This week’s big story is about three brothers from Scotland – Ewan, 27, Jamie, 26, and Lachlan, 21 – who broke three world records for rowing across the Atlantic.
The MacLeans not only beat the record for the fastest time for a trio to row across the ocean, but utterly smashed it. They did it in just 35 days, six days quicker than the previous record.
They also became the youngest trio to row the ocean, and the first set of three brothers to do it.
Starting on the 12 December and finishing on the 16 January, this 3,000-mile feat took them from La Gomera, one of the Canary Islands, which is situated off the west coast of Morocco and Western Sahara in Africa, to Antigua, in the Caribbean.
The brothers are using their success to raise money for several charities, including Children First – a charity for young people in Scotland.
This PDF resource includes this article, as well as accompanying activity ideas:
- As a class, or in groups, discuss whether we should celebrate achievements like this, or whether such strength and determination could be better used more practically elsewhere
- Write a diary entry as one of the brothers from the day they completed the race. Describe the emotions you felt and the effect it has had on you physically and mentally
- Based on Row, Row, Row Your Boat, write a three- or four-verse poem about this story
- Look into the first people to cross the Atlantic in various modes of transport, such as rowing boat, iron ship, aeroplane, balloon and so on. Who were the main people involved, and when was each crossing made?
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.
Find the whole range of free Topical Tuesday resources here. Browse more World Ocean Day activities.
