Sayings and Phrases
This month students hear the meanings of Break the ice, Through
thick and thin and Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and
weep alone. They also hear of two associations to the name Timbuktu.
Students participate in group and independent activities by participating
in an icebreaker activity, completing a list of antonyms, substituting
other terms for Timbuktu, and identifying techniques to make people laugh.
The saying and phrases may be introduced in any order, but Timbuktu
should be used after World History Lessons 36-38.
Stories
The Ethiopian story The Fire
on the Mountain" is read this month. Students are invited to make predictions
based on the title and one quote from the story. They also discuss the
power of dreams and dreamers.
The reading of Treasure Island continues and a variety of activities
are provided, some related to the story and some to an investigation of
pirates. Opportunities for group and independent work are provided.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Sayings and Phrases - Break the ice
Objectives
Participate in an icebreaker activity.
Brainstorm actions that would help break the ice in a variety
of situations.
Materials
Copy of the saying Break the ice on sentence strip or chart
paper
Classroom-size world map
Worksheets for icebreaker activities (optional)
Suggested Books
Cole, Joanna and Stephanie Calmenson. Rain or Shine Activity Book.
New York: Morrow, 1997.
Contains a number of games and activities that may be used with the
entire class -- Buzz, Fizz Buzz, and Simon Says would be
good choices.
Hirsch, E. D., ed. What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know. New
York: Dell, 1992.
An explanation and scenario can be found on page 80.
Teacher Reference
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., ed. A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
What Our Children Need to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. An
explanation of the saying is included on page 7, as well as a reference
to ice breaking ships.
Room, Adrian, revised by. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
New York: HarperCollins, 1959, 1995. An explanation of the phrase is included
on page 150.
Teacher Note
Use this lesson as an opportunity to play several games that require
teams or pairs of students to work together. You may wish to try an icebreaker
activity
with the whole class -- directions and supporting worksheets for two are
included. The activity entitled Partners uses one sheet for the
entire class, while Sign-In requires each student to have a copy.
Procedure
Tell the students to imagine that you have just arrived in town and
are a new student who doesn't know anyone at the school. (Exaggerate your
expression and actions to indicate that you feel uncomfortable.) Ask: How
do you think I feel? (awkward, scared, nervous) What am I thinking
about? (Will I like this school? Will these students like me? Will I have
any friends? I wish I could go home.) What can you do to make me feel comfortable?
(Answers will vary.) List suggestions that the students make and point
out that they all involve some kind of personal interaction.
Ask students to recall a time when they felt unsure or awkward because
they didn't know anyone. This might have happened on the first day of school,
or on some other first time occasion (joining a club, moving to a new neighborhood,
etc.). Have them recall what happened to make them feel at ease. Ask: Did
someone speak to you? Did you have to introduce yourself to another person?
Did someone ask for your help or invite you to join a game?
Explain that people sometimes describe feeling welcome as a warm feeling
and feeling uncomfortable as a cold feeling. Sometimes the feeling of discomfort
is so strong that it is described as icy. Tell students that when people
are in a situation like that they are looking for some way or someone to
break
the ice. Display the saying Break the ice. Tell the students
that introductions, invitations to join a game or do a job, a joke, or
a group activity are all ways to break the ice.
Have students recall times that they may have heard a speaker or performer
start off by telling a joke, or saying or doing something funny. Explain
that he or she did this to get things started and to put the audience at
ease and make them feel comfortable. The joke that is told or the game
that people might play are called icebreakers. (Write this word
on the board.)
Tell the students that the saying break the ice and the word
icebreaker have a practical origin. Point to the Arctic region on the world
map and ask students to describe the winter climate of the area (very cold
year round, extremely cold in the winter). Tell the students that ice forms
on the water and special ships designed to break the ice are needed to
keep the waterway open. These ships called icebreakers make it easier for
the other ships to travel, just as an icebreaker such as a joke or game
brings about conversation and a feeling of comfort.
Have the students participate in an icebreaker activity. Explain that
such activities are usually easy to do or a lot of fun and are designed
to get people talking with each other. Use the example of people in a group
being asked to solve a problem together, or being asked to identify things
that they have in common. Select an activity that would be appropriate
for your students and have them participate. Directions for two activities
are included below and the pages that follow contain the necessary worksheets.
Partners
Reproduce the page and cut the slips apart. Give each student one of
the slips of paper. Explain that each of them is responsible for finding
the person who has their partner slip. Tell the students that the partner
words will be words that we usually think of together. Each pair will be
joined by the word "and." For
example: The student with the slip marked "cup"
would be looking for the student with the slip marked "saucer,"
so they would make cup and saucer. Explain that if they have an asterisk
(draw one) with their word that means that it is the first part of the
pair. (Cup would have an asterisk.)
Tell the students that when they find their match they should sit down
together and wait for the rest of the group. (The activity may be done
silently and after all students make their matches, they can be given a
minute to ask each other a question and share the response with the group.
Students could ask their partner's name and favorite color, then introduce
them to the class that way -- This is Evan and his favorite color is black.)
Sign in
Tell the students that when you give the signal they should move around
the room trying to find other students to sign their sheets. Explain that
no student may sign someone else's sheet more than once. Tell them that
they may continue until you give the signal to stop. (This activity may
be done in silence, although it is more fun when talking is allowed.) When
time is up those with completed pages may read off the names on their sheets
and have those students mentioned stand and take a bow.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Sayings and Phrases - Break the ice
* PEANUT BUTTER |
JELLY |
* SALT |
PEPPER |
* SNOW WHITE |
THE SEVEN DWARFS |
* JACK |
BEANSTALK |
* GREEN EGGS |
HAM |
* BEAUTY |
BEAST |
* SOCKS |
SHOES |
* BREAD |
BUTTER |
* LOST |
FOUND |
* BATMAN |
ROBIN |
* CHIPS |
DIP |
* FRENCH FRIES |
KETCHUP |
* CAKE |
ICE CREAM |
* SOAP |
WATER |
* DAY |
NIGHT |
SIGN-IN
This sheet belongs to _____________________________________________
Fourth Grade - Literature - Sayings and Phrases - Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone
Objectives
Recall characters who drew people to them because of their sunny dispositions.
Identify five techniques people use to make an audience laugh.
Materials
Copy of the saying, Laugh and the world laughs with you,
weep and you weep alone, on sentence strip or chart paper
Suggested Books
Hirsch, E. D., Jr., ed. What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know.
New York: Dell, 1992.
Contains the meaning of the saying and a scenario that incorporates
the saying.
Teacher Reference books containing the meaning of the saying
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil. The Dictionary
of Cultural Literacy. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1993.
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., ed. A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
What Our Children Need to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
Pickering, David, compiled by. Cassell Dictionary of Proverbs.
London: Cassell, 1997.
Procedure
Begin the lesson by asking students to think about the qualities of
a person they would choose to have for a friend. List the qualities on
the board as they are suggested. (The qualities will most likely include
some comment about enjoying the other person's company or having fun with
that person.) Ask: Would you choose for a friend someone who was always
grouchy and complained a lot? How about someone who whined and cried and
was unhappy? Ask students to explain why these are not favorable qualities
for a person with whom you would be spending a lot of time.
Display the saying Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and
you weep alone. Invite a volunteer to read the saying aloud
and make sure that students realize that weep means the same as cry.
Ask
if anyone could relate the saying to the qualities identified by the class
as those they would choose to have in a friend. (Students should recognize
that a person with a happy disposition draws more people than does someone
who is always gloomy and grouchy.)
Tell students to think about times they have heard someone include
a joke in a speech or introduction they are making. Point out that humor
puts people at ease and encourages their attention while boring, gloomy
talk usually makes people tune out.
Invite students to think of literary characters they have met who have
had a sunny disposition. Emphasize that people who are happy and positive
seem to influence others to join their state of mind. If students have
forgotten, be sure to mention Pollyanna. After a discussion of literary
characters, extend the consideration to television, radio and film stars
as well.
Divide the class into teams of four. Tell them that they are responsible
for planning a program that includes humor. Ask them to think of five different
ways that they would get people in their audience to laugh. After allowing
sufficient time for teams to work, ask students to share their responses
and list these on the board. Encourage teams who have the same responses
as those already mentioned, to tell them again anyway and tally the additional
responses. Possible responses are funny story, joke, pie in the face, funny
faces, funny voice, humorous costume, silly conversation between two people,
misuse of words, falling down, a funny video or out take, an animal that
performs funny tricks, etc.
After all teams have shared their ideas, have the students identify
the top five responses given by the class (there may be ties). All students
could then vote for the three they believe are most funny. Have students
graph the results.
Additional Activity
Have the students create a recipe for a happy person. They could again
work in teams and several recipes could result. The recipe might say 1
cup of smiles, 1 cup of jokes and funny stories, 1 cup of kindness. Have
each team copy and illustrate its recipe on standard size paper to be put
with the others in a recipe book.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Sayings and Phrases - Through thick and thin
Objectives
Name the opposites for a list of words and suggest other examples of
opposites/extremes.
Identify characters whose friendships have survived through good and
bad times.
Materials
Copy of the saying, Through thick and thin, on sentence strip
or chart paper
Copy of the worksheet (attached) for each pair of students
Suggested Books
Hirsch, E. D., ed. What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know. New
York: Dell, 1992.
An explanation of the saying and a scenario are included on page 84.
Teacher Reference
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., ed. A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
What Our Children Need to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
An explanation of the saying and an example of its use are included
on page 11.
Room, Adrian, revised by. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
New York: HarperCollins, 1959, 1995. An explanation of the saying is included
on page 1072.
Teacher Note
You may wish to tailor this lesson to a particular selection your students
have read. Also you may choose to show pictures or objects to better illustrate
the concept of opposites.
Procedure
Divide the class into teams of two and give each team a worksheet.
Tell the students that they are to write the opposite for each of the words
given and challenge them, if they have additional time, to come up their
own pairs of opposites. Be sure that all students know what the word opposite
means before you have them begin (you may wish to talk about antonyms).
After students have had time to complete the list, read the first column,
calling on students to fill in the second column. When checking the words
supplied by the students, you may wish to have pairs read their first word
and invite volunteers to respond with the opposite. Write the word "thick"
on the board and ask students to give the opposite (thin). Explain that
thick and thin can be used to describe stew and broth, or syrup and water,
or heavy cardboard and tissue paper. Tell the students that these words
can mean something else as well. Display the saying Through thick and
thin and say to the students:
Janet and Jane have been friends for years. They have always looked out for each other and have been together through thick and thin.
Ask students to explain what thick and thin mean in this context. Students
should recognize that this means that the two girls have been friends in
good times and in bad. Ask for examples of when times could be considered
good and bad. Point out that as opposites these words indicate two extremes
and therefore take in all other times as well.
Tell students to refer to their lists and find another pair of opposites
that could be used instead of thick and thin to indicate the times through
which their friendship has lasted (good, bad; happy, sad; full, empty;
top, bottom; win, loss; empty, full). Use each pair that they suggest in
a meaningful phrase:
through good times and bad times
through happy times and sad times
through full times and empty times
through times when they were on top and times they were on the bottom
through wins and losses
through empty times and full times
Tell students that there is a song about friendship that says "through
thick or through thin, all out or all in...." Explain also that as part
of a marriage ceremony husbands and wives promise to stand by each other
in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, meaning all the times
that will come up in their life together. Take a few minutes to discuss
why this promise is made and why it is important for people who plan to
stay together to think about.
Invite students to think of literary characters whose friendship has
withstood good and bad times. They may recall the characters in Charlotte's
Web (White), Winnie-the-Pooh (Milne), The Wind in the Willows
(Grahame),
Soup (Peck), Frog and Toad are Friends (Lobel) or George
and Martha (Marshall). Students may also recognize stories about families
who have managed through good and bad times like Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Close the lesson by asking the students to stretch their minds and
think about unusual ways to describe good times and bad times. For example,
ask them to think about how they might they describe good and bad when
referring to:
weather (sunshine and rain)
flavoring (sweet and sour)
seasons (summer and winter)
reactions (laughter and tears)
foods (steak and beans)
Additional Activity
Have students illustrate the saying through thick and through thin
(or one of the others) in a very literal fashion. Have them also write
a paragraph (or two) with the figurative interpretation. Help students
brainstorm before beginning this activity so they realize that thick and
thin, for example, could be illustrated as syrup and water, forest and
desert, very crowded place and deserted island, etc.
In the second column write a word that is opposite in
meaning to the word in the first column.
up |
|
in |
|
right |
|
left |
|
happy |
|
tall |
|
young |
|
hot |
|
loud |
|
wet |
|
lost |
|
good |
|
first |
|
narrow |
|
top |
|
win |
|
high |
|
buy |
|
no |
|
empty |
|
minor |
Fourth Grade - Literature - Sayings and Phrases - Timbuktu
Objectives
Recognize that Timbuktu means a distant or unbelievable place.
Identify terms that people use today instead of Timbuktu.
Materials
The word Timbuktu on sentence strip or chart paper
Classroom-size map of the world
Suggested Books
Hirsch, E. D., ed. What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know. New
York: Dell, 1992.
An explanation and a scenario are included on page 84.
Teacher Reference
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., ed. A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
What Our Children Need to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989.
An explanation of the saying and an example of its use are included
on page 11.
Room, Adrian, revised by. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
New York: HarperCollins, 1959, 1995. An explanation of Timbuktu is included
on page 1077.
Teacher Background
This lesson should be done after the World History lessons on Ancient
Civilizations in Africa (Lessons 36-38).
Procedure
Write (or display) the word Timbuktu on the board. Pronounce
the name and ask the students to recall where this city is located (in
the western part of Africa in the country of Mali). Invite a student to
locate the city on the map. Remind students that Mali is also the name
of one of the kingdoms that long ago existed in this area. Ask them if
they can recall the other two kingdoms that were once in this part of Africa
(Ghana and Songhai).
Tell students that long ago this part of the world seemed exotic and
unbelievable to the people who lived in Europe. It was hard for them to
imagine what Timbuktu was like. They had to depend on the stories and items
brought back by the Muslim traders to know anything about Timbuktu. People
used their imaginations to fill in the facts they did not know. Timbuktu
became a city of gold in some stories, in others it was a place of great
riches and easy living. Because so many fantastic stories were told about
Timbuktu, it became almost imaginary.
Explain that over the years people also began to use the name Timbuktu
whenever they meant somewhere far away. Pioneers who were traveling from
the east coast of America to the west coast might as well be Agoing
to Timbuktu" as far as their families and friends were concerned and people
who considered something as nearly impossible referred to it as "almost
as easy as a trip to Timbuktu." Sometimes people said that someone's mind
must be "in Timbuktu" if that
person wasn't paying attention. Tell the students that today we might say
that we parked our car in Timbuktu if we wanted to indicate that we had
to park a long distance away. Ask students if they have ever heard an expression
using Timbuktu or some other location (Oshkosh, Kalamazoo, etc.).
Point out that because we are now able to travel all over the world
rather quickly and have photographs, film and videos to let us see just
about any place we can't visit, we have begun to use outer space in the
way that people long ago used to talk about Timbuktu. For example, we
say that people are lost in space when they aren't paying attention.
We may ask if a person is from Mars if he or she doesn't seem to understand
something that is very obvious or we say that a particular place is as
close as the moon to indicate that it is actually very far away. Remind
students of all the television programs and movies that deal with trips
to the moon and other planets.
Additional Activity
Tell the students that the unusual name Timbuktu was probably responsible
for some of the people's imaginings. Explain that words that are very different
to us may activate our imaginations. List the following names of places
(do not include locations) on the board and ask students to choose one
and think about the kind of place they associate with it. Tell the students
to write about the place describing its climate and what might be found
there.
Zaragoza (a city in northeast Spain)
Trondheim (a city in Norway)
Whangarei (a city in New Zealand on the northern island)
Aracaju (a city on the east coast of Brazil)
Liaoyuan (a city in China in the northeast)
Bodaybo (a city in Russia, north of eastern Mongolia)
After the students have completed their descriptions, tell them that
these are real places in the world. Have a student read his or her description
of one of the cities while you point out the map location. Have the students
use their geography knowledge to discuss whether the description could
possibly be accurate.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Stories - The Fire on the Mountain
NOTE: Do not display the book until you are ready to read it to the class, or put a cover on it so that no illustrations or information are available.
Objectives
Make predictions about the story based on the title and one line from
the story.
Describe what it means to be called a dreamer and identify characters
and people who are described this way.
Identify character traits for Alemayu, his sister and the rich man.
Materials
Copy of the story AFire on
the Mountain" (see Suggested Books)
Copy of the worksheet (attached) for each student
Classroom-size map of Africa or the world
Suggested Books
Kurtz, Jane. Fire on the Mountain. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1994.
Related Books
Alexander, Lloyd. The Fortune-Tellers. New York: Dutton, 1992.
Wonderful story of wisdom and humor set in the country of Cameroon.
Polacco, Patricia. Applemando's Dreams. New York: Philomel,
1991.
People in Applemando's village do not think that he will amount to
much because he is a dreamer.
Procedure
Write the title AFire on
the Mountain" on the board. Tell the students that it is the title of the
story you will soon be reading to them. Ask them to tell what they think
the story might be about based on the title alone. Note their suggestions
on the board under the title without giving any indication as to whether
their ideas are correct or incorrect.
Next, tell the students that the story's main character is a dreamer.
Write the word "dreamer" on the
board also. Ask the students if they have ever read or heard about any
other dreamers. Tell the students to think of actual people and not only
fictional characters. Ask students to identify the dream of the person
or character as well. List their responses on the board under the word
dreamer. (They may recall that Cinderella dreamed of going to the ball,
that Martin Luther King dreamed of equality and peace between all races,
etc.) Discuss each of their suggestions and ask students to think about
whether these dreams came true. Ask whether the person or character did
something to make his or her dream come true.
Distribute the worksheets and ask a volunteer to read the directions.
Be
sure that students understand what to do by asking another student to explain
the directions in his or her own words. Direct the students to begin and
allow several minutes for them to fill in their responses.
Invite students to share their responses to the first two questions
by incorporating them into a sentence: I think the story takes place in
South America and Alemayu is a girl or I think the story takes place in
Mexico and Alemayu is burro. Ask for a show of hands for responses to the
second two questions: How many people think it helps Alemayu to be a dreamer?
How many people think it hurts? and How many people think Alemayu's dream
comes true? How many think it doesn't? You may wish to have students share
their ideas about what happens in the story now, or go ahead and read the
story to the class. Tell the students to fill in the second part of their
worksheets as they listen.
After you have read the story, have the students respond to the questions
again. Congratulate those who were able to correctly identify Alemayu or
predict the outcome. Point out that just as Alemayu was able to use his
imagination, so were they able to use theirs. If you did not take time
to listen to the students' story ideas before, allow several students to
share theirs now.
Ask students to identify the setting of the story (the home of a rich
man in Ethiopia) and the main characters: Alemayu (shepherd boy), the rich
man, and Alemayu's sister. (Write the names in three columns on the board.)
Ask students why they think Alemayu is the only character who is given
a name. Then ask the students to give character traits for all three people.
Have the students support their answers with examples from the story. Ask
students if they think that the rich man is "as
strong and as brave as a lion" as he describes himself.
Ask the students what the rich man meant when he told Alemayu, "Do
not bite unless you are prepared to swallow." Ask: Was Alemayu prepared
to do this? How did Alemayu show that he was different from the rich man?
Additional Activities
The Language of the Story
In the story, a shemma is described as a thin cloak, but no
clear descriptions are given for injera, wat, mesob
and krar; ask the students to think of definitions or synonyms for
each as you read the story again. Ask the students if not knowing the definitions
of the words when they first heard the story made it difficult to understand,
or if the author told enough about each that it was possible for the reader
to fill in an idea. Try reading the story again, this time inserting the
synonyms that the students have suggested. Have the students decide which
of the two they preferred.
Dreamer
Read Patricia Polacco's book Applemando's Dreams to the class.
Like Alemayu, Applemando was a little boy who had wonderful dreams. After
reading the book, discuss with the following with the students:
Why could only the children see Applemando's dreams?
How did the author let us know that she believes dreams are powerful?
How did the way people treated Applemando change during the story?
Are Applemando and Alemayu alike?
Wisdom
Students will enjoy hearing Lloyd Alexander's story The Fortune-Tellers
and will delight in Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations set in Cameroon.
After reading the book, ask the students to think about the ways dreams
and fortunes are alike. Then ask: How did the fortune tellers and Alemayu's
sister each show that they were wise?
Point out to the students that The Fortune-Tellers is a humorous
story and have them tell if they think there is any humor in Fire on
the Mountain.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Stories - The Fire on the Mountain
Name ____________________________________________
Directions: The following quote is from the story AFire on the Mountain." Based on the title of the story and the quote alone, answer the following questions. Later, as you listen to the story and fill in the correct answers, you'll be able to see how accurate your predictions were.
Alemayu, who is described as a dreamer, says at the beginning of the story, "Someday, I will have a bag of money and I will visit the faraway city of Gondar with its fine stone castles."
Where does the story
take place?
Your idea
|
The story |
Who is Alemayu?
Your idea
|
The story
|
Does being a dreamer
help or hurt Alemayu?
Your idea |
The story
|
Does Alemayu's dream
come true?
Your idea
|
The story |
On the back of this
page tell what you think happens to Alemayu in the story.
Fourth Grade - Literature - Stories - Treasure Island
Objectives (according to the activity selected)
Design a pirate flag.
Identify which people and items captured by pirates would be most useful
to them.
Recognize foreshadowing and unexplained connections.
Write a sequel to Treasure Island.
Create a treasure map.
Write a description of a scene from the book.
Determine why the West Indies provided a perfect pirate haven.
Research sailing vessels of the 1700s.
Design a book jacket for Treasure Island.
Analyze the ingredients in Salamagundi (pirate stew).
Make and fill a treasure chest.
Materials (see individual activities)
Copy of the Treasure Island excerpt for each student from March
lesson
Treasure Island (optional)
Suggested Books (see March lesson)
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. Charlottesville: Core
Knowledge Classics, 1997.
This abridgment by Rebecca Beall Barns, is an excellent selection for
independent reading by students. Difficult words are highlighted and defined
so the reading is not interrupted.
________. Treasure Island. New York: Penguin, 1992.
This oversize edition contains full and two-page illustrations by Robert
Ingpen. The art is haunting and ample -- sure to encourage discussion and
speculation.
Student Titles about Pirates
Lincoln, Margarette. The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue
of the High Seas. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1995.
Directions for making a pirate flag, ship's biscuits, a treasure map,
and a pirate sword are included. Students will enjoy the chapter on "Piratical
Language."
Platt, Richard. Pirate. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1994.
A Dorling Kindersley Book, a part of the Eyewitness series contains
photographs, drawings and text related to pirates. Chapters on pirate flags
and treasure may be especially useful.
Ross, Stewart. Pirates: Fact or Fiction. Brookfield, CT: Copper
Beech Books, 1995.
This colorful, inviting book is divided into The Spanish Main, The
Mediterranean, The Indian Ocean and The Eastern Seas. Diagrams and cut-aways
make it quite informative.
Steedman, Scott. Pirates. New York: Franklin Watts, 1996. This
Worldwise Book includes chapters on pirate flags, treasure, and pirate
tales. Several references to Treasure Island are included.
Web site
http://www.star.net/People/~mikeb/educ~1.htm
This site links you to The New England Pirate Museum which provides
a historical perspective and a variety of activities related to piracy.
Teacher Note
If you began reading the novel to students last month, continue to
do so through the month of April. Use activities suggested last month (character
web or diorama) or one of the activities listed below.
Activities and Procedure
Foreshadowing and Unusual Connections
Tell the students to be on the lookout for interesting connections
that are mentioned in the story. Have them indicate when they hear a name,
place or person strangely connected to something else. For example, "The
Spyglass" is the name of Silver's inn and also the name of a place on Skeleton
Island (Treasure Island); Black Dog just happens to be at Silver's inn
and Silver is conveniently unable to catch him when he runs away; the crew
of the Hispaniola knows more about its destination than does Captain
Smollett; Ben Gunn knows Long John Silver; Silver's parrot is named Captain
Flint; etc.
You Are There
Have the students write a description of one of the scenes in the book.
Tell them to imagine that they have been magically transported and are
really there, writing down just what they see. They might be sitting in
the "Admiral Benbow" (inn) when
Dr. Livesey speaks out at the captain (Bill); they might be hiding on deck
when Jim is in the apple barrel overhearing Long John Silver's conversation
with the sailor named Dick; they might be on the island when Jim meets
Ben Gunn, etc. Have them write a description that includes the time of
day and the people present, and also tells the sounds (the water sloshing
against the boat), smells (apples from the barrel where Jim hid; or grog,
polished wood and logs burning in the fireplace at the Admiral Benbow),
tastes (throat dry and mouth salty as they listen to Ben Gunn), and sensations
(cold chills running down their backs as they hear Long John Silver speak
to Dick) of the moment.
The descriptions could be partnered with dioramas or displayed by themselves.
A student might also read his or her description aloud while classmates
provide the appropriate sound effects.
Hispaniola (the island)
Hispaniola is the name of the ship Jim Hawkins and the others sail
on, but it is also the name of an island in the West Indies (the Caribbean)
that is today made up of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Have students
use a variety of sources to investigate the West Indies and the part of
South America that was known as the Spanish Main.
Have students consider why this part of the world provided a perfect
haven for pirates (climate, access, number of islands, natural resources,
etc.).
Hispaniola (the ship)
Have students investigate the types of sailing vessels that were used
for piracy in the 1700s. Have them compare the ships of the time to see
why one was a better choice than another (see Suggested Books this month
and The Whole Story version of Treasure Island).
Students may wish to make illustrations or models of the ships, or
they may wish to investigate the origins of some of the names given to
pirate ships.
Then What Happened (a sequel to the story)
Have students recall that Long John Silver escapes at the end of Treasure
Island. Have them write about what they think happens to him. Advise
them that they may choose to keep him in the same time period or magically
move him to any other time. Have students consider what a pirate would
be doing today. Ask: How could Long John Silver blend into life in Baltimore?
What treasure would he be looking for today?
For another variation, you could reread the final paragraph of the
book and have the students recall Jim's nightmares about his experience.
Suppose he was out walking one day and heard a voice say "pieces
of eight." How would he feel? What would he do? What is his worst nightmare
regarding Silver and the treasure?
Book Jacket
Have students make a book jacket for Treasure Island. Be sure to demonstrate
how to fold the paper so that the jacket has flaps where a summary of the
story and notes on the author can be written. On the back cover
of the jacket have them write comments (reviews) from others who have read
the book ("Bone chilling!" --
Blackbeard the Pirate, AMore
exciting than a chest full of pieces of eight!" -- crew of the Bloody
Sword)
Have students put the title of the book on the cover along with an
illustration of an exciting scene.
For further study of pirates:
The Jolly Roger - The Pirate Flag
Materials
Construction paper in a variety of colors
White construction paper, white chalk
Scissors, glue
Tell the students that ships display the flag of the country in whose
service they sail, but pirate ships did not sail under the flag of any
nation and pirates usually made up their own flags. Pirate captains tried
to design flags that would strike fear in the hearts of others. Pictures
that indicated death (skull and cross bones) or violence (swords and daggers)
were frequently used.
Jolly Roger was the name usually given to the pirates' flags. Write
this term on the board. Explain that this term may have come from the French
words joli rouge which means "pretty
red." This refers to the blood-red banners that pirates flew to indicate
that they would not give quarter (bring on board) any crew members of a
captured ship. (Have the students guess what happened to these crew members.)
Tell the students to imagine that they are pirate captains and each
one must devise a flag for his or her pirate ship. Remind them that the
picture on the flag is supposed to frighten all who see it. Because the
flags are often sighted from quite a distance, it was important for the
picture on the flag to be large. Tell students to think about the colors
they use for their flags and remind them that bold colors are best.
The pictures may be drawn on white construction paper and then colored
or may be outlined on white paper, cut out and glued to another color paper.
Using white chalk on color paper is another alternative.
Valuable Prisoners
Remind the students that pirates were primarily interested in robbing
other ships. Men became pirates to get rich quick, not to learn a trade.
Because of this, the men on a pirate ship usually knew about sailing and
robbing, but they didn't know about much else. Sometimes when they captured
another ship, they took crew members from that ship who had particular
talents and forced them to become pirates. Have students think about life
on board a ship and then ask: Which talents do you think pirates would
consider to be useful? (doctoring, ship repairing and woodworking, cooking)
Discuss how each of these jobs could prove to be quite important. Ask:
Which of the men from the Hispaniola would have been useful to Long
John
Silver and the other pirates? Why?
Choice Cargo
Explain that pirates were interested in capturing merchant ships that
carried a large cargo. They took the cargo and used it themselves. If they
captured a ship carrying gold (used for making purchases, paying salaries)
all the better.
Everything that was taken -- "booty" as it was called -- was shared
between the crew members. The captain received a double share as did the
man who spotted the ship that was attacked. (Sometimes, the surgeon received
more, as did the boatswain and gunner.)
Have students consider that pirates would need more than gold in order
to live. Have them brainstorm a list of everyday items they might capture
that would prove useful (clothing, sails, thread, rope, food, gunpowder,
swords, tools, medicine, maps and charts, etc.)
Pirate Stew
Ask the students if they have ever eaten soup or stew made from leftovers.
Remind them that people often combine a variety of foods to make such a
dish and explain that pirates did, too. Pirate stew or Salamagundi as it
was called, was made up of many different foods combined in a large pot
and cooked for hours. This was an easy way to have a meal for a lot of
people without a lot of work.
Remind the students that pirates traveled by ship. Ask: What foods
do you think pirates ate a lot of? What would you expect to find in a pot
of Salamagundi? (fish, crabs, octopus, anchovies) What do you think they
added to make it tasty? (salt, pepper, garlic, spices, wine, onions, etc.)
Tell the students that hard-boiled eggs were often put in the stew
as well. Ask: Where do you think the pirates got eggs from? (Birds may
have been kept on board, or birds' nests were robbed when the pirates came
ashore.)
Pirate Map
Have the students create a map that discloses where a treasure is hidden.
They might imagine it hidden in the classroom and provide clues as to its
location. Teams could work together to create the maps, then exchange them
and try to follow the clues to uncover the treasure. Damp tea bags can
be gently wiped over the paper to "age"
the maps and make them look more authentic. Tearing the edges of the paper
to make the map look weathered would also add to making it look more realistic.
Pirate Chest
Materials
Brown or black construction paper and manila paper (one sheet each
per student)
Strips of yellow or gray construction paper (metal bands to fit around
the chest)
Scissors, glue
Magazines, catalogs for cutting out pictures
Remind the students that a pirate's chest held all the things that he
considered valuable. Have them recall the captain (Bill) who stayed at
the Admiral Benbow had a quadrant, a suit of clothes that he had never
worn, pistols, tobacco, a bar of silver, compasses, a Spanish watch and
some West Indian shells in his chest as well as the coins and the map.
Have students draw or cut out pictures of the items that they would
keep in their chests. Have them make a chest out of construction paper
(see below) and paste the items inside. If you wish, have them write an
explanation of why these items were important, or attach a key that explains
the contents. The legend could be decorated with a picture of a key intended
to fit the chest's lock.
Directions for making chest
1. Mark the center of a piece of brown or black construction paper
held vertically.
2. Fold the top and bottom ends to the center.
3. Insert the piece of manila paper.
4. Decorate the outside of the chest (when closed) with strips of yellow
or gray construction paper to resemble bands. Add a keyhole.
5. Draw or paste pictures on the manila paper of things that would
be kept in the chest.
Bibliography
Alexander, Lloyd. The Fortune-Tellers. New York: Dutton, 1992.
(0-525-44849-7)
Cole, Joanna and Stephanie Calmenson. Rain or Shine Activity Book.
New York: Morrow, 1997. (0-688-12131-4)
Hirsch, E. D., ed. What Your Fourth Grader Needs to Know. New
York: Dell, 1992. (0-385-31260-1)
Kurtz, Jane. Fire on the Mountain. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1994. (0-671-88268-6)
Lincoln, Margarette. The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue
of the High Seas. New York: Cobblehill Books, 1995. (0-525-65209-4)
Platt, Richard. Pirate. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1994. (0-679-97255-2)
Polacco, Patricia. Applemando's Dreams. New York: Philomel,
1991. (0-399-21800-9)
Ross, Stewart. Pirates: Fact or Fiction. Brookfield, CT: Copper
Beech Books, 1995.(1-56294-619-6)
Steedman, Scott. Pirates. New York: Franklin Watts, 1996. (0-531-14403-8)
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. New York: Penguin,
1992. (0-670-84685-6)
________. Treasure Island. Charlottesville: Core Knowledge Classics,
1997.(1-890517-04-6)
Teacher Reference
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil. The Dictionary
of Cultural Literacy. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. (0-395-65597-8)
Hirsch, Jr., E. D., ed. A First Dictionary of Cultural Literacy:
What Our Children Need to Know. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. (0-395-59901-6)
Pickering, David, compiled by. Cassell Dictionary of Proverbs.
London: Cassell, 1997.(0-304-34911-9)
Room, Adrian, revised by. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
New York: HarperCollins, 1959, 1995. (0-06-270133-9)
Spears, Richard A. NTC's Super-Mini American Idioms Dictionary.
Lincolnwood, IL: NTC Publishing Group, 1996. (0-8442-0916-3)