Voyage of the James Caird

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/voyage-of-the-james-caird

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Voyage of the James Caird?28 men
2. What is the expedition ship?Endurance
3. What is the geographical region of voyage?Southern Ocean, specifically through the 'Furious Fifties'
4. What was the James Caird and why did Shackleton use it?The James Caird was a 22.5‑foot lifeboat that Shackleton sent across 800 miles to reach South Georgia because it was the only route that could beat the strong westerly winds.
5. How did the crew make the James Caird strong enough for the ocean?The carpenter Harry McNish reinforced the boat and built a watertight deck using wood, canvas, lamp wick, oil paint, and seal blood.

Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition: An ambitious early 20th-century attempt to cross the Antarctic continent.
Weddell Sea: A large oceanic bay in the Southern Ocean, known for its heavy sea ice and extreme conditions.
Prevailing Westerlies: The dominant wind direction in the mid-latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere, blowing from west to east.