Last Match
In 1866, the General Grant was sailing from Australia to London when it was shipwrecked on the one of the Subantarctic Islands.
About this resource
Series: School Journal Level 4 May 2020
Reading year level: 8
Topics: Auckland Islands, castaway, characterisation, drama, fortitude, freeze frame, General Grant, group dynamics, history, leadership, play, process drama, resilience, shipwreck, survival
Last Match
Words by Paul Mason
Illustrations by Alex Cara
Of the eighty-three people on board, only fifteen made it ashore. A survivor later wrote about how the castaways only had six matches, with five "squandered". The lighting of the last match was a critical moment in their survival.
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More from this series
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School Journal Level 4 May 2020
Inside this School Journal are three stories (The Musician; The Winning Side; Muse), one play (Last Match), one poem (Leaves), and two articles (Game Changers; Feedback).
1 of 7The Musician
This family story captures the experience of forming a new relationship and how circumstances that are outside our control can end relationships.
2 of 7The Winning Side
This story references general elections, in the context of an election to a school council.
3 of 7Muse
This is the third instalment in this series, which is set in a dystopian future.
4 of 7Game Changers
The students at Newlands Intermediate have learnt that creating successful digital technologies requires a realistic, think-small approach – and that it’s OK to make mistakes.
5 of 7Feedback
This article is a follow up to “Climate Change: Our Biggest Challenge”.
6 of 7Leaves
This poem explores the relationship between the poet and her grandmother who was a refugee from China following the Cultural Revolution.
7 of 7
