2. FINDING THE TITANIC

3. Two Time Periods This story takes place during two time periods- in 1985 when Robert D. Ballard discovered the remains of the Titanic and also 1912 when the ship sank in the icy cold Atlantic Ocean. Ballard’s part of the story is nonfiction, yet Ruth Becker’s part of the story is fiction (realistic historical fiction, by the way).

4. You may ask… what are the most important details that the reader should recall from each page?

5. Page 83 -Robert D. Ballard was searching for the Titanic, the most famous ship of all time. Why? It sank in 1912 when it hit a mysterious iceberg. -What was so interesting? People were saying this ship was built so well that it would NEVER sink! -This ship lay 2 ½ miles down in the Atlantic Ocean, far deeper than any diver could go on his own.

6. Page 84 -Robert D. Ballard was so dedicated that he built an underwater shed to search for the ship. -This underwater shed was called Argo. It was built because of course no diver could dive down 2 ½ miles deep.

7. Page 85… Ruth Becker’s story begins. Ruth’s mother wanted to bring their family back to America because Ruth’s brother was ill. They were living in India. Ruth was excited about the new ship. When she first discovered the ship, she realized there was a grand staircase…

8. Pages 86-87 … The Titanic began on its journey. At first, the weather was clear and the ocean was calm. One man said, “We’re making good speed. We might even arrive in New York early- if we don’t run into ice.” “I wouldn’t mind seeing an iceberg, though,” the man continued on. “I’m told they’re quite a sight.”

9. On page 88, the passengers of the Titanic face danger. Ruth was carried into lifeboat #13, and it was packed so tightly she had to stand up. She was frightened because she was separated from her family. … It turned out there were not enough lifeboats to carry all those on the Titanic to safety. On page 90, it explains how the ship finally broke in two pieces. People went under the waves.

10. Pages 92-93 … The waves were moving swiftly in the ocean, yet Ruth’s lifeboat pulled next to the rescue ship. Ruth was exhausted, and her hands were too numb to take grip of the ropes. She was relieved, yet her family was not in sight. Yet on page 94, someone led her to her family. Ruth Becker was a success story- she was a survivor.

11. Page 95 … Back to 1985 and to Robert D. Ballard’s crew. They discovered pieces of the ship’s railing as well as other wreckage. The ship was finally discovered in all when Argo showed the crew that the Titanic was standing upright on the ocean floor!

12. Page 96 … Robert Ballard and two other crew members piled into a three-man submarine because now they knew exactly where the ship was located. Argo had showed them. They discovered the bow of the ship, anchors still in place, glass that was actually not broken after all these years, and the wooden planks of the ship that had been eaten away by sea worms.

13. Pages 99-100 …They also discovered the main chandelier (light) over the main staircase was bright and shiny. Robert Ballard wondered which objects from the Titanic could be floating around the sea… and they discovered pots and pans, bathtubs, and even a safe with a shiny brass handle. The crew, in the long run, placed two plagues on the ship in memory of the sinking in 1912.

14. TITANIC Photos