Into the Deep

Essential questions: What makes the ocean mysterious? What drives humans to explore? What is the relationship between science and science fiction?

Do-Now: Theme Anticipation Guide (5 minutes)

Project or distribute the Theme Anticipation Guide and have students indicate whether they agree or disagree with each statement.

Preview vocabulary. (7 minutes)

Project or distribute the Vocabulary Words and Definitions. Review the words as a class. Highlighted words: deftly, gnashing, justified, menacing, renouncing, skewer, torrent, unfurls

• Read the “As You Read” box on page 20.
• Assign parts and read the play as a class.
• Break students into groups to discuss the following questions.

Close-Reading Questions

• In Scene 3, Nettie steals a map of the Nautilus. What does this detail reveal about Nettie? (character) The detail shows that Nettie is clever, quick-thinking, and brave. Seeing everyone, including Nemo, distracted by the view of the ocean, Nettie takes advantage of the opportunity to scan the study for information. Once she spots the map, Nettie doesn’t hesitate to take it even though Nemo is nearby.
• In Scene 4, why does Captain Nemo walk away without saying anything? (inference, character) It is likely that talking about his family is too painful. In Scene 7, it is revealed that Nemo’s wife and children were killed. Also, Nemo may not want Nettie to know what happened to his family because it relates to his mission on the boat, which he wants to keep secret.
• In Scene 5, Nettie questions whether Aronnax would take his freedom if Nemo were to offer it to him. What lines in the play reveal that Aronnax might not want to leave the boat? (inference) In Scene 3, when Nemo reveals the windows in his study, Aronnax whispers “Magnificent” as he stares out at the ocean. In Scene 5, SD2 describes Aronnax as “enthralled” by Nemo’s collection of specimens. In the same scene, Nettie says they must escape and Aronnax responds, “Escape? This place is full of wonders” and begins to list all the amazing things they’ve seen onboard. These details show that Aronnax is enamored of Nemo’s vessel.
• Consider the conversation between the two crew members in Scene 7. What purpose does their dialogue serve? (text structure) The dialogue between the two crew members reveals the mission that Nemo has been keeping secret. It also helps confirm Nettie’s suspicions about Captain Nemo and helps her convince Aronnax that they must escape.

Critical-Thinking Questions

• In your opinion, is Captain Nemo a villain? Explain. Some students may say yes; Captain Nemo keeps Nettie, Aronnax, and Conseil on his boat as prisoners. Nemo also mercilessly attacks other ships at sea, which results in the deaths of many men—including members of his own crew. Other students will say no; Nemo is a man in great pain because of the loss of his family, and his mind has been warped by grief. Also, if Nemo were a real villain, he would not have rescued Nettie, Aronnax, and Conseil.
• If you were Aronnax, would you choose to remain on the Nautilus? Answers may vary. Some students might say yes; Aronnax is a professor of natural history. The wonders of the ocean that he would be able to observe and study while on the Nautilus would be too tempting to give up. Other students might say no; even though it would be tempting to stay on the Nautilus to learn about the sea, it would not be worth it to Aronnax to leave his life behind and be part of Nemo’s plan for revenge.

• Project our Vocabulary Slideshow and reviewas a class. Highlighted words: abyss, sediment, submersible, translucent, unsettling, usher
• Break students into groups to read “What’s Down There?” on page 25.
• As a class, discuss the following questions, which draw on both the play and the informational text.

Critical-Thinking Questions

• How is the ocean portrayed in the play? How is it portrayed in the informational text? The ocean is portrayed in a similar way in both texts. In the play, the ocean is portrayed as a wondrous, awe-inspiring yet dangerous place. In the play, Nettie, Aronnax, and Conseil see wondrous things like beautiful fish and a giant oyster, but they also encounter giant squid and a deadly whirlpool. In the informational text, the ocean is portrayed as mysterious when the author explains that scientists have mapped more of Mars than of the ocean and as awe-inspiring when she lists the fascinating creatures scientists have recently discovered in the ocean.
  
• What is the relationship between science and fiction in the play? To answer this question, draw on the captions and the informational text as well as your own knowledge. The play draws on real science in the depiction of fictional events. For example, the play mentions sea monsters, deep-sea volcanoes, and giant squid. The captions on pages 22 and 24 reveal that sea volcanoes and giant squid do exist, though the giant squid in the play are exaggerated. The informational text explains that sea monsters do not exist but were believed to have existed by people in the past.

Featured Skill: Synthesis (15 minutes)

Break students into small groups to complete the Synthesis: The Deep Ocean activity sheet. This activity will prepare students to respond to the writing prompt on page 25. For alternate culminating tasks, see the boxes below.