Section: Reading
Heading: “The Cold Equations” – Pre-reading activity
Date:
Directions: Choose one of the following topics. Circle the topic below. Then write a
minimum of seven lines in response to the prompt.
Topic 1: Have you ever traveled by plane? What are some of the safety precautions that
you have experienced at the airport and/or on the airplane?
Topic 2: Have you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut? Explain. What are some of
the benefits and/or dangers of space travel?
Topic 3: Have you ever sacrificed something for someone else? Explain. How much
would you sacrifice for someone else?
Topic 4: Have you ever made a spontaneous decision? Describe the decision you made.
Were there any consequences? Explain.
1_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
2_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
3_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
4_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
5_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
6_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
7_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
8_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
9_______________________________________________________________________
X______________________________________________________________________
10______________________________________________________________________
Section: Literary Terms
Date:
Heading: “The Cold Equations”
1. Suspense is a feeling of anxious curiosity about what is going to happen next.
Identify one example of suspense.
2. Jot down two similes. Explain the comparisons.
A.
B.
3. Jot down one example of personification. Underline the human characteristics.
4. Jot down one example of allusion (p. 13).
5. What visual image stood out to you the most?
6. A symbol is something concrete that represents an abstract idea. Identify one
symbol in the short story and explain what the symbol represents.
Section: Reading
Heading: “The Cold Equations” Reading Notes
Date:
CLIMAX
RISING ACTION
9.
FALLING ACTION
3.
8.
2.
7.
1.
6.
5.
4.
RESOLUTION
3.
2.
Themes:
1.
1.
2.
EXPOSITION
Setting: Indicate when and where.
1.
2.
3.
Characters: Identify four characters. Label (protagonist, antagonist, round, flat,
dynamic, static) and describe the characters.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Conflicts: Identify three conflicts (internal/external and person vs. ______).
1.
2.
3.
Point of View: Identify the point of view (1st, 2nd, 3rd, objective, limited, omniscient) and
provide one quote.
Section: Writing
Heading: “The Cold Equations” – Prompt #1
Name:
Date:
“The Cold Equations” is an effective title for Tom Godwin’s short story. Prove that
this statement is true using relevant and specific details. Use the following checklist
when responding to this prompt.
Requirements
inimum of 5-8 Sentences
T: Clear Topic Sentence
Includes title (properly marked)
Includes author
correct genre
rompt
E: Evidence
Is a minimum of 3-6 Body Sentences
rompt
xamples
inimum of 1-2 relevant
quotations from the excerpt
ICE:
introduced
cited
clearly explained in
terms of the topic
ST: Effective summary sentence and transition
Section: Writing
Heading: “The Cold Equations” – Review and Reflection Exercise
Date:
Prompt:
“The Cold Equations” is an effective title for this short story. Prove that this
statement is true using relevant and specific details from Tom Godwin’s short story
“The Cold Equations.” Use the following checklist when responding to the prompt.
 Topic Sentence: Addresses prompt & includes author, title, & genre.
 Relevant Specific Examples: Includes a minimum of 3 specific examples from the
story.
 Quotations: Includes a minimum of 1 quotation from the short story; quotation is
introduced, inserted, properly cited, and explained. (ICE)
 Summary Sentence: Begins with a transition word & emphasizes that the title is
effective.
1. In the short story “The Cold Equations” by Tom Godwin, Barton finds a
stowaway on an EDS who becomes a part of a very cold equation. “H amount of
fuel will not power an EDS with a mass of M plus X safely to its destination.”
Marilyn was the “x” that would make the ship run out of fuel with her extra mass.
Barton needed to make the decision to have Marilyn jettisoned or to try
everything he could. This could’ve put many things in jeopardy and she would’ve
brought down 7 others including Barton. Therefore, it was a better choice to have
her jettisoned & one live lost rather than 8. Barton subtracting the unwanted “x”
from the equation would assure 7 others life. Barton tried everything he could to
help Marilyn which could’ve cost him his job or even his life. Marilyn knew at
the end that if Barton on the commander could’ve changed the laws to save her
life, they would’ve. She finally accepted that she was the unwanted “x” and had
to be jettisoned. She talked to her brother before she was jettisoned, so she was a
little bit better. The death balanced the equation & made sure everyone else
would live.
A. Does this response have a good topic sentence? Explain.
B. Does this response include a minimum of 3 specific examples to support that the
title is effective? Do the examples discuss both aspects of the title: “cold” and
“equations”? Explain.
C. Does this response include a relevant passage that is introduced, inserted, properly
cited, and explained in terms of the effectiveness of the title? Explain.
D. Does this response end with a summary sentence that begins with a transitional
word or phrase and emphasizes that the title is effective? Explain.
Prompt:
“The Cold Equations” is an effective title for this short story. Prove that this statement is
true using relevant and specific details from Tom Godwin’s short story “The Cold
Equations.” Use the following checklist when responding to the prompt.
 Topic Sentence: Addresses prompt & includes author, title, & genre.
 Relevant Specific Examples: Includes a minimum of 3 specific examples from the story.
 Quotations: Includes a minimum of 1 quotation from the short story; quotation is
introduced, inserted, properly cited, and explained. (ICE)
 Summary Sentence: Begins with a transition word & emphasizes that the title is effective.
2. “The Cold Equations” is an effective title for this short story written by Tom Godwin.
One cold detail that they mention a lot about in the story is the cold tempature reading in
the eds. Tom Godwin tells us about the cold tempature, “There was nothing to indicate
the fact but the white hand of the tiny gauge on the board before him” (page 9). Another
image of cold was when Marilyn wanted Barton to call another eds, but his answer that
he couldn’t was cold. When Barton had to make the disition to eject Marilyn, she would
have a cold death. Those images of cold is why the title fits this short story.
A. Does this response have a good topic sentence? Explain.
B. Does this response include a minimum of 3 specific examples to support that the
title is effective? Do the examples discuss both aspects of the title: “cold” and
“equations”? Explain.
C. Does this response include a relevant passage that is introduced, inserted,
properly cited, and explained in terms of the effectiveness of the title? Explain.
D. Does this response end with a summary sentence that begins with a transitional
word or phrase and emphasizes that the title is effective? Explain.
3. Read your response
A. What are your writing strengths? Explain using at least one example from your
response.
B. What are your writing weaknesses? Explain using at least one example from
your response.
Section: Writing
Heading: “The Cold Equations” – CP Prompt #2
Name:
Date:
Write an essay in which you discuss three differences between the short story and film
version of Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations.” Create a clear, provable thesis, and
include relevant and specific information from the short story and film to support your
answer.
Section: Writing
Heading: “The Cold Equations” – Honors Prompt #2
Name:
Date:
Write an essay in which you discuss three differences between the short story and film
version of Tom Godwin’s “The Cold Equations.” Explain why each difference is
significant. Create a clear, provable thesis, and include relevant and specific information
from the short story and film to support your answer.