CP Humanities English Summer Reading Project 2018

This summer you will be reading Revenge of The Whale by Nathaniel Philbrick. Plenty of people have read Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and even more are familiar with the story of Ahab's doomed pursuit of the white whale, but few are aware that the climactic event at the book's end is based on a true incident. Nathaniel Philbrick tells this astounding tale in Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, an adaptation of his best-selling adult book In the Heart of the Sea that young readers will love. In Revenge of the Whale, Philbrick presents an abridged version of the story, complete with maps, diagrams and photos. Much of what is known about the ill-fated voyage that occurred in 1820 comes from the long- forgotten memoirs of the Essex's cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, who was only 14 years old when he signed on with the ship. Rammed by an angry sperm whale, the Essex sank in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, forcing the 20-member crew, most of whom were in their teens, to take to the sea in three small boats. Philbrick's account of how they braved the ocean and faced a wrathful whale makes for fascinating reading. Although death awaited many on the harrowing journey of almost 3,000 miles, eight of the men lived to be rescued. To tell his story accurately, Philbrick relates incidents of cannibalism and deprivation material that's hardly the stuff of children's literature.

CP Humanities Name: ______Please complete the following chart while reading the novel. Captain George Pollard and First Mate Owen Chase were instrumental in the decision making for the Essex crew, yet they each had very different styles. As you read through the book make a list of the decisions each man made before and after the whale attack (include each of their views and the decision made if there was disagreement). Please be sure to include at least4 specific details for each of your examples. Captain George Pollard

Conflict Resolution (Please Use Text Evidence include pages) (Please Use Text Evidence include pages)

First Mate Owen Chase

Conflict Resolution (Use Text Evidence include pages) (Use Text Evidence include pages)