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Truly ‘Titanic’ event launches Dec. 2

By Melissa Hirschl

We’ve seen the movie, know the plot by heart and can instantly recognize the first haunting notes of the theme song. The legendary story of the Titanic has saturated our consciousness, yet we still hunger for more.

More stories, more history, more artifacts…anything that can help us appreciate the larger-than-life scope of this horrific tragedy.

On Sunday, Dec. 2, a historical tribute to this immortal tale will open at Arizona Science Center in downtown Phoenix.

Running until Sunday, June 2, the exhibition will allow Kyrene Corridor and other Valley viewers the rare opportunity of discovering the majestic drama of the famous, ill-fated ocean liner.

From mechanical remnants such as fuse plates, wrenches and the ship’s whistle to cherished personal articles like jewelry, hairbrushes and musical instruments, the exhibit will display hundreds of artifacts recovered from 2.5 miles below the North Atlantic surface.

In addition, visitors can delight in viewing an accurate representation of the elegant grand staircase, depicted many times in the recent epic movie.

Guaranteed to thrill even the most die-hard Titanic fans is an actual huge section of the hull that has been carefully conserved and can be touched by visitors.

It’s easy to imagine how this comprehensive exhibit could captivate young minds and provide a wealth of educational possibilities.

For Kyrene Middle School teacher Penny DeSart, the Titanic exhibition will provide valuable enrichment for her seventh grade resource students.

They are scheduled to visit the exhibit in December, and will be immersed in a month-long sensory rich learning unit led by DeSart and associate teacher Rose Munez.

“Our unit will cover many facets of the Titanic experience and also include culturally diverse activities,” says DeSart.

“For instance, our Heritage Lesson will have students looking over the ship’s passenger list to find any passenger that has the same or similar surname as themselves. They’ll then research the family tree and share their information on genealogy.”

The book “Voyage on the Great Titanic, the Diary of Margaret Ann Brady” will be used to integrate vocabulary and spelling into the unit. To make their study more meaningful and stretch their creativity, students will be writing journals.

In them, they will create their own characters and write imaginative stories of what their life was like Titanic.

To further gain a sense of realism, the students will become reporters by creating their own authentic looking newspaper on the computer--Headlines in History.

Students will have the opportunity to use sensory activities that are intended to strengthen their understanding of the unit.

“I want the students to be able to see, feel and taste the experiences of the voyage,” explains DeSart.

“For that reason, we’re having them prepare and taste foods that typify those served on the ship. Another lesson will involve using etiquette for the time period, so students learn manners from that time period.

“We’re even planning to have ball room dancing lessons.”

Videos will help the students gain valuable knowledge about intriguing artifacts and treasures that have been recovered.

To further their comprehension of the “treasure” theme, the students will be creating their own “time capsule.”

After defining what various treasures are, they’ll list them on index cards and put them in the capsule. Items they decide they would treasure now will also be put in.

These can be actual items, photos or illustrations, says DeSart.

“They might decide for it to be open in five years, and have me send them what they put in,” explains DeSart. “Who knows what they will pick--it will be interesting to see what they choose.”

DeSart knows that any unit on the Titanic would not be complete without a mystery. For that reason, she’s incorporating a bit of sleuthing into the mix.

“The students will be divided into groups and given a scenario of a mystery on the Titanic,” explains DeSart.

“One mystery could be about why there weren’t enough lifeboats, and where the missing ones were. Another could be about why the captain was in the dining room when the ship went down, or why the gates were locked for the passengers underneath.”

As you can see, Dysart has worked carefully to weave many sensory and cognitive exercises into her upcoming curriculum.

Her students will undoubtedly remember the visit to the exhibition and their class work for many years to come.

If you are a teacher who is interested in emulating this curriculum you can go on line to http://voyager.snc.edu/lesson3web/intro/title.html.

Arizona Science Center is located at 600 E. Washington St., Phoenix (602) 716-2000.

The event runs from Sunday, Dec. 2, until Sunday, June 2.

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