Below are a collection of lesson plans and teaching ideas based around the Titanic. Many teachers will find the Titanic a great topic to teach in 2012 as it is the 100th anniversary of the sinking and there are masses of great lesson ideas and resources.
We also have a collection of useful Titanic web links to educationally approved sites that your students will find very useful in completing a number of these activities.
If you know of any great Titanic learning resources please email us at info@ultimatetitanic.com and we'll post them up here.
Titanic Interactive
KLA’s Humanities, History
Grades 3 - 12
Explore the Titanic like you never have before, with interactive features about its construction, its ill-fated maiden voyage and the survivors who lived to tell the tale.
Titanic Schemes of Work
KLA’s Humanities, History
Grades 6 - 9
The Titanic scheme of work is currently in use in a number of Lancashire schools. It is aimed at Year 8 students but could easily be adapted for other Key Stage 3 years. It addresses Reading, Writing and Speaking and Listening objectives and is linked to a booklet of resources. The materials cover: the sinking, eye witness accounts, a survivor’s story and the story of the SS Futility that sank in similar circumstances. Students are asked to participate in a number of varied activities. The resources come in the form of a colour booklet, ready for printing and/or modification (Word Doc.)
Tales of the Titanic" Teachers Guide
KLA’s Numerous
Grades: All
The resources in this Education Kit have been designed to support learning about Titanic for a range of different learning levels and disciplines (please see the curriculum links on page 11 for more details). Included in the kit are the following resources in pdf format:
Sleuthing for a lost ship
KLA’s Geography, History, Earth Sciences
Grades 6 – 8
Overview: In this lesson, students will consider the ways in which geography is not merely an academic discipline but also a field of study with interesting and practical applications. In this lesson, students will use geographical concepts to plan a fictitious investigation with Robert Ballard to search for a long lost ship
Summing up the Disaster
KLA’s Journalism, Research Skills, Social Studies,
Grades 3 - 6
In this lesson, students will learn that news writing is concise, factual, and informative by writing and publishing an article in a newspaper style using a word processing program.
Titanic Who was on board? Problem Solving Unit
KLA’s History, Social Studies
Grades 5 - 9
This lesson uses the story of Titanic to open a window on to pre-First World War society.
It certainly was, for some, a glamorous time. Great wealth, which some passengers in the First Class accommodation on the liner did indeed possess, could buy leisure and luxury in new and different ways, of which trans-Atlantic travel was just one. But as the Titanic set sail, their world was heading for an even greater disaster than the sinking of the liner. In only just over two years time the First World War would sweep away millions of lives and shake the politics of their world to its foundations.
Unsinkable: Thematic Unit
KLA’s Journalism, Expository Writing, Nonfiction Writing, World History
Grades 6 - 7
In this thematic unit, children will explore the Titanic disaster, including the facts, opinions and myths surrounding this ever relevant and well known story. They explore how its legacy is ‘unsinkable’ today and how it will be carried on in the future.
Make your own Titanic Movie
KLA’s Writing, Nonfiction Writing, World History
Grades All
This is a resource students wll love full of clips from the Titanic's construction, sinking and aftermath for students to oragnize in a film of their own. It may not make a Billion dollars like James Cameron's version but a brilliant learning opportunity.
Titanic Integrated Studies Unit
KLA’s All
Grades 5 - 12
An entire unit of work you could run for weeks based on the lesson ideas below.
1. CSI Titanic: who died and how?
2. “Iceberg right ahead”: using quotes from Titanic.
3. Titanic online and interactive activities.
4. Titanic: recovery and conservation.
5. Titanic photo and image analysis: using pictures to read the past.
6. Titanic and Geography.
7. Titanic in numbers: Maths activities.
8. Titanic size.
9. Titanic ship design.
10. Australian stories.
Extra! Extra! Titanic Sinks
KLA’s Journalism, Expository Writing, Nonfiction Writing, World History
Grades 3 – 6
Students will gain a new perspective when they step back in time to create their very own newspaper page filled with facts about the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Prior to the lessons in this unit, students will have spent 1-2 weeks reading, listening to, and discussing expository material on the Titanic. In this unit, they assume the roles of reporters, editors, and even survivors in order to put together a comprehensive front-page newspaper report that alerts the world to the disaster. Although these lessons focus on the Titanic tragedy, they can easily be adapted for use with other disasters or world events you may be teaching about in your classroom.
Titanic Brainstorming
KLA’s Literacy, History, Thinking
Grades 3 - 6
After saying the word "Titanic," the students will brainstorm at least fifteen words/ideas/thoughts associated with the Titanic. Working in pairs, students will type their answers in to their word processors and save the results (These can be utilized at a later date).
Have students share their ideas/thoughts with the rest of the class.
After reading and examining www.ultimatetianic.com The Tragedy Section, the students will be able to identify the emotions they felt and which of the five senses were used.
Return to Titanic – Looking for Clues
KLA’s Marine Archaeology , History
Grades 5 – 6
Students will be able to draw inferences about a shipwreck given information on the location and
characteristics of artifacts from the wreck. Students will be able to list three processes that contribute to deterioration of the Titanic.
Titanic Artifact Activity
KLA’s Marine Archaeology, History, Civics and Citizenship
Grades 5 – 9
While the 1997 film provided moviegoers with an idea of the lifestyles of the first, second, and third class passengers who sailed aboard the ship on its maiden, and only voyage, the real stories and real artifacts show a much richer picture of what life was like at the dawn of the Twentieth Century. With this activity, students will investigate the lives and legacies of the passengers aboard the Titanic by analyzing their stories and the things they left behind when the great liner sank.
Galvanic Vs Titanic
KLA’s Physical Science
Grades 7 – 9
Overview:
Students will be able to describe galvanic exchange and explain how it contributes to deterioration of the Titanic.
Given two dissimilar metals and information on their position in an Electromotive Series, students will be able to predict which of the metals will deteriorate if they are placed in a salt solution.
Students will be able to list two other processes that contribute to deterioration of the Titanic
What’s Eating Titanic
KLA’s Physical Science, Biological Science
Grades 9 – 12
Students will be able to describe three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the wreck of Titanic.
Students will be able to define and describe rusticles, and explain their contribution to bio deterioration of Titanic.
Students will be able to explain how processes that oxidize iron in Titanic’s hull differ from iron oxidation processes in shallow water.
Titanic Writing Prompts
KLA’s Literacy, Writing
Grades 3 - 9
A series of Powerpoint presentations designed to help students create diary entries.
Three Survivors – Titanic Education Resource
KLA’s History, Literacy, Geography, Science
Grades 3 - 9
These lessonscentre on photographs, pictures, written information and artefacts from three Titanic passengers. lady Duff-Gordon was a first class passenger, Elsie Doling, second class and Rosa Abbot, third class. The
underlying purpose is to compare the experiences of different classes of passengers by using original information. In part 5 the pupils can use this information in a creative writing activity, reflecting the many fictional representations of Titanic. The lessons can be taught as a whole class activity, or the class could be divided into three groups and take one survivor/ passenger class each - comparing findings at the end.
Hans Jensen Vs. White Star Lines
KLA’s (Literacy, Reading, Writing, Speaking, Research
Grades 5 - 9
This site gives teachers a way to use the interest generated by the movie to illustrate how the American judicial system works. It was designed for teachers and students to participate in a mock trial involving the tragic story of the Titanic.
The case involves true facts of the Titanic's maiden voyage which resulted in over 1500 fatalities. This Teacher's Guide will help you prepare your class for the trial by covering such issues as Assignment of Roles, Timing of the Trial, Legal Issues and Skills.
Students need not be limited to just the facts presented on the website. They may add facts to their arguments from a variety of sources as long as they are consistent with the mock trial facts as we have prepared it. The story is based on actual people who were on the Titanic, but certain literary embellishments have been added, particularly as to what Hans Jensen did the night the Titanic sunk. Since neither he nor fiancé's male relatives survived the accident to tell their story, we have created a plausible possibility of what might have happened to them that night.
16 Lessons on the Titanic
KLA’s - Numerous
Grades: All
16 lessons for teaching the Titanic from passengers to buoyancy. These lessons cover a large range of key learning areas and ages also. They are fully downloadable as word documents also.
10 Life lessons learnt from the Unsinkable Titanic
There is some great stuff in here to prompt philosophical class discussions about Titanic's fate.
Titanic Classroom activities based around films made of the Disaster
KLA’s Numerous
Grades: Upper Primary and Secondary
Here are number of activities to help students explore the relationship between the historical Titanic and its cinematic representations:
Onboard the Titanic: A Virtual Field Trip
KLA’s History, Science, Numeracy
Grades: Upper Primary and Secondary
There she is — standing tall in the bright sunlight, her great shadow threatening to make even the most confident Edwardian feel insignificant. But those gazing up at the billowing smoke-stacks nearly 10 stories overhead know they live in a time of immense achievement and innovation. The times demand confidence
A confidence so bold as to declare the largest man-made seagoing object unsinkable.
Her size outside equals her magnificence inside: the grand staircase, rooms wrapped in mahogany paneling, etched-patterned mirrors, elegant leather-covered chairs, shimming crystal on pure-white linens and meals fit for the King himself.
You have waited months in anticipation and finally the day has come — you are about to set sail on the Titanic.
To begin your journey, click on one of the silhouettes and follow the path of an actual passenger who traveled on theTitanic. You won't know who you are or if you survive until the fateful night.
Titanic for Teaching English: High School and Adult Learners
KLA’s Literacy, History
Grades: Secondary, Teriary, Adult Education.
Broad learning outcomes
• Design, plan, develop and review projects (from simple to complex).
• Research, analyse and produce spoken and/or written texts (from simple to complex).
• Develop ICT skills – on-line research, document formatting and writing (from simple to complex).
• Develop teamwork skills in a community of inquiry.
Themes
• The impact of science and technology on social development and practices.
• Understanding current issues by exploring the past.
• Search for truth through multiple perspectives.
• Th e value of human life.
• Human behaviour – biological and cultural forces.
• Social histories – everyone has a story to tell.
• The development of Occupational Health and Safety.
• The world of work.
Lesson Plan Titanic Launch Ticket
KLA’s History, Literacy
Grades: 3 - 6
Overview:
1. To use different types of evidence to find out about the past eg written and visual evidence
2. To recognise that events in the past have helped shape who we are and how we live today
3. To identify continuity and change across a period of time
4. To ask and answer questions, and to select and record information about the past
Building the Titanic: An interactive Timeline
KLA’s History, Literacy, Science, Maths
Grades: All
Your students will really love this timeline as it shows in pictures and video the various stages of the Titanic’s construction. It really focuses on the skills and hard labour that went into building her.
The Grave of Titanic
KLA’s Maths, History
Grades: 3 - 9
The grave of Titanic explores the data and statistics about Titanic to analyse and draw conclusions from.
Titanic The Artefact Exhibition: Teachers Guide
KLA’s Numerous
Grades: 3 - 6
This Teacher’s Guide features a variety of methods and projects for those educators who strive for differentiated instruction in their classrooms. While learning about Titanic, students can analyse primary sources, explore history through music, perform historical reenactments, sharpen their geography skills, and i nd connections to the Ship’s story within their own communities and families.
Entire Units of work on Titanic and Teacher Guides
Titanic Teachers Guide (General)
Guide for Middle School Classes
Titanic Homework Task
Titanic Interactive Whiteboard Resources
On Board the Titanic
Follow in the footsteps of actual passengers.
The Titanic at History.com
Videos, interactive timelines and photo galleries.
Treachery on the Titanic
Interactive treasure hunt to teach facts about the Titanic.
Titanic Powerpoints
Several powerpoints about the Titanic and other disasters.
Titanic Powerpoint Presentation
Titanic Printable Activities
Titanic Display Posters and Banners
"Tonight on the Titanic" Crossword
Crossword puzzle to go with "Tonight on the Titanic."
"Tonight on the Titanic" Wordsearch
Wordsearch puzzle to go with "Tonight on the Titanic."
Titanic Worksheets
Over 20 Titanic printables including, wordsearches, crossword puzzles, etc..
A load of great Titanic images for younger children.
