Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper: Classroom Ideas

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper hit store shelves yesterday (yay!!!) and as part of our Book of the Month feature, today we want to offer some ideas for using the book in the classroom. Here are some discussion & essay topic ideas to get you started:

Study the impact whaling had as an industry on the islands and coast of new England during the 18th and 19th centuries. Explore how the rise and fall of the whaling industry impacted those communities.
Research different types of superstitions that sailors believed in during the 18th and 19th centuries. What sort of talismans or spells would a sailor likely buy into? Compare your findings to the spells mentioned in Salt & Storm.
Look into the types of tattoos sailors would have gotten during the 18th and 19th centuries. What were the purposes of these tattoos? Compare your research to what the characters believed about tattoos in Salt & Storm.
Research how and why whaling was such an important industry during its prime, and what lead to its downfall. Use your findings to discuss signs of the industry’s demise in Salt & Storm.
Look into the lives of the women and children left behind when whalers went to sea. What kind of life did they face, while their husbands and fathers were away for years at a time, and facing the possibility of death?
Research the lives of whalers during the 18th and 19th century. Look into how they were hired and paid for their work, the dangers of whaling, and the details of their day-to-day lives at sea.