English Corner

So every Wednesday night from 6 pm to about 8 pm, I have an English Corner. An English corner is set up so that students can come and practice their English skills. It is a safe, fun environment for them. They are not given a grade, so there are no worries about tests and things. We have fun and speak English in a relaxed way. I went to a few last semester, but this semester I am in charge of an English Corner. I have done two weeks so far and it has been fun and interesting. I usually have about 8 people there, all boys so far. That is okay. I know others would like to come, but they have classes on Wednesday nights. 

Anyway, even though it has only been two weeks and I don't have that many students attend, I have been worried about the activities and what the students might like. I want to give them as much time as I can to speak English. I don't want to speak to them all the time. They gave me some good ideas last week on what they would like to do. So I took their advice and found an idea of my own for today's corner.

We talked about Survival. First, I showed them a clip of the reality show "Survivor" and talked a little bit about what they do on the show. I divided them into groups and told them they were going to have to figure out how to survive.

Here was the scenario:

SURVIVAL: A Simulation Game

You and your companions have just survived the crash of a small plane.  Both the pilot and co-pilot were killed in the crash. It is the middle of January and you are in Northern Canada. The daily temperature is 32 below zero, and the night time temperature is 40 below zero. There is snow on the ground and the countryside is wooded with several creeks crisscrossing the area. The nearest town is 32 kilometers away. You are all dressed in city clothes appropriate for a business meeting. Your group of survivors managed to salvage the following items:

A ball of steel wool

A small ax

A  loaded  .45-caliber pistol

Can of Crisco shortening

Newspapers (one per person)

Cigarette lighter (without fluid)

Extra shirt and pants for each survivor

6 x 6 meter piece of heavy-duty canvas

A large map made of plastic

One quart (about 1 liter) of 100-proof whiskey

A  compass

Family-size chocolate bars (one per person)

Your task as a group is to list the above 12 items in order of importance for your survival.  List the uses for each.  You MUST come to agreement as a group.

I gave them as much time as they wanted to decide which things were the most important and why. I had two groups and each group had the items in a different order. I really liked listening to their reasoning and logic. Once they each had decided what order to put the items in, each group (one was the Avenger and one was Superman) had to get up and explain (in English, of course) what they chose and why. 

After they explained their reasoning which were very logical, I might add, I gave them the answers of an expert. There was a point value for each item that they chose as their top 6 (usually 5, but I did 6). The team with the least amount of points for their top six was the team that survived. If you want to try this by yourself, stop here so you don't understand the explanation.

Here is the explanation:

EXPLANATION

Mid-January is the coldest time of year in Northern Canada.  The first problem the survivors face is the preservation of body heat and the protection against its loss.  This problem can be solved by building a fire, minimizing movement and exertion, using as much insulation as possible, and constructing a shelter.

The participants have just crash-landed.  Many individuals tend to overlook the enormous shock reaction this has on the human body, and the deaths of the pilot and co-pilot increases the shock. Decision-making under such circumstances is extremely difficult.  Such a situation requires a strong emphasis on the use of reasoning for making decisions and for reducing fear and panic.  Shock would be shown in the survivors by feelings of helplessness, loneliness, hopelessness, and fear.  These feelings have brought about more fatalities than perhaps any other cause in survival situations.  Certainly the state of shock means the movement of the survivors should be at a minimum, and that an attempt to calm them should be made.

Before taking off, a pilot has to file a flight plan which contains vital information such as the course, speed, estimated time of arrival, type of aircraft, and number of passengers.  Search-and-rescue operations begin shortly after the failure of a plane to appear at its destination at the estimated time of arrival.

The 20 miles to the nearest town is a long walk under even ideal conditions, particularly if one is not used to walking such distances.  In this situation, the walk is even more difficult due to shock, snow, dress, and water barriers.  It would mean almost certain death from freezing and exhaustion. At temperatures of minus 25 to minus 40, the loss of body heat through exertion is a very serious matter.

Once the survivors have found ways to keep warm, their next task is to attract the attention of search planes. Thus, all the items the group has salvaged must be assessed for their value in signaling the group’s whereabouts.

RANKINGS

1.  Cigarette lighter (without fluid)

The gravest danger facing the group is exposure to cold.  The greatest need is for a source of warmth and the second greatest need is for signaling devices.  This makes building a fire the first order of business. Without matches, something is needed to produce sparks, and even without fluid, a 

cigarette lighter can do that. (I did not really know this. I figured that without fluid, the cigarette lighter would be useless).

2.  Ball of steel wool

To make a fire, the survivors need a means of catching he sparks made by the cigarette lighter.  This is the best substance for catching a spark and supporting a flame, even if the steel wool is a little wet. (None of the students knew what this was, so they did not put it high on their list. I brought a piece to show them, but did not explain what it is for. I wanted to see if they could figure it out).

3.  Extra shirt and pants for each survivor 

Besides adding warmth to the body, clothes can also be used for shelter, signaling, bedding, bandages, string (when unraveled), and fuel for the fire. (This was number one for both teams. They understood that staying warm was their main concern). 

4.  Can of Crisco shortening

This has many uses.  A mirror-like signaling device can be made from the lid.  After shining the lid with steel wool, it will reflect sunlight and generate 5 to 7 million candlepower.  This is bright enough to be seen beyond the horizon.  While this could be limited somewhat by the trees, a member of the 

group could climb a tree and use the mirrored lid to signal search planes. If they had no other means of signaling than this, they would have a better than 80% chance of being rescued within the first day. 

There are other uses for this item.  It can be rubbed on exposed skin for protection against the cold.  When melted into an oil, the shortening is helpful as fuel.  When soaked into a piece of cloth, melted shortening will act like a candle.  The empty can is useful in melting snow for drinking water.  It is much safer to drink warmed water than to eat snow, since warm water will help retain body heat.   Water is important because dehydration will affect decision-making.  The can is also useful as a cup. (I showed them a picture of this and explained that it was like liquid vegetable oil. Both teams said they would use it to cook animals they had killed).

5.  20 x 20 foot piece of canvas

The cold makes shelter necessary, and canvas would protect against wind and snow (canvas is used in making tents).  Spread on a frame made of trees, it could be used as a tent or a wind screen.  It might also be used as a ground cover to keep the survivors dry.  It’s shape, when contrasted with the surrounding terrain,  makes it a signaling device. (Both teams put this high on their list because they could use it to make a tent).

6. Small ax

Survivors need a constant supply of wood in order to maintain the fire.  The ax could be used for this as well as for clearing a sheltered campsite, cutting tree branches for ground insulation, and constructing a frame for the canvas tent.

7.  Family size chocolate bars (one per person)

Chocolate will provide some food energy.  Since it contains mostly carbohydrates, it supplies the energy without making digestive demands on the body.

8.  Newspapers (one per person)

These are useful in starting a fire.  They can also be used as insulation under clothing when rolled up and placed around a person’s arms and legs.  A newspaper  can also be used  as a verbal signaling device when rolled up in a megaphone-shape.  It could also provide reading material for recreation.

9.  Loaded .45-caliber pistol

The pistol provides a sound-signaling device.  (The international distress signal is 3 shots fired in rapid succession). There have been numerous cases of survivors going undetected because they were too weak to make a loud enough noise to attract attention.  The butt of the pistol could be used as a 

hammer, and the powder from the shells will assist in fire building.  By placing a small bit of cloth in a cartridge emptied of its bullet, one can start a fire by firing the gun at dry wood on the ground. The pistol also has some serious disadvantages.  Anger, frustration, impatience, irritability, and lapses of rationality may increase as the group awaits rescue.  The availability of a lethal weapon is a danger to the group under these conditions. Although a pistol could be used in hunting, it would take an expert marksman to kill an animal with it.  Then the animal would have to be transported to the crash site, which could prove difficult to impossible depending on its size. (Both teams would use the gun to kill food to feed themselves).

10.  Quart of 100 proof whiskey

The only uses of whiskey are as an aid in fire building and as a fuel for a torch (made by soaking a piece of clothing in the whiskey and attaching it to a tree branch).  The empty bottle could be used for storing water.   The danger of whiskey  is that someone might drink it, thinking it would bring 

warmth.  Alcohol takes on the temperature it is exposed to, and a drink of minus 30 degrees ahrenheit whiskey would freeze a person’s esophagus and stomach.  Alcohol also dilates the blood vessels in the skin, resulting in  chilled blood belong carried back to the heart, resulting in a rapid loss of 

body heat.  Thus, a drunk person is more likely to get hypothermia than a sober person is. (This was an interesting bit of information. Since I don't drink alcohol, I had no idea that it takes on the temperature it is exposed to. I have always heard that whiskey warms you up inside. Both groups put this high on the list for that very reason. Who knew?)

11.  Compass

Because a compass might encourage someone to try to walk to the nearest town, it is a dangerous item.  It’s only redeeming feature is that it could be used as a reflector of sunlight (due to its glass top).

12.  Sectional air map made of plastic 

This is also among the least desirable of the items because it will encourage individuals to try to walk to the nearest town. It’s only  useful feature is as a ground cover to keep someone dry. (They both put the compass and map fairly high on their list because it would help them walk to the nearest town. None of us really thought about just staying put and waiting. We should have because of the cold though).

How to score

Each team should list its top 5 choices in order prior to seeing the answer sheet.  To award points,   look at the ranking numbers on this answer sheet.  Award points to each team’s top choices according to the numbers here.  For example, the map would earn 12 points, while the steel wool would earn 2 

points. Lowest score wins (and survives).

So the Avenger score 30 points and Superman scored 34 points. Unfortunately Team Superman did not survive the experience.

What was even more interesting was that they really liked the activity. They said they really liked it because they had to speak English and they had to think and use logic. I was not sure they would like it, so I was glad that they did. It was a fun night. I actually like only have boys in this English Corner. I will let you know what we do next week and how it turns out. 

If anyone has any suggestions for activities involving speaking only English for Chinese students, I would love ideas.