NONFICTION
Imagine being stuck in the ice in the coldest
place on Earth. That’s what happened to
Ernest Shackleton, a British explorer. In 1907,
he went with a crew to Antarctica. He hoped
to be the first person to reach the South Pole.
But his attempt failed. Another explorer beat
him to it.
Against
All Odds
So in 1914, Shackleton and his men returned.
This time the goal was to be the first to walk
across Antarctica. Instead, 28 men became
stranded for two years in the coldest place
on Earth!
Practice the Strategy
ASK QUESTIONS
1 You ask questions to help you think about
what you’re reading. After reading this
page, what do you wonder about Ernest
Shackleton’s journey to Antarctica?
Shackleton’s icebound ship
ask questions against all odds
Sundance Comprehension Strategies Kit © Sundance Publishing
After a month of sailing, the ship became
trapped in the ice. About ten months passed
before the ice began to thaw. But when it did,
the moving ice crushed the ship. When the
vessel sank, the men abandoned ship. They
moved their supplies and lifeboats onto the
thicker ice. Then they set up camp in the cold.
The Endurance arriving in Antarctica
A Crushing Thaw
In December 1914, Shackleton and his crew
set out for Antarctica from South Georgia
Island, off the coast of South America.
Experts warned him not to sail there at that
The sinking of the Endurance
time of year. It was summer in Antarctica, and
the ice was breaking up. The experts said that
his ship, the Endurance, might get stuck. But
Shackleton made a big mistake. He ignored
the advice and set sail anyway.
Think About It
2 How might the ice breaking up cause
Shackleton’s ship to get stuck?
ask questions against all odds
Sundance Comprehension Strategies Kit © Sundance Publishing
A Bold Plan
Read What’s There
Shackleton and his men tried to pull the
lifeboats into the open waters. But the
lifeboats were loaded with supplies. They
were too heavy to move. So the men had to
wait again—for another five months. The
crew kept themselves busy playing hockey
and having dogsled races on the frozen ice.
3 Why were Shackleton and his crew
stranded for another five months on
the ice?
The weeklong voyage to Elephant Island
was risky and cold. Many of the men suffered
from frostbite and hunger. Shackleton knew
that if they were going to survive, he had to
get help right away.
In April 1916, the ice broke up enough for
the men to launch the lifeboats. At last,
Shackleton was able to lead his crew on a
voyage to a small island about 100 miles away.
Shackleton’s crew trying to pull the lifeboats
ask questions against all odds
Sundance Comprehension Strategies Kit © Sundance Publishing
The men in the tiny boat battled choppy
waters and dangerous ice buildup for 17 days
before they reached the island. Only it was the
wrong side of the island!
Happy Ending
The weather was getting worse. Shackleton
knew they couldn’t wait for help. He took five
men in one of the boats. They headed to a tiny
whaling town on South Georgia Island—800
miles away. The others stayed behind.
Shackleton and two of the men hiked across a
mountain for 36 hours without sleep to get to
the town.
Charting the Journey
December 5, 1914
Depart South Georgia Island
January 18, 1915
Endurance trapped in the ice
November 21, 1915
Endurance sinks
April 9, 1916
Launch boats for Elephant Island
April 24–May 10, 1916
Boat journey to South Georgia Island
August 30, 1916
Crew rescued on Elephant Island
Once there, Shackleton organized a rescue
team. It took four more months to get a ship
back to Elephant Island. But it did happen.
The expedition was over. All of the men
survived!
Practice the Strategy
Read Between the Lines
ask questions
5 What new questions about Shackleton’s
4Look at “Charting the Journey” above. What
journey do you have after reading
Against All Odds? Where can you go to
find the answers?
happened about ten months after Endurance
was trapped in the ice? How long did the
entire journey take, from beginning to end?
ask questions against all odds
Sundance Comprehension Strategies Kit © Sundance Publishing