Interview a relative or other older acquaintance who might have survived a war or imprisonment experience. Find out what their survival tips are. Create a video of the interview. Share the video with other family members on YouTube.
Books for Mature Teens and Adults
Theme: Survival
Crabwalk - (ISBN: 9780151007646)
by Gunter Grass
A true survivor of a maritime disaster grows up to write the story of the torpedoing of a Nazi sub containing over 9000 soldiers and refugees. His mother was one of the few survivors, and he was born at the end of the attack, barely surviving himself. The title refers to the author’s research process of sifting through often almost inaccessible records and other survivor accounts to create a complete and complex picture of this worst of all naval attacks.
Lord of the Flies - (ISBN: 978-0399537424)
by William Goldman
In this classic novel, a group of shipwrecked boys eventually form two factions that battle each other for island supremacy. Roles erupt and reverse as the hunters become the hunted. What basic human qualities do their desperate circumstances reveal?
The Stand - (ISBN: 978-0307947307)
by Stephen King
Stephen King, the master of horror writing, creates a scenario that includes a mutating flu virus, the demise of most of the world population, and a final (?) showdown between the natural powers of the right and the malevolent. This newest version of a book originally published in 1978 has been liberally sprinkled with elements of pop culture including cartoon super heroes, politics, and the AIDS epidemic. Imagine what a third version would contain if it were published today!
The Year of the Flood - (ISBN: 978-0307455475)
by Margaret Atwood
What’s a “waterless” flood? How does it manage to wipe out most human life? Plagues, extinctions, and immense weather changes lessen the odds of any human survival in this riveting universe where criminals, dropouts, and fundamentalists battle for ground. What is the surprising but hopeful message communicated at the end of the book?
The Zombie Survival Guide - (ISBN: 978-1400049622)
by Max Brooks
In this great parody, you learn how to sense and destroy the “undead” that may be living among us. The humorous approach covers every zombie eventuality including details about zombie “bodies,” weapons, and escape routes. This book is so complete and well done that the negligent reader might forget that there is no such thing as zombies, or is there?