The cruise ship you were on board has suddenly sunk.

You were cruising a remote

part of the South Pacific Ocean. You are the only eight survivors and you have all
made it to this lifeboat. On the lifeboat there are only two bottles of water, just
enough for two days if everyone stays alive. The weather is deadly hot. The
nearest rescue ship is at least four days away. (There are sharks in the water!) You
have a terrible decision to make: at least two (or three) people must be thrown out
of the lifeboat so that the others can live.

First Group meeting

Second Group meeting

LIVE

DIE

LIVE

DIE

1. The Doctor

1. The Doctor

2. The Sailor

2. The Sailor

3. The Millionaire

3. The Millionaire

4. The Actress

4. The Actress

5. Mr. Video

5. Mr. Video

6. The Young Man

6. The Young Man

7. The Criminal

7. The Criminal

8. The Princess

8. The Princess

I think ______ should live because

I think ______ should live because

What do you think?

What do you think?

Third Group meeting

LIVE

DIE

1. The Doctor

2. The Sailor

3. The Millionaire

4. The Actress

5. Mr. Video

6. The Young Man

7. The Criminal

8. The Princess

FINAL DECISION Live or die?

1. The Doctor should ____________ because _______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. The Sailor should ____________ because ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. The Millionaire should ___________ because _____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. The Actress should ____________ because ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Mr. Video should ____________ because ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. The Young Man should ____________because ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. The Criminal should ______________ because ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. The Princess should ______________ because ____________________________
__________________________________________________________________

How to
Explain that this activity is a role play a situation in which some players will live and others will not.
Divide the class into groups of 8 and give one role play card to each student in the group. Within
each group, students introduce their characters. The first student (The Doctor) reads his/her
character card to the others. Encourage students to use first person. Continue, one at a time, until
all students have introduced their characters.

Group Meetings
In groups, students decide which characters they think should live and which should be thrown
overboard.

First Meeting
Characters 1,

2, 3 & 4 form a group and characters 5, 6, 7 & 8 form a group. After a

brief discussion (no more than five minutes) students much unanimously decide which 6
characters will live and which 2 will be thrown overboard. The results are written in the first box.

Second Meeting
Then break apart the groups and form new groups

3,4,7,8 and 1,2,5,6. Again, they must

decide who should live and who should die. The group consensus is marked in the second box.

Third Meeting
Finally, break apart the groups once more and have the students form new groups (#2,3,5,8
and 1,4,6,7). Once again, after discussion, groups should arrive at a unanimous decision.

Final Decision
With the whole group of eight together, students individually mark their decisions in the box at the
bottom of Worksheet B. With a show of hands, students vote as to who should live and who
should be thrown overboard. Majority rules.

Variation 1
As the votes are gathered, students give speeches to their lifeboat mates, either in
gratitude for being spared or in supplication (or threats) if they have been selected to die.

Variation 2
When introducing the lifeboat situation, include a radio. After the students
have written their final decisions on the last grid, and before making the final vote, offer this
additional information as if it just came on the radio:

1) The Doctor has been secretly drinking water when everyone was sleeping.
2) One of the Sailor's girlfriends says she got AIDS from him.
3) The Actor owes 8 million dollars to a Las Vegas casino.
4) The Rich Person is in financial trouble. Most of the companies are bankrupt.
5) The Criminal, a convicted murderer, recently escaped from prison.
6) The Young Man isnt really engaged.
7) Mr. Video has lied. His blind daughter died in a car accident two years ago.
8) The Son is getting worse. He won't live another 24 hours.

Variation 3
Encourage students to make a list of their personal character merits. These
could be used when arguing for ones life.

1 The doctor

2 The sailor

Hes a famous doctor who

believes he is close to finding a
cure for cancer. Hes an alcoholic
and stopped drinking two weeks
ago. He was recently separated
from his wife.

He cant read or write but has

worked many years on the open
sea. He was cleaning the ships
engine when the ship suddenly
sank. He has several girlfriends
but has never married.

52 years old

39 years old

3 The millionaire

4 The actress

The 9th richest person in the world.

Owner of the cruise ship that sank.
He promises to make all the
survivors rich if they let him live. His
2nd wife is 23, he has one daughter.

A Hollywood actress in B grade

movies. Popular years ago but
not now. Spends most of her
time gambling and raising money
for charities. Shes single with
three failed marriages.

60 years old
45 years old

5 Mr. Video

6 The young man

Owner of several adult book stores.

He wants to sell his business but
cant find a buyer. He is the father of
an eight-year-old blind girl and he is
the only person to take care of her.

A recent university graduate who

majored in marine biology. He says:
My whole life is ahead of me. Im
young and in love. I want to live.
He is a hard worker and very
honest. Also, he is homosexual.

36 years old
22 years old

7 The criminal
The leader of a powerful crime group, he is
involved in the international sale of weapons and
drugs. If killed, his friends will not be happy. He
has been married for 26 years and has four kids.
48 years old

8 The princess
The only child of the King and
Queen of England. She has serious
wounds from the ships sinking.
She has lost a lot of blood and has
a broken leg. She has a 50%
chance of living.
18 years old

21 The brawler

22 The chatter box

Hey, I only fight when people

pick a fight with me. You got a
problem with that? Im between
jobs now, my last boss fired me
for no reason.

Im not nosy, I just like to know

things about the people I work
and live with. I heard a rumor
that the captain of the ship was
drunk just before the ship sank.

31 years old

44 years old

23 The bragger

24 The liar

This isnt so bad. We all

survived, right? Im sure I can
catch as many fish as well need.
I used to doing this kind of
thing. No big deal.

My grandfathers really rich.

Hell give all of us more money
that we can imagine. I have a
wife and four beautiful kids
waiting for me.

33 years old

25 years old

25 The complainer

26 The sponger

Who decided that some of us

have to die, anyway? Why didnt
any of you remember to bring
some food and water with you?
At least I brought some food.

I ran away from home when I

was 16. I work because I need
the money, Im planning to quit
in a few years anyway because
Im not getting any younger.

36 years old

26 years old

27 The crybaby

28 The playboy

(Crying) What am I going to do

with my life? All of my jewelry
went down with the ship. All my
clothes, money, credit cards,
passport, photos. Everything!

Tell me, ladies. How do you

look so fresh and beautiful after
all weve been through? After
this is all over, lets have a little
reunion at my apartment

38 years old

26 years old

29 The whiner

30 The chain smoker

Were all going to die. The

sharks are going to bite through
this boat and eat us, one by one.
And look at the sky. Im sure its
going to rain soon.

Does anyone have a smoke? Im

afraid I didnt have time to bring
more than just two packs with
me. Dont worry, I wont smoke
until we are rescued.

37 years old

43 years old

31 The martyr

32 The glutton

I dont deserve to live more than

you. I understand. I only have
my parents to take care of. My
death will probably break their
hearts, but thats OK.

Does anyone have any food?

Im starving. I didnt even finish
lunch when the ship sank. All I
have are these candy bars and
a few packets of crackers.

52 years old

41 years old

9 The priest
Im a priest for the Catholic
Church. I spend most of my time
working with the elderly, sick
and handicapped. I also run a
shelter for the homeless.
35 years old

11 The housewife
I have three young children and
a husband waiting for me at
home. I was on the cruise with
my sister who died when the
ship sank.
35 years old

13 The chef
Im a French chef. I own a chain
of restaurants in New York and
Los Angeles. I have a weekly
cooking program on TV and I
train young chefs. Im single.
48 years old

15 The teacher
Im an elementary school
teacher. I teach 3rd and 4th
grade. Im married and pregnant
with my first child. My husband
is a professor of history.
32 years old

10 The student
Im a junior high school student.
My parents died when the cruise
ship sank. I try to study hard at
school. Im a member of the
band and volleyball team.
14 years old

12 The child
Both of my parents died when
the ship sank. Im an only child,
so now I guess Im an orphan.
Im not very big, but my mother
always told me Im pretty smart.
7 years old

14 The flight attendant

Ive been a flight attendant for
about three years. Im planning
to get married sometime next
year. Im a bit of a health nut
and a strong swimmer.
27 years old

16 The police officer

Ive been a police officer for
over 15 years. I love helping
people and I really love my job.
I workout at least three times a
week at the gym.
37 years old

17 The boy scout

18 The farmer

Ive been a scout for about three

years and Ive learned a lot
about how to survive. Im a high
school junior and I plan to go to
college when I graduate.

I love the land and growing

things. Ive always been afraid
of water. I have never learned
how to swim. Im married and I
have two teenaged daughters.

17 years old

43 years old

19 The sales clerk

20 The volunteer

I just graduated from university

and the cruise was my present. I
work in a fashion clothing store
and Im saving money to go to
graduate school.

Im the president of the local

PTA group. I have a wonderful
husband and two sweet sons. I
raise flowers for a hobby and I
love singing and cooking.

21 years old

52 years old