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Elisha Kent Kane was a doctor in one of the war ships of the United States. He had sailed about the world a great deal. When he heard that ships were to be sent into the icy seas of the north, he asked to be sent along. He went the first time as a doctor. Then he wanted to find out more about the frozen ocean. So he went again as captain of a ship. His ship was called the "Advance."

Kane sailed into the icy seas. His ship was driven far into the ice by a furious storm. She was crowded by icebergs. At one time, she was lifted clear out of the water. The ship seemed ready to fall over on her side. But the ice let her down again. Then she was squeezed till the men thought that she would be crushed like an eggshell. At last, the storm stopped. Then came the awful cold. The ship was frozen into the ice. The ice never let go of her. She was farther north than any ship had ever been before. But she was so fast in the ice that she never could get away.

In that part of the world it is night nearly all winter. For months, there was no sun at all. Daylight came again. It was now summer, but it did not get warm. Doctor Kane took sleds, and went about on the ice to see what he could see. The sleds were drawn by large dogs. But nearly all of the dogs died in the long winter night.

Doctor Kane thought that the ice would melt. He wanted to get the ship out. But the ice did not melt at all.

At last, the summer passed away. Another awful winter came. The sun did not rise anymore. It was dark for months and months. The men were ill. Some of them died. They were much discouraged. But Kane kept up his heart, and did the best he could.

At last, the least little streak of light could be seen. It got a little lighter each day. But the sick men down in the cabin of the ship could not see the light.

Doctor Kane said to himself, "If my poor men could see this sunlight, it would cheer them up. It might save their lives." But they were too ill to get out where they could see the sun. It would be many days before the sun would shine into the cabin of the ship. The men might die before that time.

So Doctor Kane took some looking glasses up to the deck or top of the ship. He fixed one of these so it would catch the light of the sun. Then he fixed another so that the first one would throw the light on this one. The last one would throw the sunlight down into the cabin where the sick men were.

One day the poor fellows were ready to give up. Then the sun fell on the looking glasses, and flashed down into the cabin. It was the first daylight the sick men had seen for months. The long winter night was over. Think how happy they were!

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Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

Elisha Kent Kane sailed as a doctor on American warships. He also sailed on ships that explored the frozen north, first as the ship's doctor, then as the captain of the ship. Kane captained the ship, 'Advance', to explore the icy seas. Then his ship hit a bad storm. The ship blew too far north and became stuck in the ice. It was winter, and in the far north, the sun never rises. The men were stuck on a ship in the dark for months. Doctor Kane tried to explore with sleds and dogs, but it was so cold, some of the dogs died. Then summer came. During northern summers, the sun never sets. The summer was still too cold to melt the ice and free the ship. The men lived through another dark winter. Men became sickly and stayed in the cabin. The days began getting brighter. Doctor Kane used some looking glasses to reflect the sunlight into the dark cabin for the sickly men. The second dark winter was over, and the men were much happier.

Vocabulary

Furious: Very angry.
Iceberg: A large mass of ice floating on the sea.
Captain: The person in command of a ship.
Cabin: A private room or compartment on a ship.

Concepts

In the story, Doctor Kane and his men were near the North Pole.

  1. The North Pole is the furthest north of any place on Earth.
  2. The North Pole is covered with ice year-round.
  3. The sun stays up all summer.
  4. The sun never rises in the winter.
  5. Many types of animals live at the North Pole, including the walrus, seal, Arctic fox, moose, and snowy owl.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 46 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 3: Map the Story

  • Find the words 'North Pole' on the map below.
  • Note how the North Pole is made of only frozen water. There is no land at the North Pole.
  • See if you can figure out where you live on the mini-map in the top left corner of the map.

Review

Question 1

Why did Doctor Kane's ship get stuck in the ice?
1 / 5

Answer 1

A storm blew the ship too far into the cold, icy North.
1 / 5

Question 2

Why didn't Doctor Kane walk home?
2 / 5

Answer 2

It was too cold to travel to where people lived.
2 / 5

Question 3

What happens to the sun during winters at the North Pole?
3 / 5

Answer 3

The sun never rises. It is dark all day and all night.
3 / 5

Question 4

What happens to the sun during summers at the North Pole?
4 / 5

Answer 4

The sun never sets. It is light all day and all night.
4 / 5

Question 5

Why did Doctor Kane reflect light with his looking glasses?
5 / 5

Answer 5

He reflected the light down into the dark cabin of the ship, where the sick men stayed. The sunlight cheered them up.
5 / 5

  1. Why did Doctor Kane's ship get stuck in the ice? A storm blew the ship too far into the cold, icy North.
  2. Why didn't Doctor Kane walk home? It was too cold to travel to where people lived.
  3. What happens to the sun during winters at the North Pole? The sun never rises. It is dark all day and all night.
  4. What happens to the sun during summers at the North Pole? The sun never sets. It is light all day and all night.
  5. Why did Doctor Kane reflect light with his looking glasses? He reflected the light down into the dark cabin of the ship, where the sick men stayed. The sunlight cheered them up.

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