Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Background to the novel Treasure Island was first published in 1883 by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson and featured as a serial in a children’s magazine called Young Folks. Jim Hawkins, a 14 year-old boy narrates most of the story. The book begins in a village on the coast of Devon at an Inn called the Admiral Benbow. Jim is the son of the landlord and is intrigued by Billy Bones who is staying at the inn and seems to be hiding from a variety of fellow seamates including Black Dog. On Bones’ death, Jim acquires a packet, which he, Squire Trelawney and Dr Livesey are opening in the first passage. On discovering a map within, the Squire and the Doctor decide to commission a ship and go in search of Treasure Island. From Eoin Colfer’s introduction to the Puffin Classics Edition: What is every boy’s dream? To be plunged bodily into high adventure. To be plucked from everyday life and dropped into a seatof- the-pants existence, with danger at every turn. And, of course, there must be pirates. Bloodthirsty, murderous sea dogs. Filthy as bilge water and treacherous with gold fever. For me, this is the essence of Treasure Island. Jim Hawkins could be any boy on the planet. He is no muscle- bound superhero. He is an ordinary lad who finds himself in an extraordinary situation. In the reader’s mind, he is Jim Hawkins. At least, he could be. It’s just possible. I know that for eight hours in 1977 I was Jim Hawkins. 1. Words in context (comprehension/vocabulary development) You will need: • copies of text 1 – The Pirate’s Papers • copies of worksheet 1 – Words in context (2 page) • dictionaries (check that they have the words first) The purpose of this is to help to engage with the story and explore some of the unusual vocabulary as well as the unusual uses of familiar vocabulary. Read the passage aloud at least once and give out copies so that children can find the phrases in the activity themselves. Ensure that it is understood that you are asking them to read for the meaning as it is used here rather than the conclusion they may jump to eg. famous meaning good in this context. Extension activity Research the Inn The Admiral Benbow on the internet. (There is one in Cornwall – although the one in the story is said to be fictional. The Admiral was probably a real person.) 2. Made up words (verbs/nouns, reading for meaning) You will need: • copies of worksheet 2 – Made up words Revise definitions of verbs and nouns. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 1 of 19 Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson T E AC H E R N OT E S This activity is done in pairs and demonstrates how we learn meanings through context. It is a good way to consolidate understanding of the functions of verbs and nouns in language. Extension activity Make up more words that are used as adjectives and/or adverbs. 3. I go to Bristol (history/art) You will need: • copies of worksheet 3 • one copy to read aloud of text 2 – I go to Bristol •card • string/cotton thread (for rigging) •paint •pencils • books about 19th century ships • access to the internet to research ships from the period Research will be carried out in groups, leading to 2D card models of the kind of ships described in the passage being made. These can then be arranged on a ‘harbour’ background as a display to represent the docks at Bristol. Encourage referencing to the passage for the details of the ships. Extension activity: Find out more about Bristol as a port and how its fortunes have changed in the past few hundred years. (It survived the abolition of slavery in the 1800s by diversifying in a way that many ports did not.) 4. Treasure (PSHE/citizenship/descriptive writing) You will need: • copies of worksheet 4 – Treasure • access to the internet to research ‘treasures’ Brainstorm the notion of treasure and encourage the thought that we treasure ideas as well as objects. 5. The Island! (compass points/maps/craft) You will need: • copies of text3 – The Island • copies of worksheet 5 – Treasure Island (3 pages) • colouring implements of your choice • possibly paper, glue and paint for papier-mâché island • cold tea bags © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 2 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Explain longitude & latitude and the points of the compass. The activity will help visualisation of the island. The map is examined and a new map made with a list of directions to a spot where treasure is hidden. Encourage creativity in planning hiding places so that children can share their maps and ‘find’ each other’s treasure. Use cold tea bags and slightly tear the edges to give the maps an aged bumpy feel. Extension activity: If you are feeling like making a happy mess then go for the papier-mâché option and make an island. Start with a large board (60x90cm) and scrunch up a lot of paper into the middle. Then mix PVA and water in about 50/50 proportions and tear strips of newspaper to stick on top of the scrunched up ‘core’. Allow to dry for a day or two after 3 or 4 layers have been applied, and then apply some more. Make sure that the island has a good interesting coastline for the ships to explore. When dry and hard paint and make accessories such as trees (card & wool) & rivers (silver foil). Much clue hiding and treasure hunting fun to follow! 6. Battleships (co-ordinates) You will need: • copies of worksheet 6 – Battleships • coloured pens or pencils • map or globe Revise or explain the concept of latitude & longitude and co-ordinates. Make the connection with plotting co-ordinates and either explain Battleship rules or get children to read from the instructions before playing the game. 7.Review You will need: • copies of worksheet 7 – Review • all the work done on the project • all three texts Ask children to choose their favourite passage and say why. Encourage them to read the rest of the book (you could read them Eoin Colfer’s words about how he identified with the narrator Jim Hawkins, see top). © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 3 of 19 Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson T E AC H E R N OT E S Curriculum links History • Transport changes over the period since the book was written • Seals and their significance (relate to modern security measures) and get some sealing wax and a thimble to demonstrate what happens in the story. PSHE • There are some moral dilemmas around who should have the treasure that do not feature in the extracts chosen but could be explored if supplementary ones were read. Music • What shall we do with the drunken Sailor? • The Diamond (Scottish sea shanty from the 1830s) Pirates • At the end of the Puffin edition there is (amongst other excellent bits of information and ideas) a pirate glossary. Investigate piratical terminology (Facebook will translate into English Pirate which is hilarious!) • Investigate pirates of today, how has pirating changed? Drama • Imagine you are on board a ship and you all have different roles, what are they? What would you need for a long sea voyage? Will there be pirates, do they have similar defined roles? Will they meet? © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 4 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson 1. The Pirate’s Papers From Chapter 6 Jim Hawkins (about 13), Dr Livesey and Squire Trelawney open Flint’s Map which has been taken by Jim from Captain Bill’s sea-chest. They decide to commission a ship and sail from Bristol to the island to find the treasure. The paper had been sealed in several places with a thimble by way of seal; the very thimble, perhaps, that I had found in the captain’s pocket. The doctor opened the seals with great care, and there fell out the map of an island, with latitude and longitude, soundings, names of hills, and bays and inlets, and every particular that would be needed to bring a ship to a safe anchorage upon its shores. It was about nine miles long and five across, shaped, you might say, like a fat dragon standing up, and had two fine land-locked harbours, and a hill in the centre part marked ‘The Spy-glass’. There were several additions of a later date; but, above all, three crosses of red ink – two on the north part of the island, one in the south-west, and beside this last, in the same red ink, and in a small, neat hand, very different from the captain’s tottery characters, these words: ‘Bulk of treasure here.’ Over on the back the same hand had written this further information: ‘Tall tree, Spy-glass shoulder, bearing a point to the N. of NNE. ‘Skeleton Island ESE and by E. ‘Ten feet. ‘The bar silver is in the north cache; you can find it by the trend of the east hummock, ten fathoms south of the black crag with the face on it. ‘The arms are easy found, in the sand hill, N. point of north inlet cape, bearing E. and a quarter N. ‘J. F.’ © Puffin Books 2015 22103 That was all; but brief as it was, and, to me, incomprehensible, it filled the squire and Dr Livesey with delight. ‘Livesey,’ said the squire, ‘you will give up this wretched practice at once. Tomorrow I start for Bristol. In three weeks’ time – three weeks! – two weeks – ten days – we’ll have the best ship, sir, and the choicest crew in England. Hawkins shall come as cabin-boy. You’ll make a famous cabin-boy, Hawkins. You, Livesey, are ship’s doctor; I am admiral. We’ll take Redruth, Joyce, and Hunter. We’ll have favourable winds, a quick passage, and not the least difficulty in finding the spot, and money to eat – to roll in – to play duck and drake with ever after.’ ‘Trelawney,’ said the doctor, ‘I’ll go with you; and, I’ll go bail for it, so will Jim, and be a credit to the undertaking. There’s only one man I’m afraid of.’ ‘And who’s that?’ cried the squire. ‘Name the dog, sir!’ ‘You,’ replied the doctor; ‘for you cannot hold your tongue. We are not the only men who know of this paper. These fellows who attacked the inn tonight – bold, desperate blades, for sure – and the rest who stayed aboard that lugger, and more, I daresay, not far off, are, one and all, through thick and thin, bound that they’ll get that money. We must none of us go alone till we get to sea. Jim and I shall stick together in the meanwhile; you’ll take Joyce and Hunter when you ride to Bristol, and, from first to last, not one of us must breathe a word of what we’ve found.’ ‘Livesey,’ returned the squire, ‘you are always in the right of it. I’ll be as silent as the grave.’ www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 5 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson 2. I Go to Bristol From Chapter 7 Mr Trelawney had taken up his residence at an inn far down the docks, to superintend the work upon the schooner. Thither we had now to walk, and our way, to my great delight, lay along the quays and beside the great multitude of ships of all sizes and rigs and nations. In one, sailors were singing at their work; in another, there were men aloft, high over my head, hanging to threads that seemed no thicker than a spider’s. Though I had lived by the shore all my life, I seemed never to have been near the sea till then. The smell of tar and salt was something new. I saw the most wonderful figureheads, that had all been far over the ocean. I saw, besides, many old sailors, with rings in their ears, and whiskers curled in ringlets, and tarry pigtails, and their swaggering, clumsy sea-walk; and if I had seen as many kings or archbishops I could not have been more delighted. And I was going to sea myself; to sea in a schooner, with a piping boatswain, and pigtailed singing seamen; to sea, bound for an unknown island, and to seek for buried treasures! While I was still in this delightful dream, we came suddenly in front of a large inn, and met Squire Trelawney, all dressed out like a seaofficer, in stout blue cloth, coming out of the door with a smile on his face, and a capital imitation of a sailor’s walk. ‘Here you are,’ he said, ‘and the doctor came last night from London. Bravo! the ship’s company complete!’ ‘Oh, sir,’ cried I, ‘when do we sail?’ ‘Sail!’ says he. ‘We sail tomorrow!’ 3. The Island! From Chapter 14 I now felt for the first time the joy of exploration. The isle was uninhabited; my shipmates I had left behind, and nothing lived in front of me but dumb brutes and fowls. I turned hither and thither among the trees. Here and there were flowering plants, unknown to me; here and there I saw snakes, and one raised his head from a ledge of rock and hissed at me with a noise not unlike the spinning of a top. Little did I suppose that he was a deadly enemy, and that the noise was the famous rattle. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 Then I came to a long thicket of these oak-like trees – live, or evergreen, oaks, I heard afterwards they should be called – which grew low along the sand like brambles, the boughs curiously twisted, the foliage compact, like thatch. The thicket stretched down from the top of one of the sandy knolls, spreading and growing taller as it went, until it reached the margin of the broad, reedy fen, through which the nearest of the little rivers soaked its way into the anchorage. The marsh was steaming in the strong sun, and the outline of the Spy-glass trembled through the haze. www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 6 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Words in context Find each of these words/phrases in the first passage and think about what it means in context. Use a dictionary if necessary but be careful because the words are not all used in the conventional way. Write a new sentence using the word in a way that shows you understand what the word means in the passage. The first one is done for you. thimble She put the thimble on her finger when she started sewing. seal anchorage land locked tottery hummock fathoms crag inlet incomprehensible squire © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 7 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson cabin boy wretched famous admiral passage hold your tongue desperate blades lugger silent as the grave © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 8 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Made up words Reading the context is a very important way that we work out what a word means, for example… I walked down the frebindosh to the shops and got some milk. What might frebindosh mean in this sentence? .................................................................................................. Will you please frebindosh the car with petrol? .................................................................................................. Now what does it mean? .................................................................................................. Make up some nonsense words to complete these sentences: (they must be sayable so think about the syllables; three is enough) Please can I have another .................................................................................................. ? Use the same word to complete this sentence. I will have to .................................................................................................. all day tomorrow! One of the ways you have used your new word is as a verb one is as a noun. Look back at the sentences on this page and underline the made up verbs in green and made up nouns in red. Now use the table (on the next page) and make up some more sentences with one nonsense noun or verb in it and swap with your partner to get them to: a) define its meaning (of course there may be more than one possibility so don’t expect them to read your mind!) b) say whether it is a noun or a verb. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 9 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Made up word table. Possible meaning N or V Honey, jam, marmalade, chocolate spread N Sentence I like dimbash on my toast for breakfast. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 10 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson I go to Bristol Mr Trelawney had taken up his residence at an inn far down the docks, to superintend the work upon the schooner. Thither we had now to walk, and our way, to my great delight, lay along the quays and beside the great multitude of ships of all sizes and rigs and nations. In one, sailors were singing at their work; in another, there were men aloft, high over my head, hanging to threads that seemed no thicker than a spider’s. Though I had lived by the shore all my life, I seemed never to have been near the sea till then. The smell of tar and salt was something new. Draw a picture of the scene described here. You are going to use it to help you make a 2-dimensional model of a ship from the period. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 11 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure What do you treasure most? Why? Treasure Island is all about finding the kind of treasure that will solve life’s problems, but acquiring the treasure is a challenge. Write a list of things that you think society regards as treasure and why. Your reasons should not all be about monetary value. Can you think of things that are ideas rather than actual objects? Treasure © Puffin Books 2015 Why is it treasured? 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 12 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Chose one treasure and research it, then describe it thoroughly. Mention its size, colour, weight, use, age, and any other attributes that you can think of. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 13 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson The Island! Here is the map that Jim and company are going to use to find the treasure on the island. Colour the sea in blue (taking care not to obscure the writing of the place names) and the island in various greens as described in the passage. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 14 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Now design your own Treasure Island below. You can use some of the same names from Robert Louis Stevenson’s imaginary island and some of your own. You need to include compass points (North going up) and an indication of where in the world your island is using longitude and latitude. Decide where the treasure will be buried. If you want to make your map look really old, cut round the edges as though it is broken and dab little bits of the edge with a cold wet tea bag. This makes it look old and stained and a bit bumpy. © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 15 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Write a list of at least 5 instructions for someone finding the treasure, eg: 1. Go to the tall tree at the north east corner of the island and walk 10 paces south until you come to the brook 2. Cross the brook and go east… Make sure that the person searching knows what the treasure looks like! Instructions For Finding The Treasure. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 16 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Battleships Secretly draw the outline (only) of your 5 characters on the lower grid (see following page). No character can hang over the edge of the grid or touch another. They can be in different orientations from those shown but must be the same shape. The golden doubloons can be anywhere on the board as single squares. Players take turns firing a shot to find opponent’s characters. Battleship symbols: Jim Hawkins golden doubloons (5 singles) treasure chest snake ship © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 17 of 19 Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson T E AC H E R N OT E S Your opponent’s grid Q P O L A T I T U D E N M L K J I H G F E D C B A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 LONGITUDE Your grid Q P O L A T I T U D E N Fill in the numbers and letters on the edges of the grids, then outline 5 characters onto the bottom grid. M L K J I H G F E D C B A 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 LONGITUDE © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 18 of 19 Treasure Island T E AC H E R N OT E S By Robert Louis Stevenson Reviewing what we have done Good bits Bad bits Do you want to read the rest of the book? ........................................................................................................................................... Why? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ What did you learn from working on this project? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ © Puffin Books 2015 22103 www.teachitprimary.co.uk Page 19 of 19 Can you find all the books? A B H T O M S A W Y E R N J M B A L L U F S A W Q F A F K P O S D N I A C J Y E C U B K J L D U C M N C C K I N G A R T H U R A R Z L E E K L U O H L L S D N E F N P A O S B E T Y A L U V K G D A E D L F A E B P Q N O F R Z L S F Y Q I G D A E J K S F R A E E U M T W T R V U R N L C T L C H B J S O O T E E T R J A H H E O S O A C T K L E N Y Y D S R E K C H O L D H Y E N T Q F W E I W O H U K T Y E X P G U K I S D S I G C L S P K C L R A R C N C H T L G U I E A O E I I B E S N O U I D R L C D E R N T N L S L K C V A D E H E I D I T T C E I U Y T I N R E P L J H B R L E S N B M O C A H K P K P R K E E S W W I N D I N T H E W I L L O W S D O V A Y W D I E T O L B S F O G F N B I S L E J R E P K N L T M S O D K Q S O R B O R I Y V H H E L P E S T E L S P E P M H O H E N M A R K B Y O E A S A J I Q W E K I E L O I E R N T E N R K W I A F O U A H Y A N M I A L D S E L R G T G N B W I Z A R D O F O Z X T D V H D S E C R E T G A R D E N H P B K Q K T R E A S U R E I S L A N D L R P A F J X Z S A Q N M K D I O H Can you find all the books? A B H T O M S A W Y E R N J M B A L L U F S A W Q F A F K P O S D N I A C J Y E C U B K J L D U C M N C C K I N G A R T H U R A R Z L E E K L U O H L L S D N E F N P A O S B E T Y A L U V K G D A E D L F A E B P Q N O F R Z L S F Y Q I G D A E J K S F R A E E U M T W T R V U R N L C T L C H B J S O O T E E T R J A H H E O S O A C T K L E N Y Y D S R E K C H O L D H Y E N T Q F W E I W O H U K T Y E X P G U K I S D S I G C L S P K C L R A R C N C H T L G U I E A O E I I B E S N O U I D R L C D E R N T N L S L K C V A D E H E I D I T T C E I U Y T I N R E P L J H B R L E S N B M O C A H K P K P R K E E S W W I N D I N T H E W I L L O W S D O V A Y W D I E T O L B S F O G F N B I S L E J R E P K N L T M S O D K Q S O R B O R I Y V H H E L P E S T E L S P E P M H O H E N M A R K B Y O E A S A J I Q W E K I E L O I E R N T E N R K W I A F O U A H Y A N M I A L D S E L R G T G N B W I Z A R D O F O Z X T D V H D S E C R E T G A R D E N H P B K Q K T R E A S U R E I S L A N D L R P A F J X Z S A Q N M K D I O H
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