Another leap into our ‘I Was There…’ series of classes as we create stories based on a historic event, time or figure.

In 1872, the ‘Mary Celeste’ set sail for a journey from New York to Spain that should have lasted a few weeks. As well as the crew, the Captain’s wife and two-year-old daughter were on board.
Less than a month later, the Mary Celeste was found in full sail, drifting in the Atlantic. Not a single person was on board. No one ever found them and to this day, we don’t really know what happened to them.

Join us as we set the scene, discovering what historical details we need to understand and take a look at the facts surrounding the strange true events of the Mary Celeste.

We’ll then explore some of the theories that have emerged over the years – from the scientific to the bizarre – and see if we can come up with our own theory about what happened.

We’ll finish off with writing time when students can plan or jump into writing a story based on the events and following those who vanished. Will their tale tell of sailing through another dimension? Aliens? A kidnapping conspiracy? 

Time permitting, students will be able to share their outline or their writing but there is no pressure to do so. If they prefer, students can upload their stories to the classroom afterwards, send their work to me privately, or simply keep it to themselves.

I can’t wait to see where your story takes everyone.