Lord of the Flies Survival Day

Tony Lang
In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, a group of young boys land on a deserted island and attempt (and fail) to set up a civil society. The question is: Can the students of Grier do any better?
Having learned about the plight and failings of the boys, the 9th graders set out to prove that they, unlike those foolish, fictional British boys, could not only unite and survive, but thrive.

On one of the first sunny days of spring, the students ventured out to test their survival skills as part of their Lord of the Flies unit. The students attempted to build shelters, through teamwork, cooperation, and problem-solving.

Once shelters were raised, they focused on harnessing the power of fire, not so they could cook food or signal to ships, but in order to burn their homework. Mr. Lang had promised, that if they could burn their assignment sheets, they would not have to write their essay response. Everyone worked hard to start their own fire, using flint and steel, and some, once the sun was high, magnifying glasses. Using different techniques and pushing their physical abilities, the students worked with each other and gave suggestions on how to create enough spark and land it on their tinder in order to catch a true flame. Luckily for the students, each period was able to work together, and even though almost every student started their own fire, they assisted each other and shared their fire so everyone could succeed and walk to the next class without homework.

Surely, the day in the sun, scraping things together, and trying to stand up a large tent for the first time will be one of the most memorable days and yield some of the most important lessons: I can do this. And, together, WE can do this!
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Grier School

2522 Grier School Rd. | P.O. Box 308; Birmingham, PA 16686-0308
Phone: 814-684-3000 | Fax: 814-684-2177