In regard to Jon Krakauer’s “Into Thin Air” article, the phrase “truth is better than fiction” certainly applies. Even though I read the novel years ago, I still cannot fathom how Jon survived his daunting endeavour. The fact that he can retell his experience in such a gripping fashion makes it seem obvious as a great read for high school students. Due to its length and technical language, I would prefer to assign it to a Grade 11 or 12 class for discussion. This text gives rise to the issues of striving for one’s personal dreams and goals. Jon mentions that climbing Everest had always been a childhood dream, and once he was given the chance to join an expedition, he simply could not refuse. I believe everybody has a special dream or goal that may or may not be kept secret, and the realization of this dream can be the zenith of that individual’s life.
Before assigning the article for reading, I would first ask the class as a group for information anyone had about Mt. Everest and Sir Edmund Hillary. I believe that most of the class would know that Hillary was the first to climb the peak, but some may not. For that reason I would hand out a succinct Hillary biography to ensure all the students knew the basic facts about him. For example, the teacher could go to www.achievement.org or to any number of websites that easily catalogue his amazing life.
Next I would hand out a worksheet that required the students in paired groups to match the technical name of the most frequent physical ailments Everest climbers encounter to its definition. These are some of the medical conditions I found most often mentioned in Krakauer’s article; cerebral edema, hypothermia, hypoxa, dementia, frostbite and gangrene. Once the class had finished this activity, I would hand out about half the article for reading homework, and I would also give the students class time to finish the rest of it.
For the next part of the lesson, I would ask the students to reflect on why so many men and women risk their lives to reach the summit of Everest. For my part, I would share the story of my goal to complete a triathlon, even though I had doubts that I could physically and mentally accomplish it. I would describe the weeks of training I endured, the support I received from friends and family, and finally what it felt like when I crossed the finish line two hours and twenty minutes after beginning the race. Since Krakauer was so honest with his personal narrative, I would then ask the students to write an essay describing a goal or dream they have, or one that they have already achieved. I would also give the class the option of writing an essay of someone else’s dream that was realized if he or she did not feel comfortable sharing these very personal thoughts in writing.
Hearing of an individual’s courage to fulfill his or her dream is not only inspiring but also very human in nature. As long as there are mountains to climb, there will always be those who ache to conquer them.
I’ll just group my comment for this weeks readings here since you’ve already begun a thread on these Everest-related texts.
I particularly enjoyed the text ‘Into Thin Air’ – what an incredibly written and gripping story. If I was to assign both readings to a group of students however, I would have them read ‘The Mad Season’ first, as it paled somewhat in comparison to ‘Into Thin Air’ (in my humble opinion).
I really liked Lori’s ideas above on engaging the students in some creative writing around their own goals. I would, however, teach these texts at a much younger level, in particular I’d love to get Grade 8 students reading something like these. The writing, especially in ‘Into Thin Air,’ was tremendously exciting – every time I had to click ‘next’ to turn to the next page my heart was thumping. I think this kind of active and exciting story telling really gets students (especially young men) interested in reading more… something that I would like to encourage more students to do.
Other ideas to incorporate into the lesson for texts such as these would be to do a “where are they now” type of segment, investigating where those events eventually took the participants so many years later. It could, potentially, be an interesting lesson in how the effects of time can change perspective or feelings on something.
There was talk in the comments section of ‘Into Thin Air’ about a documentary of those events, and depending on the language and details involved, it could be a good tie-in to show it in-class.
I like that Lori brings up the topic of human nature in her posting as it was also one of the themes I gravitated towards.
In both “The Mad Season“ and “Into Thin Air“ what constitutes human nature is not constant or universally similar as evidenced in the actions of the climbers. “The Mad Season” in particular offers us an interesting and somewhat uncomfortable look at humanity in relation to how other climbers react to the plight of Hall.
Even removed from the day to day commerce of the urban world, economics still influence and guide the decisions of the climbers to aid or abandon Hall. We are offered many different perspectives and motivations as to why some would choose to help Hall and why others did not. It becomes clear that not everyone who was present in the climb had the same analysis of the situation. It was stated that to some it was clear that Hall was no longer living while others engaged in willing naivety to his situation and moved on in their own self interest. We see that economics play a role in the decision making of the climbers as some justify their pursuit of the peak at the expense of social responsibility because they have simply valued a human life lower than the cost they paid for the climb. We also hear other narratives that elude to the fact that entry into the climb was not shared financially equal by all (cheaper entry via Tibet than Nepal). This caused resentment and a sense of burden as well as an increased sense of danger to all climbers. It also in my opinion intensified the creation of a self-interest environment.
I am particularly interested in the issue of self presentation and the awareness of documentation as it relates to what the climbers said and the actions they took. I wonder if the climbers actions would have been different if they knew they were not going to be held accountable for them later (being published in various magazine articles). I also wonder what the real truth and feelings of the climbers are who had to abandon their dreams in aid of another person. We could then explore issues of how media and surveillance effects our actions. I feel all of these could be issues which would easily generate discussion amongst the senior grade students who I feel this material would best be taught to.
I really enjoyed “Into Thin Air”. I think this type of article would be really useful in reaching some of the students who are more interested in outdoor non-fiction as opposed to the more traditional fiction that is more commonly seen in a high school classroom.
I agree that one of the challenges in this piece would be the vocabulary. As loriferg mentioned above, I think a vocabulary lesson would be a great way to introduce such words as hypothermia and gangrene.
There is great potential with this piece for creative response. Perhaps students could write and perform an interview between the media and one of the climbers. Another idea is to have them write a journal/diary entry of one of the climbers either during the snow storm, or on the plane back home.
I saw the comments about the documentary as well and think it would be a great thing to show the class-language permitting of course-to give them a visual of the conditions climbers face.
I really enjoyed “Into Thin Air”. I think this type of article would be really useful in reaching some of the students who are more interested in outdoor non-fiction as opposed to the more traditional fiction that is more commonly seen in a high school classroom.
I agree that one of the challenges in this piece would be the vocabulary. As loriferg mentioned above, I think a vocabulary lesson would be a great way to introduce such words as hypothermia and gangrene.
There is great potential with this piece for creative response. Perhaps students could write and perform an interview between the media and one of the climbers. Another idea is to have them write a journal/diary entry of one of the climbers either during the snow storm, or on the airplane back home.
I saw the comments about the documentary as well and think it would be a great thing to show the class-language permitting of course-to give them a visual of the conditions climbers face.
While this story is a little bit cliche in that someone is climbing a mountain that is challenging, it can be applied to many aspects of life. This has really encouraged me to look into various types of non-fiction. Non-fiction that is most often not picked. For example, stories about women or children and from various countries. I think this would be a great way to bring diversity in the classroom and through real stories. I think this may contribute to broadening students’ understanding of what many other cultures have to offer. By exploring non-fiction in this way, we could delve into the histories and role models from all over the world.
This story, and the creative ideas for teaching it that have come about in this online discussion, shows how non-fiction really can work in the classroom setting. This piece teaches students about numerous themes and would be a selection that would potentially interest a greater number of students, especially male reluctant readers.
I also think that this story would be useful as part of a class discussion on bias and viewpoints in literature and media. While this is a well-written and very compelling article, it is also one person’s representation of events. It is important for students to understand that most literature, and many stories presented in the media, is coming from a particular viewpoint or historic context. I found an interesting website that provides alternate sides of what happened on Everest on May 10, 1996.
http://classic.mountainzone.com/climbing/fischer/letters.html
It contains letters from Anatoli Boukreev and Lopsang Jangbu Sherpa detailing their responses to Krakauer’s article and describing their version of events. There is also a response from Krakauer to both of these accounts. A website like this, with different representations of the same event would be particularly useful in demonstrating that non-fiction is generally a portrayal of one individual’s representation of a given event or situation.
To supplement this lesson, students could individually write a non-fiction account of an event that they collectively experienced, such as a recent assembly or fire drill. They would then read their version of the event aloud. This would demonstrate how uniquely people see the world and that this should be remembered when reading literature.
Something I found particularly interesting in the reading of “Into Thin Air,” that no one mentioned in class or on this discussion board thus far, is the idea of heroism and what goes into making that distinction. There are a lot of interesting moral questions that I feel you could really flesh out in a class. When placed in an extreme situation, what kind of responsibility do we have to others, especially when saving someone’s life could place one’s own life in danger? Does placing one’s life in danger for the sake of someone else make one a hero or are there other criteria that make up a hero? How does society look at those we deem are heroes?
I think it would be extremely interesting to pair a work like “Into Thin Air” with other hero stories. For example, the accounts of firemen going into the twin towers on 9/11. What causes someone to sacrifice themselves for others and, can we make the comparison between firemen and hikers on Everest, who have intentionally placed themselves in danger? I like the idea presented earlier about using this material to have your students write about someone they consider a hero in their lives or a time when they were a hero to someone else and how that made them feel.
I believe that work like “Into Thin Air” is perfect for practically any grade level. These non-fiction stories really have a built-in hook for the reader. It’s already been said that real-life can be stranger and more interesting than fiction. To be able to teach content like this and have your students invested into it is a real bonus.
I would use the “Into Thin Air” story to emphasize the importance of rational decision making to secondary students. I would use this text to spark a series of debates, similar to those raised in class. For instance, I would begin a class by addressing the idea of age and decision ability. In a writing exercise, I would pose questions about whether the students thought they were perfectly capable of making such dire decisions, similar to the ones made in “Into Thin Air.” Do adult perspectives give them a better decision making ability, or does our impulsive feeling about right and wrong supersede life experience? From my experiences working with secondary students, I know that they typically want to think of themselves as older than they are and they crave more freedom. I would not mind playing devil’s advocate on this one and begin a discussion by opposing any argument that they were mature enough to make their own decisions on certain matters. I would use the issue of teenage drinking and driving accidents to support my argument, in favour of a higher drinking age and more restrictions on teenage drivers. Given the high mortality rates of teenage drivers, raising this issue during class would also provide a fitting example of how crucial decisions will face many of the students in their lives. I might raise the issue of military enlistment age. The class and I might even agree that the current age of eighteen is too young. They have not experienced life enough at this age to be put into harms-way by their country. I would allow this debate to continue and possibly bring the discussion back to questions about “Into Thin Air” or the National Geographic article. Were the youngest climbers, 15 years old, too young to be taking the risk of climbing the mountain?
In a proceeding class, I would get them to write about a risk they had taken in their lives. I would likely use this opportunity for an interdisciplinary approach, making reference to the theory of cost-benefit analysis (C-B-A) in my lesson. I would apply this economics lesson to different hypothetical situations. I believe my lesson on C-B-A would be quite fitting in fact. I would go into detail about the theory and hopefully get them to understand how a concept of high-stakes- financial-decision making exists and its various uses in the world. As unrelated as this may still seem, this should give them an idea of how decision making and risk taking can become much more complex.
I have never been that interested in non-fiction pieces in a classroom setting, although I viewed them as valuable for staying informed on global issues or learning about a variety of subjects I did not see them as possessing the same emotion or imagination as fiction. However upon reading, thinking about, and then discussing in class“Into Thin Air” and “Mad Season” it struck me how poignant and rich both stories were. Many of the thematic issues in these works of mountain literature are the same themes which we find in “serious” fiction. As was brought up by Brian in his blog post, one of our overall goals is to help our students become critical thinkers, formulating their own “well reasoned conclusions.” Some of the issues have already been mentioned such as courage, the concept of “human nature” and individual goals and dreams. Below I am including of the thematic issues which I find particularly compelling and which I think would be a good starting point for classroom discussion/reader response:
The Representation of Sherpas in the text (both by the author and the foreign mountaineers)
– the dehumanizing language used to describe them, for example how Viestures is quoted as saying: “”You can’t blame the Sherpas for judging that Hall was dead. They don’t have medical expertise. And they’re squeamish around Westerners who get gravely ill—it spooks them.”
Heroism vs. Cowardice/Ambition Vs. Self Sacrifice
– what constitutes heroism on the mountain and how is that different than perhaps in a city
– the case of one group sacrificing their summit hopes to save another climber with the later sentiment of “I hope we didn’t save a jerk.”
– are more experienced mountaineers risking their own safety when they bring less experienced climbers along?
The Universal Metaphor of “Climbing the Mountain”
– the issue of why so many people are willing to give up their normal lives for awhile, spend thousands of dollars and risk everything to reach the peak
– does it make the experience meaningless if you do not reach the summit?
– does the fact that Everest is the highest mountain make it automatically the most meaningful?
How much of an accomplishment is it to climb Mt Everest (Thinking in terms of increased Globalization/Capitalism)
– discuss this in terms of increased globalization (sherpas aiding the climbers)
– discuss this in terms of capitalism (if you have money you can do it)
Ecological Impact/ Impact on Local Culture
– discuss in terms of nation states and who is ultimately responsible for Mt Everest
Hazy Morality
– how much responsibility do the climbers have to each other
– how is their moral judgement effected by medical conditions such as cerebral edema and altitude sickness, should we still hold them responsible? (I like the response by Tyco relating to teenage drivers)
I enjoyed reading this text very much and I was surprised because I remember how much I detested reading non-fiction literature when I was in high school. In earlier posts, teacher candidates have talked about “boys reading” and I think this particular text would be a great way to engage the boys in the classroom. We talked in class today a bit about how some female authors do not put their first name on their work (ex. Harry Potter) because they want to be able to appeal to both genders. The only difficulty I had with this text is the length. I found from my past experiences with volunteering in high schools is that students cannot focus their attention on one thing for very long. I think that I would need some tips on how to go about teaching this text. In looking at the themes that are present in the text, I found that as a teacher I would be able to take the message of the texts in so many directions and perhaps in this way I would be able to make the text appeal to both genders. The whole idea of loyalty really stood out to me- the loyalty among team members. This can be taught in a variety of ways and brought into the lives of the students, especially those involved in sports or clubs within the school. What do we constitute as loyalty? What about decision making? Or trust. All these themes are brought up in the text and these are all themes and issues that students are faced with in their high school lives. The idea of questioning and how sometimes the questions we have cannot always be answered. How do we deal with something like that? High school students question everything and want answers. I am sure we have all been there, but this text shows how sometimes we cannot get the answer and how do we cope with that? In this text how does the narrator handle not having his grip or hold on nature? From this a teacher could spark a discussion on levels of toleration. The biggest challenge with any text is how can we directly relate the texts read in class to the lives of our students and I feel that this particular text, although may be appealing to males could still be able to spark discussion that could go in so many directions.