Teacher guide · Think Lab · Medium · about 60 min

🏝️ Island Survival Lab

Pupils practise problem solving and real life thinking and curiosity through "Island Survival Lab": Your boat washes up on an unknown island. Plan 5 days of survival.

Lesson guide

1. Hook · 5 min
Show the 🏝️ mission title and read the opening: "Day 1. Explore the beach — tap the clues.". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Cog the Owl's line as your prompt: "Good thinking. Show me the why."
3. Do · 35 min
Pairs work through the 22 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used problem solving today.

Discussion questions

What was the hardest choice in "Island Survival Lab", and why?
Why did you put your first job first? Convince me — explain your reasoning to a partner.
One thing you left behind will hurt later. Which, and why did you risk it — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Day 3. The stream tastes odd. What do you do — explain your reasoning to a partner.
Where could you use problem solving outside school this week?
If you did this again, what would you change?

Adapting it

Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.

Stretch: Set the Challenge tier (1 extra steps) and ask pupils to justify every answer in writing.

Curriculum links

National Curriculum: Maths: reasoning mathematically and problem solving
National Curriculum: Computing: logical reasoning and algorithms
PSHE: Living in the wider world: making decisions and evaluating choices

Pupil sheet

🏝️ Island Survival Lab

Name: ____________________ Date: __________

1. Day 1. Explore the beach — tap the clues.
Clue — The wreck: A torn sail, a rope, two empty bottles and a metal tin.
Clue — The trees: Coconut palms, and a stream running out of the forest.
Clue — The sky: Heavy grey clouds. Rain is coming tonight.
Clue — The sand: Bird footprints — and something bigger with claws.
2. Put your first four jobs in the smartest order.
___ Build shelter
___ Find fresh water
___ Look for food
___ Make a signal fire
3. Why did you put your first job first? Convince me.
4. Day 2. You can carry 10 kg back from the wreck. Choose your kit.
Budget: £10
☐ Rope (2kg) — £2
☐ Metal tin (1kg) — £1
☐ Sail cloth (3kg) — £3
☐ Fishing line (1kg) — £1
☐ Toolbox (4kg) — £4
☐ Books (3kg) — £3
☐ Torch (1kg) — £1
☐ Blanket (2kg) — £2
Total spent: £______
5. One thing you left behind will hurt later. Which, and why did you risk it?
6. Day 3. The stream tastes odd. What do you do?
☐ Drink it — you're thirsty
☐ Boil it in the metal tin first
☐ Drink sea water
☐ Wait for rain and hope
7. Match each problem to your best tool.
Rain at night → ________________
Catching dinner → ________________
Being seen by a plane → ________________
Carrying water → ________________
8. Day 4. Something took your food store overnight.
Clue — Tracks: Small paw prints, four toes, leading into the trees.
Clue — The store: Chewed, not smashed. Something clever with hands.
Clue — The night: You heard chattering around midnight, high in the palms.
9. So what took it?
☐ A big cat
☐ A monkey
☐ The tide
☐ A bird
10. Design a food store the thief can't beat. Describe how it works.
11. Day 5. A ship passes far out. One move only.
☐ Shout
☐ Light the signal fire with green leaves for thick smoke
☐ Swim to it
12. Write your island diary: the smartest thing you did and the one mistake you'd fix.
13. Chapter 2, Day 6. The rescue ship never came. What is your new priority?
☐ Keep waiting on the beach
☐ Set up a proper camp that can last months
☐ Build a raft today and leave
14. Sketch your long-stay camp in words: shelter, water, food store, signal.
15. You have 20 hours of energy this week. Spend it (at least 4 jobs).
Budget: £20
☐ Dig a water well — £6
☐ Weave fishing nets — £4
☐ Build a raft — £8
☐ Map the island — £3
☐ Grow coconut seedlings — £3
☐ Rebuild the signal fire — £2
☐ Rest properly — £3
Total spent: £______
16. Which job did you cut, and what could go wrong because of it?
17. Day 9. You find the far side of the island.
Clue — A cave: Dry, high above the tide line, with old ash on the floor.
Clue — A wall: Stacked stones — someone built this a long time ago.
Clue — The water: A calm lagoon, full of fish, sheltered from the wind.
Clue — The cliff: A clear view of the shipping lane. You'd see a boat for miles.
18. Should you move camp to the far side?
☐ Yes — better water, food and visibility
☐ No, moving is too much effort
☐ Split your supplies between both
19. Order the move so nothing is lost.
___ Carry water and tools
___ Move the food store
___ Rebuild shelter
___ Relight the signal fire
___ Scout the route
20. Match each risk to the way you'd reduce it.
Storm at night → ________________
Running out of water → ________________
Illness → ________________
Being missed by a ship → ________________
21. Day 14. A storm is coming and your raft is half built. What do you do?
☐ Finish the raft in the rain
☐ Tie the raft down and shelter in the cave
☐ Launch it now
22. Final report. What did the island teach you about planning ahead?