Access 1 Blast: Losing Control
ACCESS 1 -- BLAST: LOSING CONTROL
1 How much control do we have over our own lives? Throughout history, people have pondered and
debated the ideas of fate, destiny, free will, and luck. In this unit, you will read articles, blog entries,
essays, poetry, dramas, and stories centered on different people trying to shape or change their
destinies. As you explore their lives, consider how much of what happens in your own life is actually
under your control.
2 The race to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole is a dramatic example of the complexities
of fate. The Terra Nova Expedition, a team of British explorers, sought to be the first to reach the
South Pole. Led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, the team arrived at the South Pole in January of
1912 only to find out that a Norwegian team, led by Roald Amundsen, had arrived there several
weeks prior. Disappointed, Scott and his men headed home. Extreme conditions complicated their
journey, though, and the entire party perished.
3 The race to the South Pole put pressure on both teams to arrive first at their goal. Over the years,
questions have been raised about the British team’s preparation and strategy. Many have questioned Captain Scott’s role in the demise of his team. Scott’s transport strategy, for example, focused on a
mix of motorized sledges and Manchurian ponies. The sledges proved unreliable, however, and one of them fell through the ice and sank. The ponies also performed poorly in the inclement weather, and Scott’s team eventually had to pull their sledges mostly by hand.
4 Amundsen’s Norwegian team, on the other hand, focused on long skis and trained dogs to move
the sledges over the snow. They hired experienced skiers and dog experts to handle the load and to
lead them to success.
5 Scott’s expedition did not go as planned, but was it doomed from the start because of poor
decisions? Or was it simply bad luck that caused it to fail?
6 In 2013, the adventurer, Ben Saunders, recreated the Terra Nova expedition and returned
safely. What did Saunders learn about Scott’s failure? Was it destiny that caused Scott to fail? Was it bad luck? As you read, write, and research, ask yourself: to what extent do we determine our own
successes or failures?
ACCESS 1 -- BLAST: LOSING CONTROL
1 How much control do we have over our own lives? Throughout history, people have pondered and
debated the ideas of fate, destiny, free will, and luck. In this unit, you will read articles, blog entries,
essays, poetry, dramas, and stories centered on different people trying to shape or change their
destinies. As you explore their lives, consider how much of what happens in your own life is actually
under your control.
2 The race to be the first explorer to reach the South Pole is a dramatic example of the complexities
of fate. The Terra Nova Expedition, a team of British explorers, sought to be the first to reach the
South Pole. Led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott, the team arrived at the South Pole in January of
1912 only to find out that a Norwegian team, led by Roald Amundsen, had arrived there several
weeks prior. Disappointed, Scott and his men headed home. Extreme conditions complicated their
journey, though, and the entire party perished.
3 The race to the South Pole put pressure on both teams to arrive first at their goal. Over the years,
questions have been raised about the British team’s preparation and strategy. Many have questioned Captain Scott’s role in the demise of his team. Scott’s transport strategy, for example, focused on a
mix of motorized sledges and Manchurian ponies. The sledges proved unreliable, however, and one of them fell through the ice and sank. The ponies also performed poorly in the inclement weather, and Scott’s team eventually had to pull their sledges mostly by hand.
4 Amundsen’s Norwegian team, on the other hand, focused on long skis and trained dogs to move
the sledges over the snow. They hired experienced skiers and dog experts to handle the load and to
lead them to success.
5 Scott’s expedition did not go as planned, but was it doomed from the start because of poor
decisions? Or was it simply bad luck that caused it to fail?
6 In 2013, the adventurer, Ben Saunders, recreated the Terra Nova expedition and returned
safely. What did Saunders learn about Scott’s failure? Was it destiny that caused Scott to fail? Was it bad luck? As you read, write, and research, ask yourself: to what extent do we determine our own
successes or failures?