This role-playing lesson enhances students' creativity and develops critical thinking skills. Small groups of students conduct Internet research on the skills necessary to survive when marooned on a Pacific island. Groups present their findings to the class.

Computers with Internet access and word processing software, printer, optional slideshow presentation software and digital projection equipment

None needed, but the lesson works well as an extention of reading such works as Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Alas, Babylon by Pat Franks.

1.)Divide students into groups of three, selecting a strong, middle, and weak student for each group.

2.)Explain to the class as a whole that they have gone on a class cruise to Hawaii. However, the ship runs aground; and only the three of your group survive to swim to a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific. (The class might decide what supplies, if any, each group is allowed to salvage from the ship.)

3.)Allow each group time to brainstorm the necessities for survival and the type of information they'll need to survive.

4.)Explain that each group will search the Internet for the skills necessary for survival. (A note of caution: searching survival sites sometimes links to militia groups and weapon sales. Be sure to circulate among your students to monitor the sites they visit.)
(SurvivalIQ Handbook: Survival Skills - Tropical survival)
The "Survival Skills" section of this site is based on U.S. Army Survival Manual, a public domain work published by the U.S. Department of Defense.

5.)Check with each group to be sure they've included as necessary information how the survivors must adapt to their situatation in the areas of climate protection, food gathering, water purification, clothing, government of the group, and attempts to secure rescue.
(Wilderness Survival)
A comprehensive survival guide

6.)Provide research worksheets (attached) and MLA citation guidelines (available in all writing textbooks) to each group to facilitate their research.

7.)Instruct the groups to divide areas of responsibility for research. Each student contributes to the final report what he/she found in his/her research. The research worksheets can be collected at project's end to ensure individual participation. Each student's notes should reflect his area of research.

8.)Once the research has been completed, the students will use the computer (the group may rotate use of keyboard in respect to their areas of responsibility during research) to type a narrative that explains how they survived the shipwreck.

9.)Allow class time to present group narratives. A speaker for each group should read the group's report to classmates, who pose as media representatives and ask questions relating to the presenting group's "experience" and survival. As an option, have each group present only one section of their report by reading it aloud or narrating a created slideshow such as PowerPoint. Since classmates have researched similar material, their questions should be knowledgeable ones.

Rubrics to assess the work of each student within a group might include participation in research, 20 points; participation in writing, 20 points; and final report participation, 60 points. A rubric to access student writing might include grammar and spelling, 30 points; length of report, 20 points; coverage of all areas, 40 points; and group report, 10 points.

For reluctant learners, the teacher might show an episode of Gilligan's Island or discuss recent developments of the TV show Survivor or the movie Castaway to generate areas of interest in research.