Second graders join polar explorer Ernest “Ben” Shackleton for a simulation of his famous 1914 Trans-Antarctic expedition on the ship Endurance. Although unsuccessful, the expedition became a famous tale of remarkable perseverance, survival, and leadership. Many different locations at Mack were used in the re-enactment: after the ship (treehouse) got stuck in the ice, students dragged lifeboats (sleds) across the ice all the way to Camp Patience (the Grove), then launched the lifeboats for Elephant Island (their MOLO).
After realizing there was no chance of rescue from Elephant Island, Shackleton decided to take a small crew to South Georgia Island (another MOLO), where he knew there were whaling stations with food and a chance for rescue. After 124 days, Shackleton returned to rescue the rest of the crew that had been left behind, and miraculously, every single crew member survived the ordeal.
The second graders love learning through simulation – and the fact that Shackleton traveled with a menagerie of animals on board Endurance, including several pigs, 69 sled dogs, and one cat named Mrs. Chippy, who also survived the expedition!
Breaking News! The wreck of Endurance was discovered just days ago on 5 March 2022, 107 years after it sank. Read the New York Times article here.
