Treasure

At school we have been reading "Treasure Island" as a class, and I have been reading "A Certain Kind of Treasure" as my read aloud. We finished both books within a day of each other and then we had to celebrate. The first thing we did was compare the types of treasures in each book. Then I had each student write a paragraph called "What I Treasure" and draw a picture of what they treasure. Then the next day I had each of them bring in their treasure (or a representation of it.) In the morning all of the kids put their treasures in our class treasure chest (which I had made the day before.) We went through the morning and then the kids went out to recess. During recess our treasure was "stolen." And a clue was left for us. These clues led us around the school. The best was getting our second clue. My friend Natalie was standing outside at the playground dressed as a pirate. She had a blue bandana and had given herself a mustache, and a toothbrush hook. She was hilarious. "Ah, this, I just wanted to remind ye te brush yer teeth!" Along with the clues, we received pieces of the treasure map. At the end, the class had to tape the treasure map together and then they had to silently follow me back to the classroom. We did a "follow the leader" game and skipped, hopped, jumped, twirled, and crept our way back to the classroom. When we got to outside our classroom I told the kids that I would go in to check the place out first. I handed the map to one of the kids, "in case I didn't make it back", looked both ways, and then leapt through the door, slamming it behind me. I had told one of the girls to count to ten and then bring the class in. The funniest part was that I forgot that I'd locked my classroom door. So I had to open it for them and then run back to my seat at my desk. The last treasure told them that the treasure was "somewhere close to me" and it was. It was under my desk. So then we pulled out the treasure chest and I gave each student their treasure and had them explain to me why it was a treasure. There were some really touching stories too. Anyway, it was one of the most fun activities I have ever done with my class and plan on doing it again next year, only closer to the beginning of the school year.

-T

P.S. My treasure was a picture of my family, to represent all of you.