Using historical fiction is a great way to bring history alive. This second installment of my Historical Fiction Series covers the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

Historical Fiction – The Titanic

1. Tonight on the Titanic (Magic Tree House, No. 17) – by Mary Pope Osborn where Jack and Annie take a trip back to the decks of the Titanic.
2. Titanic Crossing – by Barbara Williams follows 13 year old Albert Trask with his mother and little sister Virginia.
3. A Night to Remember – by Walter Lord is a minute by minute account of the sinking of the ship. Walter Lord interviewed scores of Titanic passengers, to create a gripping you-are-there account of the ship’s sinking.
4. Dear America: Voyage On The Great Titanic – by Ellen Emerson White follow the trip of an orphaned girl hoping to get to America to be reunited with her brother.
5. That Fatal Night: The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton – by Sarah Ellis and told from the perspective of a child survivor haunted by the memories of the voyage.
6. Ghosts of the Titanic – by Julie Lawson looks at another side of the story – set in Halifax, Canada where boats were charted from to clear the bodies from the water. (Check out my literature extension post on this book at Bright Ideas Press Blog – Learn American History Through Literature – Ghosts of the Titanic)
7. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon – by Tricia Goyer is the journey of Amelia Gladstone and the relationships she forges with another passenger, Quentin Walpole and his estranged family.
8. S.O.S. Titanic – by Eve Bunting surrounds the story of Barry O’Neill, an Irish teenager traveling to New York City.
9. Unsinkable (Titanic #1) – by Gordan Korman this is the first in a trilogy which plunges readers into the heart of this unsinkable ship.
10. Titanic: The Long Night – by Diane Hoh focuses on the lives of several teenage passengers aboard the ill-fated ship.
11. Terror on the Titanic (Choose Your Own Adventure) – by Jim Wallace  where it is April 10, 1912. You are in Cobh, Ireland, about to embark on the maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. Once aboard you and your friend Jessica explore the world’s most luxurious ship and study how it operates. You also observe the crew. This is all thrilling and excitement fills the air. But the excitement turns to terror as the ship heads towards a giant iceberg!

Related Activities

• Ultimate Titanic – an all inclusive fact/information page.
• Smithsonian Channel: Titanic’s Final Mystery – This documentary offers an interesting look back and insight into what really happened that night to cause the ship to hit the iceberg.
• Mapping the route of the ship’s voyage
• Printable Titanic Research Questions worksheet
• Printable Titanic Packet (K-3)
• FREE Titanic Lapbook and Unit Study
• The History of the Titanic – a photo walk through the Titanic tragedy
• Lifeboat Facts & Activities
• Onboard the Titanic: A Virtual Field Trip contains a series of short videos following the story of different passengers traveling on the ship.
• Coloring Pages
• Fun notebook style, printable worksheet
• Use this FREE Printable Timeline to have your student create their own timeline of events based on what they have learned. (Simply right click on the image and “save as”)

True/False

1. On the night the ship sank, the weather was stormy and the sea was rough. False
2. The ship was carrying approximately 2200 passengers. False
3. The ship was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean when it hit the iceberg. True
4. Frederick Fleet in the crow’s nest spotted the iceberg and the bridge of the ship was notified. True
5. The ship did not alter its course and sailed straight into the iceberg. False
6. The Carpathia is the first ship to arrive on the scene. True
7. The Titanic was thought to be “unsinkable” True

Useful Terminology

• Steward – the ship’s officer who is in charge of provisions and dining arrangements
• Passenger – a traveler riding in a vehicle who is not operating it – in this case the ship
• Iceberg – a large mass of ice floating at sea
• Buoyancy – the tendency to float
• Unsinkable – incapable of being sunk
• Life Boat – a strong boat, smaller than the ship it is being carried by, designed to rescue people from a sinking ship

Fact Questions

What was the name of the shipping company for which the Titanic was created? White Star Line

Where was the ship built? Belfast

What date did the Titanic leave for it’s maiden voyage? April 10th, 1912

Where was the Titanic sailing from and to? Southampton, England to New York City

Who was the shipbuilder in charge of the plans for building this ship? Thomas Andrews

Who was the commander of the ship? Captain Edward Smith

How many passengers were on board? approx 1300 – a total of around 2200 including crew

What was the number of life boats aboard the ship? 26

How many did they need for all passengers? 52

What date did the she sink? April 15th, 1912

How many died? 1517

Historical Fiction Series:

• Columbus
• The Titanic – This Post
• The Holocaust
• Abe Lincoln/Slavery