Homework Help: The Titanic

The Titanic

Have you heard the sad story of the Titanic? RMS (which stands for Royal Mail Ship) Titanic was a large passenger ship that set sail from England in 1912. The ship was on its way to America, carrying 2,223 passengers, when it sadly hit an iceberg in the middle of the ocean and sank. Many passengers drowned, and the story of the Titanic became known as one of history’s greatest disasters. Aerial view of the Titanic

The Titanic’s Tragic Journey

On the 10th of April 1912, the Titanic set sail. The ship left the port of Southampton in the south of England and sailed to France, where it picked up more passengers. Then the Titanic travelled to Ireland, where more passengers came aboard, before the ship set sail for America. Side view of the Titanic

After four days at sea, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the middle of the ocean. The iceberg tore a hole along the bottom of the ship and cold seawater flooded in.

Passengers were loaded onto lifeboats, but there weren’t enough boats for everybody so many people stayed on the ship. Within a few hours, the ship started sinking and soon the Titanic sank completely. Those who didn’t make it into lifeboats fell into freezing cold water and 1,517 people drowned.

Travelling on the Titanic

In 1912 when the Titanic set sail, people didn’t travel by aeroplane. If you wanted to travel the world, you had to go by boat. This meant spending days, or even weeks, at sea. Ship builders had to make sure everyone onboard was comfortable for a long time, so they made large boats with cabins, dining rooms and even ball rooms.

Even though many homes didn’t have electric lights or heating back then in those days, the Titanic did. It also had a heated swimming pool (the first on any ship), ballrooms with chandeliers and dining restaurants serving ten-course meals. Some of the treats served in the dining restaurants included chocolate and vanilla éclairs, ice cream Fresh strawberry ice cream and peaches in jelly. Peaches in jelly

Passengers Onboard

The Titanic carried 2,223 passengers when it set sail for America. Some of these passengers were very wealthy and famous, whereas others were just ordinary people hoping to start a new life in America.

There were three ‘classes’ of passenger on the Titanic: first, second and third. Wealthy people could afford a first or second-class cabin, whereas ordinary folk bought cheaper third-class cabins. While first-class passengers enjoyed large cabins on the top deck, third-class passengers slept at the bottom of the ship in much smaller cabins.

Third-class passengers had simpler meals than first-class passengers. A typical day’s menu for a third-class passenger included bread, marmalade and porridge for breakfast, cheese and pickles for lunch and current buns for afternoon tea.

When the Titanic began to sink, first and second-class passengers were put into the lifeboats first. Because there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone, many third-class passengers drowned. Modern life boats used on ships today

Top Titanic Facts

Although the sinking of the Titanic is one of history’s well known disasters, the Titanic itself was an amazing ship. Here are three top facts about the Titanic:

1. The ship was as long as two-and-a-half football pitches.
2. It was made in Belfast and took three years to build.
3. It weighed over 46,000 tonnes with all crew and passengers onboard – that’s the same weight as 6,500 double-decker buses.