Introduction – Task – Process – Evaluation - Conclusion

Introduction

The USS Indianapolis was a Navy heavy cruiser crucial to the fight against the Japanese in World War II. Because of her distinguished service, the USS Indianapolis and her crew were given a very secretive assignment: deliver the atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan. The top-secret delivery went as planned. After completing this important assignment, the USS Indianapolis headed to Leyte harbor in the Philippines. While in route, the USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine that sunk the cruiser in less than twelve minutes. Nine hundred men survived the sinking. However, five days passed before rescuers picked up the men. By this time, over 400 men had died from shark attacks, dehydration, and exposure.

Task

Your task is to learn more about the survivors of the USS Indianapolis. What were the men exposed to in the waters of the Pacific Ocean? Why did some die and others survive the ordeal? What were the long-term effects on the survivors of this horrific event? Use the information found on the following websites to learn more about the survivors’ experiences. Then write at least five questions you would like to ask a survivor of the USS Indianapolis. With your parents’ and teacher’s permission, you may e-mail a survivor of the USS Indianapolis with your questions.

Process

STEP ONE:

· Begin your search for clues about the USS Indianapolis at:

http://www.ussindianapolis.org/

· Now read an excerpt from Pete Nelson’s book, Left for Dead, describing survivor Cozell Lee Smith’s experience as the ship was torpedoed. Click on the picture of the book to learn more.

· Listen to the stories of these survivors. Read transcripts of their personal accounts by going to:

http://www.discovery.com/exp/indianapolis/stories.html

Giles McCoy

Giles McCoy was a Marine assigned to the USS Indianapolis.

Harlan Twible

Harlan Twible was a young officer on his first voyage.

Ed Brown

Ed Brown was in a group of 366 men. Only 66 men survived.

Michael Kuryla

Michael Kuryla was asleep on the hanger deck when the ship was torpedoed.

· Woody Eugene James recounts his day-to-day experiences in the ocean. Click on Woody’s photograph to read how the salt water effected many of his crewmates.

STEP TWO:

Now that you have learned about the survivors’ experiences, write at least five questions you would like answered by a USS Indianapolis survivor. Your questions should address specific details about the ship’s secretive cargo, the ship’s sudden sinking, and the five-day ordeal in the ocean. Write these questions using a computer word-processing application, checking for grammatical and spelling mistakes. With your parents’ and teacher’s permission, you may e-mail your questions to a survivor of the USS Indianapolis.

To e-mail a survivor of the USS Indianapolis, click on the following website (survivors’ names and e-mail addresses are listed at the bottom of the page):

http://www.ussindianapolis.org/woody.htm

Evaluation

Your questions will be graded using the following rubric:

Surviving the Sea Questions

	1	2	3	4	Your Score
Attitude	Shows no enthusiasm for or commitment to the writing process.	Shows some enthusiasm for and commitment to the writing process.	Usually shows enthusiasm for and commitment to the writing process.	Shows exceptional enthusiasm for and commitment to the writing process.
Grammar	Multiple grammatical and stylistic errors	Some errors in grammar and/or format that do not interfere with clarity	Few grammatical and/or stylistic errors	Nearly error-free which reflects clear understanding and thorough proofreading
Quality of Questions	Questions did not address the topic and showed a lack of research	Questions addressed the topic, showing some research on the topic	Questions specifically addressed the topic; research was evident	Questions were specific, well-researched, and showed attention to detail about the topic

Conclusion

The survivors of the USS Indianapolis are survivors in the truest sense. Unlike a television show survivor, these men survived terribly real, life-changing events. They survived the torpedoing of their cruiser, five days in shark-infested waters, and a lifetime of horrible memories. The men of the USS Indianapolis are indeed “true survivors.”