"AHDOOLO!" THE STORY OF MATTHEW HENSON

Teachers may use this material and adapt it to fit their curriculum needs.

SCENE THREE

NARRATOR THREE: There are six long, dark months of winter in the Arctic. While waiting out the endless Arctic winter months, the men would spend time huddled together in their igloo's. When the sun disappeared, Matt wrote in his diary...(This scene shows Matt sitting beside his igloo with his latern and he pulls out a diary from his sack and begins to write)

MATTHEW HENSON: (While writing) "The night is coming quickly, the long months of darkness, of quiet and cold, and ice storms that...I can never get use to. I will rest now and store all of my energy, for I am about to face KOKOYA! (Someone in the classroom begins to blink off and on the classroom lights. Matt is lying down and Peary is lying down beside his igloo.)

NARRATOR ONE : KOKOYA in Eskimo mythology, is an angry, jealous devil who watches over the North Pole. Thus, the Eskimos believe this devil causes the extreme, harsh weather of the Arctic. (After the narrator reads this part, the whole class begins to chant in a very low to high, soft to loud chant KOKYA, KOKYA, KOKYA, KOKYA!! and continues while the other narrators explain the weather scene)

WEATHER PERSON ONE: Peary, Henson his men and the Eskimos prepare to strike out toward the pole in the daylight of spring. There are few activities more dangerous than Arctic exploration on land. One of those, though is Arctic exploration on the ice pack.(Then the weather person bends over and turns on fan with streamers. The classroom lights are still blinking on and off)

WEATHER PERSON TWO: While traveling across the icepack there are all the hazards of the far northern climate.(Weather person two turns on their fan with streamers, classroom lights are still blinking on and off)

WEATHER PERSON THREE: Sub-freezing temperatures, sometimes as much as 60 degrees below zero( Weather person three turns on their fan, classroom lights are still on and off...The chanting is still taking place)

WEATHER PERSON FOUR: Sudden storms, (Weather person four turns on fan, lights still blinking on and off, chanting still going on) WEATHER PERSON ONE: Slow starvation (everything is still taking place)

WEATHER PERSON TWO: Ice sheets that cover the Arctic Ocean (everything is still taking place)

WEATHER PERSON THREE: Small steep mountains of ice, called "pressure ridges" pop up at any time! (everything is still taking place)

WEATHER PERSON FOUR: Open lanes of water formed everywhere are called "leads". Any one slipping into a lead can drown, or freeze to death in minutes.(every thing is still taking place)

WEATHER PERSON THREE: Henson and the rest of Peary's party constantly ran into these dangerous obstacles. Peary fell twice during his trip. Henson saved his life both times! Henson also slipped and was rescued just in time by his Eskimo friends. The party also faced challenges while they lay asleep. Once Peary and his party nearly floated out to sea on an ice island formed by leads opening around his igloo in the middle of the night! (All things come to an end at once...the chanting, the classroom lights remain on and the fans with streamers are turned off. The weather people exit the classroom never to be seen again)

Teachers Page | Curriculum | Scene One | Scene Two | Scene Three | Scene 4 & 5 | Scene 6 | Scene 7 | Cast of characters & Props