Concept and page design: Andrew Pullin 

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"The Phantom Ship" by Cheryl Olsen

 
Wow! Two nights ago you stumbled upon the wreckage of an old sailing ship, partially buried in the sand, off the coast of a small secluded California beach. The brilliant light of the full moon gleamed on the water, lighting the whole scene clearly.

  You have just told your friends, and they didn't believe you. You all agreed to meet at the same beach at midnight, one week later. Much to your surprise and embarrassment, the ship was not to be seen when you and your friends gathered at the beach. All you could see was water.

  You wondered - was this a phantom ship?

  The mystery of the disappearance needs to be explained.

  You and your team decide to investigate. You will return every week to see if the ship appears again.

  Some of you are SCIENTISTS and you will use Internet resources to look for an explanation, based on "ocean tides and the moon", that might account for the appearance and disappearance of this ship. Then you will write your scientific explanation for this mystery.

  Some of you are STORYTELLERS, and you decide to read Internet accounts of similar phantom ships in myths and legends. Then you will write your own story about the phantom ship.

  In conclusion, both groups will share their work with the class and enrich our knowledge and our imagination about the tides, moon and oceans, in fact and in fiction.