THE SHIPWRECK PROBLEM
EB’ s Mission
GET STARTED
AQUiLA MAGAZINE
THE OCEAN
THE SHIPWRECK PROBLEM
A survival challenge!
Ahoy there! This summer’ s double issue of AQUILA has taken us deep into the mysteries of Earth’ s oceans, but however comfortable humans are at sea, we do need land to appear on the horizon eventually! With that in mind, are you ready to take on my shipwrecked challenge?
EB’ s Mission
It’ s 7 August 1749 and your galleon has been driven onto a reef during a violent storm. All the crew have been lost apart from you. Now the ship is breaking up and you will lose your life if you don’ t get ashore a deserted island which is about half a kilometre away. Among the wreckage is an old hatch cover which you can use as a raft.
You can see the island is a tropical, luscious paradise. It is uninhabited but it has fruit, wild animals( pigs and goats), birds, fish and fresh water.
Shipwrecked landlubber, your mission is to use your imagination and make decisions about what necessities you will need to help you survive on the island. The raft will only carry 20 kg of equipment plus your own body weight. You will have to choose what to take and what to leave behind. If you decide to swim and tow the raft you will be able to take the equivalent of your body weight in extra equipment.( By the way, watch out for large fins moving quickly through the water towards you.)
GET STARTED
Step 1
The list of items you can take is given in the box to the right. Everything on the list will be useful but decide which items you think you would need most. Remember the raft will sink if you overload it and you’ ll lose everything!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Items of equipment |
Weight in kg |
Tool Kit |
5 kg |
Bag of dry flour |
3 kg |
Spare boots |
4 kg |
Pair of trousers and an XL shirt |
2.5 kg |
Medicine kit |
1.5 kg |
Bag of corn seeds |
2 kg |
Potatoes |
4 kg |
Warm blanket |
1.5 kg |
Hammock |
3 kg |
Compass |
0.5 kg |
A bowling ball |
6 kg |
A packet of kids’ sparklers |
0.25 kg |
An inflatable shark |
1 kg |
Spade |
1.5 kg |
Island Foraging book |
0.5 kg |
Jelly cubes |
1 kg |
Paper / pen / ink |
0.5 kg |
Machete |
1 kg |
Rope |
5 kg |
Knife |
0.5 kg |
A glass bottle of milk |
1 kg |
Pots and pans |
1 kg |
ACTIVITY SKILLS
1- 2 Hours
DIFFICULTY
This activity might be fun to do with a friend – you can compare your lists!
YOU WILL NEED
o Pencil and paper for making lists and doing some simple calculating
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