Book Study: A Night to Remember: Build Background Knowledge

Build background knowledge about social classes in the early 1900s as students prepare to read A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. Designed for seventh- and eighth-grade readers, this pre-reading handout provides some helpful background information and context for students to consider before reading the account of the Titanic's final hours in 1912. To build background knowledge that will help them better engage with the text, students will read a brief description of the technological advancements in the early 1900s and study images of a first-class cabin and a third-class cabin. Then, have learners use the discussion prompts as a class, with partners, or individually to encourage deeper thinking and analysis.

This pre-reading activity is part of a larger book study unit on A Night to Remember.