.
• Arctic – The region around the North Pole, characterized by extreme cold and frozen landscapes.
• Sledging – Traveling over snow and ice using a sled pulled by dogs or humans.
• Blubber – A layer of fat beneath the skin of marine mammals, such as whales, used as a fuel source by Arctic explorers.
• Aurora Australis – Also known as the Southern Lights, a natural phenomenon where colourful lights appear in the sky over Antarctica due to solar activity.

By becoming familiar with these key vocabulary words, children will be better equipped to understand and appreciate Shackleton’s Journey story while expanding their language skills.

Lesson Plans

Lesson plan 1:.

Vocabulary Development Objective:  Students can identify and define key vocabulary words from Shackleton’s Journey.

Materials Needed:

• Copies of Shackleton’s Journey or access to the text online
• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Introduce students to the concept of key vocabulary words, explaining that these are important words that they may frequently encounter in a particular text.
• Provide students with a list of key vocabulary words from Shackleton’s Journey (or have them create their own list as they read).
• Have students work in pairs or small groups to research the definitions of each word using dictionaries or online resources.
• As a class, discuss each word and its purpose, recording them on the whiteboard or chart paper.
• Please encourage students to use these words in writing and discussing the text.

Assessment:

Have students write short paragraphs using several key vocabulary words from Shackleton’s Journey, demonstrating their understanding of their meanings.

Lesson Plan 2:

Character Analysis Objective:  Students will be able to analyze and describe characters from Shackleton’s Journey.

• Graphic organizers for character analysis (such as a character web or Venn diagram)
• Introduce students to character analysis, explaining that this involves studying a character’s traits, motivations, and relationships with other characters in a story.
• Please choose one or more characters from Shackleton’s Journey for students to analyze (such as Shackleton himself, Frank Worsley, or Tom Crean).
• Provide students with graphic organizers for character analysis and have them fill in details about each character based on evidence from the text.
• As a class, discuss each character and compare/contrast their traits and actions with those of other characters.
• Please encourage students to use what they’ve learned about these characters when writing about leadership, teamwork, or perseverance themes.

Have students write short essays describing one character from Shackleton’s Journey and how he contributed to the expedition’s success (or failure).

Lesson Plan 3:

Research Skills Objective:  Students can research topics related to Antarctica exploration and incorporate this information into their writing.

• Computers with internet access
• Research prompts/questions related to Antarctica exploration
• Introduce students to some basic facts about Antarctica (location, climate, wildlife) and explain why it is an important area for scientific research.
• Provide students with research prompts/questions related to Antarctic explorers (Shackleton, Amundsen), sailing technology used during polar expeditions, or modern-day scientific research conducted in Antarctica.
• Have students work independently or in pairs/small groups using computers and online resources (such as National Geographic Kids) to research their chosen topic(s).
• Please encourage students to take notes on essential facts/details they discover during their investigation.
• Have students incorporate this information into their writing about Shackleton’s Journey – for example, by including historical context/background information at the beginning of an essay or incorporating scientific findings into a persuasive speech advocating for further exploration of Antarctica.

Have students present summaries of their research findings along with examples of how they incorporated this information into their writing about Shackleton’s Journey

Website Resources

Literacy Shed Plus: “Shackleton’s Journey” by William Grill This website offers a comprehensive set of resources for teaching Shackleton’s Journey, including lesson plans, activities, and worksheets. The resources are organized by key themes such as exploration, survival, and leadership. There are also links to relevant videos and websites for further research.

Link:  https://www.literacyshedplus.com/en-us/resource/shackleton-s-journey-by-william-grill-en-gb

TES: 22-Lesson English Unit – Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill (Year 4/5/6) This resource provides a detailed unit plan for teaching Shackleton’s Journey throughout 22 lessons. The lessons are designed to cover a range of skills, including reading comprehension, writing, and speaking/listening. Each class includes learning objectives, activities, and assessment opportunities.

Link:  https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/22-lesson-english-unit-shackleton-s-journey-by-william-grill-year-4-5-6-english-planning-12691208

Teachwire: KS2 Book Topic – Shackleton’s Journey This website offers a brief overview of Shackleton’s journey and some ideas for related activities and discussion topics. It includes suggestions for incorporating the book into cross-curricular studies such as history and geography.

Link:  https://www.teachwire.net/news/ks2-book-topic-shackletons-journey/

Q: What age group is Shackleton’s Journey suitable for?

A: The book is generally recommended for children in grades 4-6 but can also be adapted for younger or older students.

Q: What critical themes in the book can be explored in the classroom?

A: Some key themes include exploration, leadership, perseverance, teamwork, and survival.

Q: Are there any films or videos that can supplement the book?

A: Yes! There are several documentaries about Shackleton’s expedition that can provide additional context and visuals. “Endurance” and “Shackleton” are two popular options.

Q: How can I incorporate writing into my lessons on Shackleton’s Journey?

A: There are many opportunities for writing throughout the book. For example, students could write journal entries from the perspective of one of the crew members, create persuasive speeches advocating for different courses of action during the journey, or write reflective essays on what they learned from reading about this historic expedition.

Q: Can Shackleton’s Journey be used to teach other subjects besides English/Language Arts?

A: Absolutely! The book relates to many other subjects, such as history (exploration and polar expeditions), geography (mapping and climate), science (biology and ecology), and even math (calculating distances and supplies needed).

Q: How long does teaching a unit on Shackleton’s Journey typically take?

A: This will depend on how much time you have available in your curriculum. Some teachers may focus only on certain aspects of the book over a few days or weeks, while others may plan a more extended unit lasting several months.

Q: Are any online resources available to help me plan my lessons on Shackleton’s Journey?

A: Yes! Several websites offer lesson plans, activities, videos, and other resources related to teaching this book. Examples include Literacy Shed Plus, TES, and Teachwire (links provided in this article).

Related Posts

About The Author

I'm Dan Higgins, one of the faces behind The Teaching Couple. With 15 years in the education sector and a decade as a teacher, I've witnessed the highs and lows of school life. Over the years, my passion for supporting fellow teachers and making school more bearable has grown. The Teaching Couple is my platform to share strategies, tips, and insights from my journey. Together, we can shape a better school experience for all.

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TEACHING RESOURCES

Shackleton's journey by william grill 9-11.

Ernest Shackleton dreamed of crossing the frozen wastes of Antarctica.  The uncharted territory of frozen seas takes Shackleton prisoner by trapping his ship, the Endurance, in a deadly grip of ice.  

Shackleton and his crew were stranded; cold, hungry and thousands of miles from home the expedition set out on a mammoth trek across the ice in search of rescue. 

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Shackleton’s Journey

Home » Book Resources » Lower Key Stage 2 » Shackleton’s Journey

Shackleton's Journey by William Grill

In the last days of the Heroic Age of Exploration, Ernest Shackleton dreamed of crossing the frozen heart of Antarctica, a place of ferocious seas, uncharted mountains and bone-chilling cold. But when his ship, the Endurance became trapped in the deadly grip of the ice, Shackleton’s dreams were shattered. Stranded in a cold, white world, and thousands of miles from home, the men of the expedition set out on a desperate trek across the ice in search of rescue.

Shackleton’s Journey is the true story of how Shackleton and his crew managed to survive this epic adventure, and a testament to their great courage and endurance.

Main Focus: Alphabetical Order

This activity focuses on pages 7-8 of the book and alphabetical order.

In 1914, 99 dogs were sent from Canada to London. 69 of these dogs were then chosen for the expedition. They gave them all names; and some were named after famous people and members of the crew.

Some of the names were:

Wolf, Sooty, Paddy, Chips, Tim, Dismal, Bob, Martin, Hercules, Noel, Jamie, Alti, Jasper and Roy.

Your Year 3 / Year 4 class will put some of the names into alphabetical order.

Main Focus: Past and Present Tense

This activity focuses on pages 14-24 of the book and tense.

Your LKS2 class will identify verbs in the sentences that have been chosen from the Shackleton’s Journey book and identify whether they are past or present tense.

Main Focus: Vocabulary Extension - Pages 4-28

In this resource, your class will explore some of the challenging vocabulary from pages 4-28 of the book.

Your class will use the words bank to complete the sentences.

We have differentiated this a number of ways and your class can even do an extension activity of looking up definitions, synonyms, antonyms etc.

Main Focus: Suffixes

This resource focuses on suffixes: -ing, -ful, -ly, -ible & -ness

A suffix is a group of letters which are added to the end of a word to make a new word. Your class will use the table in the resource to sort the words that end in the suffix -ing.

The words can all be found in the text of ‘Shackleton’s Journey’.

Main Focus: Sentence Openers

This LKS2 activity focuses on a range of sentence openers from the book.

Your class will begin to recognise the different openers used by the author by categorising them.

By recognising that there are different openers they can use, this will improve their literacy understanding and they can apply it to their independent writing.

Main Focus: Synonyms

Synonyms are words which have the same or similar meanings. We can use synonyms to make our writing more interesting.

In this whole class reading / guided reading activity, tour class will fill in the blanks in the resource with a synonym for the word in brackets.

Make sure to remind them to read the rest of the sentence carefully to check that their choice of synonym makes sense. The first one has been done for them.

Main Focus: Apostrophes

This activity focuses on apostrophes and is from Page 28 of the book to the end.

This resource covers apostrophes for possession and contractions.

Main Focus: Spelling and Applying (including homophones)

This resource is linked to pages 51 and 52 of the book and spelling.

Your class are tasked to find all the spelling errors in the passage and then write the correct spelling of each word above.

We have also included homophones in this activity to help children identify words with different spelling and meanings, to help them put such words into the correct context.

Main Focus: Comprehension

This is a comprehension for the book Shackleton’s Journey and focuses on the whole book.

Your Year 3 / Year 4 class will be encouraged to use their knowledge of the story, their understanding and apply their knowledge to answer the questions.

Main Focus: Event Sequencing

In this activity, your class will sequence the main events from the story in chronological order to show their understanding.

Your Year 3 / Year 4 class will number each event from 1-14 to complete the story sequence.

Ernest Shackleton Teaching Ideas and Resources

A guide to the resources on this website for use in planning lessons about sir ernest shackleton, the discovery, nimrod, endurance and quest expeditions and the crews involved. geography, history, english.

Sir Ernest Shackleton went to Antarctica no less than four times between 1901 and 1922 on voyages of adventure and exploration. The most famous of these was what was officially called the "Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition" of 1914-1917, better known by the name of the ship involved, this was the Endurance Expedition.

Who was Ernest Shackleton? - PowerPoint Presentation

click to open or download as .pptx, PowerPoint 2.21Mb - 9 slides Alternate file types, open or download:   .pdf     .mp4

A Quick Illustrated overview of the Endurance Expedition

Click to start at the first slide 35 slides with a short one sentence description, original pictures from the expedition.

This lends itself in particular to younger students and for students to look through themselves. The webpages are simple with few links mainly being within the series of 35 slides.

Click here to link to these slides, individually, or the slide-show using QR codes that can be printed on worksheets or wherever you want to use them.

Endurance Expedition - PowerPoint Presentation Ernest Shackleton and the voyage of the Endurance - click to open or download 10.5Mb - 27 slides - Suitable for ages from 11 upwards Alternate file types, open or download:   as a .pdf     as an .mp4

Pictures only: as a Word file   |  as a pdf text of the presentation.

Endurance Expedition time line

Open or download - as a Word file   |  as a pdf page with full text.

A time line of the Endurance expedition from August 1st 1914 when the ship set sail from London to September the 3rd 1916 when the rescue ship Yelcho reached Punta Arenas, Chile with all of the crew recovered from Elephant Island.

Ernest Shackleton time line

Open or download - as a Word file   |  as a .pdf webpage

A biographical time line of the life of Ernest Shackleton from birth on the 15th of February 1874 to the 5th of January 1922 when he died aboard the ship Quest at South Georgia.

The Crew of the Endurance Expedition

The links below lead to biography pages with pictures of each of the members of the Endurance crew. Some could be chosen and presented to a class as options so that individual students follow the links to identify with the men (there were no women) while on the expedition and then later in life. They could use what they find as the basis for a piece of writing, a condensed biography, a letter home (the only communication, though the letter wouldn't be received until after the men were rescued) a poem, thoughts about what they were missing, FaceBook page updates, Tweets etc.

Some biographies have more information than others, those with a # are suggested as being more suitable.

Bakewell , William - Able Seaman Blackborow , Percy # - Steward - the youngest on board and a stowaway Cheetham , Alfred - Third Officer Clark , Robert S. - Biologist Crean , Thomas # - Second Officer - 3 Antarctic expeditions, one of 3 men who reached the whaling station Green , Charles J. - Cook Greenstreet , Lionel - First Officer Holness , Ernest - Fireman/stoker How , Walter E. - Able Seaman Hudson , Hubert T. - Navigator Hurley , James Francis (Frank) # - Official Photographer - Australian, had just returned from Mawson's expedition Hussey, Leonard D. A. # - Meteorologist - banjo player, "vital mental medicine" James, Reginald W. - Physicist Kerr , A. J. - Second Engineer

Macklin , Dr. Alexander H. - Surgeon Marston , George E. # - Official Artist - his 2nd Antarctic trip McCarthy , Timothy - Able Seaman McIlroy , Dr. James A. - Surgeon McLeod , Thomas - Able Seaman McNish , Henry # - Carpenter - owner of Mrs. Chippy the ships cat Orde-Lees , Thomas   - Motor Expert and Storekeeper Rickinson , Lewis - First Engineer Shackleton , Ernest H. - Expedition Leader Stephenson , William - Fireman/stoker Vincent , John - Able Seaman Wild , Frank # - Second in Command - 5 Antarctic expeditions, a "giant" of Antarctic exploration Wordie , James M. - Geologist Worsley , Frank # - Captain - New Zealander, one of 3 men who reached the whaling station

The Story of the Endurance over 4 Illustrated Pages

Page 1 - departure

Page 2 - trapped and crushed

Page 3 - journey to South Georgia

Page 4 - rescue

Tweets From the Endurance

I originally sent these on Twitter as a series of Tweets exactly 100 years after the actual events took place from the 1st of December 1914 (2014) when the Endurance left South Georgia to enter the Weddell Sea to the 3rd of September 1916 (2016) when the rescued crew arrived in Punta Arenas, Chile.

The messages are sent from an unspecified "anyman" observer amongst the crew and follow events as they happen being more frequent when more when more is happening. The diaries of some of the crew members were used as source material. e.g.

21 Nov 1915 She has gone. Lying in our tents, the Boss called "She's going!" 1.5 miles away we saw the bows down, stern in the air..

21 Nov 1915 ...one quick dive and ice closed over the Endurance for ever. She was a link with the outer world our isolation is complete "She's gone boys".

• 1 - 1st Dec 1914 - 22nd June 1915 - South Georgia to Midwinter 1915
• 2 - 2nd July 1915 - 21st Nov 1915 - Midwinter to the sinking of the Endurance
• 3 - 23rd Nov 1915 - 8th Apr 1916 - Life on the ice
• 4 - 9th Apr 1916 - 17th Apr 1916 - Lifeboats to Elephant Island
• 5 - 18th Apr 1916 - 23rd May 1916 - Rescue mission to South Georgia
• 6 - 25th May 1916 - 30th Aug 1916 - Rescue from Elephant Island

Notable dates:

• Depart Grytviken whaling station, South Georgia - December 5th 1914
• Entered pack ice - December 7th 1914
• Endurance trapped - January 18th 1915
• Endurance crushed, ship abandoned - October 27th 1915
• Endurance sinks - November 21st 1915
• Launch boats for Elephant Island - April 9th 1916
• Boat journey to South Georgia - April 24th - May 10th 1916
• Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean reach Stromness whaling station - May 20th 1916
• Three crew members rescued from a beach on South Georgia - May 21st 1916
• Remainder of the crew rescued from Elephant Island - August 30th 1916

This is the entire story in condensed form, it is still quite a lot of reading but makes it easier to find specific events. A proportional time line could be constructed to show how much time the "events" took, compared to how much time was spent mainly waiting around with little happening.

Shackleton's Other Expeditions

Discovery - with Robert Scott - 1901-1904

Shackleton First went to Antarctica on the prestigious and establishment backed "British Antarctic Expedition" on the ship Discovery, it had ambitious exploratory and scientific plans. He was "Third lieutenant in charge of holds, stores, provisions and deep sea water analysis.". He took part in an attempt to reach the South Pole with Scott and Edward Wilson in 1902 the party of three reached a point 480 miles from the South Pole before turning back while they still could. In 1912 Scott and Wilson were part of a party of five who succeeded in reaching the South Pole, though they would all perish on the return journey.

On the pole attempt, Shackleton suffered from scurvy and had a very difficult return journey, after return to the expedition hut on Ross Island, he was sent back home on the next available ship to recover.

The Discovery Expedition

Nimrod - Shackleton - 1907-1909

Upon returning to England, Shackleton began to plan for his next voyage south which he would lead himself, this would be the "British Imperial Antarctic Expedition" on the ship Nimrod. Another attempt was made on the South Pole, this time there were four men in the party led by Shackleton, they came to within 97 miles of the South Pole but again had to turn back while they were still able, Shackleton was never to actually make it to the South Pole.

The NImrod Expedition

Quest - Shackleton - 1921-1922

The Shackleton - Rowett Expedition 1921 - 1922 was to be Shackleton's last trip to Antarctica, named for himself as the leader and John Quiller Rowett the main financial sponsor. Initially it was intended to go to the Arctic, but the original sponsors pulled out. The Quest was a small and really quite unsuitable ship for the purpose, though following the fame of the Endurance expedition, Shackleton was overwhelmed by volunteers to accompany him, the eventual crew included eight old Endurance shipmates.

After a difficult journey south from England and some time-consuming unscheduled repairs in Rio de Janeiro, the original plans had to be changed due to shortness of time and so the Quest arrived at South Georgia on the 4th of January 1922. Tragically and following declining health that he had tried to conceal, Shackleton had a fatal heart attack on board the ship at harbour on the 5th of January 1922 at the age of 47, so ending the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration.

The Quest Expedition

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Storybook cross-curricular planning example: Shackleton’s Journey

Added 03 Jul 2017 | Updated 24 Aug 17

This resource demonstrates how to plan a whole school immersion in a quality text to inspire and motivate reading and writing for real purpose and audience. The book chosen is the wonderful Shackleton’s Journey by William Gill, although the same principles could be applied to any text. 

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Shackleton's Journey Letter Writing

Are your children ready for adventure? Are they prepared to journey through hazardous conditions and to face constant danger? Are they driven by honour and duty? Great, then this Shackleton's Journey KS2 Planning Pack based on the breath-takingly beautiful book by William Grill is for you! Please be aware that, for copyright purposes, we are unable to provide the full text for this scheme of work.

#TheCompleteSeries6lessons

In this series of six lessons, children will read the introduction to Shackleton's Journey and imagine themselves as pioneering crew members of the Endurance, bound for their historic mission to Antarctica. To begin the unit, children will use high-quality model texts to identify the key features of effective letter writing and carry out their own research into given crew members. They will become fully immersed in their character as they imagine themselves in a series of challenging scenarios in the uncharted seascape and landscape of Antarctica. Through games, oral rehearsal, sentence exploration and well-structured, differentiated resources, children will become confident with using the subjunctive form and creating cohesion within and across paragraphs. In the final part of the unit, your Year 6 class will plan, draft and edit an effective letter of application to join Shackleton's crew.

Looking for cool, polar-themed resources? You might be interested in our free polar writing frames - perfect for your children to write their own stories full of adventure and adversity, design ships for the most challenging Antarctic expeditions and much more.

#Lesson1Keyfeaturesofformalletters

This first lesson, inspired by 'Shackleton's Journey', encourages children to reflect on the Heroic Age of Polar Exploration and the world of 1914 before asking them to consider whether they have what it takes to be a polar explorer and how they might apply for a position onboard Shackleton's Endurance.

Your Year 6 class will look in detail at the key features of an effective letter of application and formal language choices. They will analyse a good quality application letter from expedition artist, George Marston, and identify the key features within the text. By the end of the lesson, your Year 6 class will have a solid understanding of the key features of effective letter writing which they can use as an anchor when they come to write their own letter of application.

This letter-writing Year 6 Lesson Pack is ready to teach, with a detailed lesson plan, engaging slides for input and differentiated activities.

What's included:

• Lesson Plan
• Activity ideas
• Differentiated worksheets

#Lesson2Researchingandnotetaking

Children are invited to dive right into the unit by choosing and researching the trail-blazing crew member they would like to write as.

After exploring the roles needed to successfully undertake such an ambitious, historic mission, children will use the Biography Cards provided to research a given crew member (e.g. Frank Worsley, Captain). Your class will select key information about the qualities and experience that make them the perfect fit for this Antarctic expedition and record summary notes which outline ideas for their application letter.

Everything you need to teach this absorbing lesson is included in the pack including: a detailed lesson plan, engaging slideshow and all the printable resources you need.

• Biography cards
• Differentiated note sheets

#Lesson3Thesubjunctiveform

In this highly-interactive session, children will get to grips with the different variants of the subjunctive form - from describing imaginary or hypothetical situations to expressing urgent and compulsory requests.

Children will imagine themselves in different roles and hypothetical situations and decide what they would do in each scenario. Trouble at sea? Engine failure? No problem! If I were your crew member, you could rely on me. After plenty of oral rehearsal, children will experiment with using the subjunctive form, creating a variety of sentences to suit their proposed hypotheticals. Alternatively, you might like to invite children to play the entertaining yet unpredictable game, Kaboom! Who knew learning the finer points of grammar could be this much fun?

This Year 6 Lesson Pack contains everything you need to identify and use the subjunctive form including: a detailed lesson plan, engaging slideshow and printable, differentiated worksheets.

• Kaboom! cards

#Lesson4Buildingcohesion

In this lesson, children will learn about the importance of cohesive devices when writing a clearly structured and engaging letter.

Here, children will focus on paragraphing, adverbials and conjunctions to link ideas, pronouns, synonyms and punctuation. They will use their understanding of these devices to recreate letters from two keen expedition applicants which have been scrambled together.

Everything you need to teach this exciting lesson is included in the pack including: a detailed lesson plan, engaging slideshow and all the printable resources you need.

• Differentiated scrambled sentences and letter templates

#Lesson5Planninganapplicationletter

It's time to bring all of the content that the children have been working on together in one fantastic plan! In this lesson, children will discuss the purpose, structure and content of effective paragraphs to give them all the skills they need to create a compelling plan for their letter of application. Shackleton will be left in no doubt that these applicants are the men for the job!

The slideshow will walk your children through the process of constructing clear, well-structured paragraphs organised around relevant themes and there are plenty of modelled paragraphs which offer children the opportunity to develop ideas for their own letter. Using their very own Paragraph Planner, children will create opening topic sentences before adding supporting details and explanatory ideas which link to a key theme.

This letter-writing Year 6 Lesson Pack is ready to teach, with a detailed lesson plan, engaging slides for input and differentiated activities, all at the click of a button.

• Differentiated planners
• Biography Cards

#Lesson6Writingandeditinganapplicationletter

Your Year 6 class are now ready to make their application! In this final lesson, children will put into practice everything they have learnt about effective letter writing.

After recapping the layout and structure of formal letters, children will use their plan to write in role as a potential crew member aboard the Endurance. At the end of the lesson, children will review each other's letters to decide who are the most suitable candidates to join the expedition team.

This letter-writing Year 6 Lesson Pack contains everything you need to produce an effective letter of application including: a detailed lesson plan, engaging slideshow, as well as printable, differentiated writing frames and checklists.

• Differentiated writing frames and checklists

Free Overview (Medium-Term Plan)

Download a free overview to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Free Assessment Grid

Download a free, editable assessment grid to support your teaching of this scheme of work.

Curriculum Objectives covered

Reading - comprehension objectives:.

• continuing to read and discuss an increasingly wide range of fiction, poetry, plays, non-fiction and reference books or textbooks
• reading books that are structured in different ways and reading for a range of purposes
• increasing their familiarity with a wide range of books, including myths, legends and traditional stories, modern fiction, fiction from our literary heritage, and books from other cultures and traditions
• checking that the book makes sense to them, discussing their understanding and exploring the meaning of words in context

Writing - Transcription Spelling Objectives:

• use dictionaries to check the spelling and meaning of words
• use the first three or four letters of a word to check spelling, meaning or both of these in a dictionary
• use a thesaurus

Writing - Composition Objectives:

• identifying the audience for and purpose of the writing, selecting the appropriate form and using other similar writing as models for their own
• noting and developing initial ideas, drawing on reading and research where necessary
• selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
• using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs
• assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing
• ensuring the consistent and correct use of tense throughout a piece of writing
• ensuring correct subject and verb agreement when using singular and plural, distinguishing between the language of speech and writing and choosing the appropriate register
• proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors

Writing - Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Objectives:

• recognising vocabulary and structures that are appropriate for formal speech and writing, including subjunctive forms
• using expanded noun phrases to convey complicated information concisely
• using semi-colons, colons or dashes to mark boundaries between independent clauses
• using a colon to introduce a list
• The difference between structures typical of informal speech and structures appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, the use of question tags: He’s your friend, isn’t he?, or the use of subjunctive forms such as If I were or Were they to come in some very formal writing and speech]

Spoken Language Objectives:

• The difference between vocabulary typical of informal speech and vocabulary appropriate for formal speech and writing [for example, find out – discover; ask for – request; go in – enter]
• How words are related by meaning as synonyms and antonyms [for example, big, large, little].
• listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers
• use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary
• articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions
• maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments

English Appendix Objectives:

• speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English
• participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play/improvisations and debates
• gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s)
• consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others
• select and use appropriate registers for effective communication

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I love all your units- the content, resources and slides. Will be looking forward to this new unit in October.

Thank you for your kind words, Susan! We hope that you and your class enjoy these resources :-)

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This was a great unit. Had some time in our day to schedule in an art activity and this fit the bill brilliantly

Thanks, Dawn! We're so pleased that you enjoyed these art lessons :-)

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• Teaching Resources
• Ks2 Non Fiction Book Topic Shackletons Journey History Geography And Scienc

Shackleton’s Journey – KS2 book topic planning

Worksheets, activity ideas and extracts

Art & Design , Design & Technology , English , Geography , History , Science

Shackleton’s Journey is a mesmerising non-fiction picture book by William Grill that focuses on themes of courage and endurance, as well as going into detail about the lives of Shackleton’s crew and the thrilling elements of the expedition.

This download pack contains a three-page PDF featuring cross-curricular classroom activity ideas, including writing persuasive letters , model building, science experiments and learning about the rigours of Shackleton’s mission and the perils of the freezing climate.

This Shackleton’s Journey download contains:

• Three-page PDF featuring classroom activities
• Five worksheets to use in class
• PDF book extracts
• PDF of Ernest Shackleton facts

Ernest Shackleton facts

• Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was born on the 15th February 1874 in Kilkea, Ireland.
• His children were called Raymond, Cecily and Edward.
• He served in the Royal Navy and the British Army.
• His first Antarctic expedition took place in 1901, led by Robert Falcon Scott. Shackleton become ill and had to return home without reaching the South Pole.
• He married Emily Dorman in 1904.
• In 1906 Shackleton returned to the Antarctic on the ship Nimrod.
• In 1914 Shackleton made his third trip to the Antarctic on the ship Endurance. The ship got stuck in the ice and Shackleton, along with five crew members, rowed 1,300km to South Georgia to seek help.
• Shackleton died on the 5th January 1922, aged 47, in South Georgia.

Clare Pearson is deputy headteacher at Summerbank Primary School in Stoke. Previously, Clare was the Primary Advisory English Teacher for Stoke-on-Trent.

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Home / Find a book / Shackleton's Journey

Shackleton's Journey

By William Grill, and and, William Grill

Winner of the 2015 Kate Greenaway Medal A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2014 Best Children’s Book of 2014, Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2014, Brain Pickings A 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Book Young, up-and-coming illustrator William Grill weaves a detailed visual narrative of Shackleton’s journey to Antarctica.Grill’s beautiful use of colored pencils and vibrant hues effortlessly evokes the adventure and excitement that surrounded the expedition. His impeccably researched drawings, rich with detail, fastidiously reproduce the minutiae of the expedition.Children will love examining the diagrams of the peculiar provisions and the individual drawings of each sled dog and packhorse. This book takes the academic and historical information behind the expedition and reinterprets it for a young audience.

Really interesting book about the horrors and trials during the journey. Recommend to those who like real life adventure books.

An exciting read with wonderful pictures and information

Shackleton's journey is a factual account of Ernest Shackleton's journey across the vast south polar continent Antarctica. It is told in a very readable and interesting way. The illustrations are super. I felt like I was on the journey too. I would highly recommend this book to all would be explorers!

THIS book are talking about shackleton helping people when traveling around

This is a tremendous story to illustrate the power of determination and true human grit. William has made the story easy to follow with beautiful illustrations. I enjoyed reading it.

I love this book! The pictures are incredible and so creatively displayed. The book is based on the key facts linked to Shackleton’s Journey across the Wendell Sea and is an incredible story of resilience and survival. It is so interesting to read about the hardships Shackleton and his crew faced and overcame. The layout of each page is so carefully constructed to illustrate key information. Highly recommend this book for Key Stage 2; a true story of perseverance and survival against all odds.

A fabulous book which I can’t wait to share with my class. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and really evoke the chill and mystique that accompanies the story.

It was all real and I thought that Endurance's crew were some of the greatest heroes of all time despite that they killed and ate their 69 dogs. It interested me because we'd done it at school and i really enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend it because it was quite scary and I don't know if other people would like scary things.

Utterly beautiful and fascinating book. Pages so wonderfully illustrated with facts that make the mind boggle. I used this with a Year 6 class and they loved it. Learnt so much reading it and have even more admiration for these bygone explorers than previously. Thoroughly recommend. I chose it because we were studying frozen kingdoms but could be read at any time!

I would want to be an expedition photographer if I went on an expedition because love taking pictures of nature

I did not really like this book because I am not factual book person, I like picture books but one thing I did like was the illustrations because it follow's the text very well. I would say its for year 3 kid and up. And also it has more words than you can imagine.

Very interesting and accessible book with superb illustrations.

I think that this is a good book if you want to know the history of a journey to the South pole.

I thought this book was a good children's history reference book. This book was interesting because I wanted to find out about Shackleton. I would recommend this book to history lovers.

This book is about a person called Shackleton and his crew and how they survived in the south pole. Shackleton built a ship called the ENDURANCE. They designed it in such a way that it could break through ice. Sadly, the ship broke down when it crashed and became a little pile of rubble. My favourite part is when the crew caught a sea leopard which they cooked and ate. This book is a non-fiction book that vividly narrates a real adventure. Finally, the beautiful illustrations make the story come to life.

Very interesting detail of a great adventure

love the book

This is a very good non-fiction book and you could base presentations off of it!

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Shackleton’s Journey Activity Sheets

Find here three activity sheets that are a fun addition the book Shackleton’s Journey from award-winning illustrator William Grill.

Download here: ShackletonsJourney_ActivitySheets

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill

To celebrate Ernest Shackleton’s departure on “Endurance” across the Antarctic, star illustrator  William Grill  brings us a detailed visual narrative of this extraordinary and historical expedition.

Grill’s beautiful use of coloured pencils and vibrant hues place him somewhere on the artistic spectrum between Raymond Briggs and David Hockney, and his fastidious cataloguing of every single detail of the expedition is nothing short of a Blackstock collection.

Grill evokes the atmosphere and intrepid excitement that would have surrounded the expedition with his impeccably researched and detailed drawings. Children will love examining the exploded diagrams of the peculiar provision taken or the individual drawings of the sled dogs or pack horses. This book takes the academic and historical information surrounding the expedition and teams it with powerful illustration for all readers to enjoy.

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Writing Root Back to List

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A writing root for shackleton's journey.

KS: Lower KS2

Year Group: Year 4

Author(s): William Grill

• Description
• Spelling Seed
• Home Learning Branch

This is a Home Learning Branch for Shackleton's Journey .  These branches are designed to support home learners to access literature-based learning using a selection of books we love from Writing Roots.  They include purposeful writing suggestions, links to the wider curriculum so that texts can be used across other subjects, key questions as well as spelling or phonics investigations.

A Spelling Seed is available for Shackleton's Journey.

Spelling Seed Overview:

This is a three-session spelling seed for the book  Shackleton's Journey by William Grill.  Below is the coverage from Appendix 1 of the National Curriculum 2014.

Spelling Seeds have been designed to complement Writing Roots by providing weekly, contextualised sequences of sessions for the teaching of spelling that include open-ended investigations and opportunities to practise and apply within meaningful and purposeful contexts, linked (where relevant) to other areas of the curriculum and a suggestion of how to extend the investigation into home learning.

There is a Spelling Seed session for every week of the associated Writing Root.

Word List Words

arrive, caught, imagine, island, medicine, accident(ally), calendar, earth, extreme, famous, sentence, mention

Spelling Rules and Patterns

More Prefixes: inter–, auto–, sub–

The suffix -ous

Home Learning Branch Overview:

A Writing Root for Super Milly and the Super School Day

KS: R & KS1

Year Group: Reception

A Home Learning Branch for Iggy Peck, Architect

Year Group: Year 1

A Literary Leaf for When the Stars Come Out

KS: Upper KS2

Year Group: Year 5

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'Shackleton's Journey' by William Grill - Whole Class Reading

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

14 November 2021

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Whole Class Reading Ppts for the book ‘Shackleton’s Journey’ by William Grills.

A total of 11 Powerpoints altogether with question slides focusing on DERIC reading model.

Slide sequence;

• Match synonyms
• Ready-to-print question slide

Also included is a short SATs style reading assessment which can be used at the conclusion of the book.

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Shackleton's journey

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