Treasure

Island
LESSON PLAN 3 – The Treasure Hunt
These lesson plans have been written with Y6 objectives in mind but they could easily be
adapted for Y5 or Y7.

1) Reading and Responding Activities – ‘The Treasure Hunt’

2) Immersive activity: Use the treasure map from the book to find the three buried
sites on the Minecraft island.
3) Writing Task – Newspaper Report

1. Reading and Responding

EXTRACTS FROM BOOK:
1. The Search For Treasure
2. NOT finding the Treasure
3. In Game pre-reading: description on the back of the map

Lesson 1: Analysing Character (Long John Silver)

L.O. To use the “Point, Evidence, Explanation” (P.E.E.) prompt when answering questions about a
text.

 Children listen to the extract from Treasure Island which leads up to the pirates discovering
that the treasure has gone. They follow the text and then re-read the text with a partner
taking turns to read a paragraph and helping each other with any difficult vocabulary.
 Put the children into groups and ask each group to focus on one of these questions
(differentiate by the complexity of the question that you assign to each group):
- How does Long John Silver behave in this section of the text? What does his behaviour
reveal about him as a character?
- How is Jim feeling in this part of the story? How is this similar, or different, to the other
characters in the text?
- How does the knowledge that they are getting near to the treasure alter the way that
the pirates are acting in the text? Why have their actions changed?
- What has happened at this location in the book in the past? Why might it be significant
to what is currently happening in the story?
- What are the different ways that the author builds tension in this section of the text?

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Lesson 3: Characters’ Responses

L.O. To compare characters within a text.

 Shared reading of the passage from the book that describes the different characters’
reactions to not finding the treasure.
 Children work in pairs and complete a copy of the Resource - Think, Say, Feel
Worksheet (enlarge onto A3).
 For each of the characters – Long John Silver, Merry, Jim - they use evidence from the
text to think about what each of these characters might think, say and feel in response
to the discovery that the treasure is missing.
 Ask children to feedback to the class. Why did different characters respond to the
situation differently? What does this tell us about the characters’ different motives at
this point in the narrative?
 Explain that next the children are going to have experience of investigating and
discovering what really happened to the treasure!

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2. Immersive activity : Finding the Treasure
 Before you go into Minecraft read the description of where the treasure is buried that was
written on the back of the map (using Resource – The Map of Treasure Island).
 On the map of Treasure Island identify three crosses that tell you where the treasure, arms
and silver are buried on the island.
 Now go into LITCRAFT Treasure Island and open Chest 4.
 Follow the instructions to help you find the three sites where treasure is hidden on the island.
 Dig up all you can and bring it back, along with Ben Gunn’s Journal.

Chest 4: Hunt for Treasure

The book in Chest 4 at the start point provide the following instructions :

Treasure Hunt
Like the pirates you are now going to search for treasure.

Using the map of Treasure Island from the original book, find the three sites where X marks the spot.
Bring back as much treasure as you can.

Bonus of 30 gold coins if you find any of the following:

- A gold figure/ statue
- A dragon’s head
- A creeper head
- An end crystal
- A clock

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Book inside chest at first (main) treasure site:

“Fooled you shipmates! I, Ben Gunn, have found the treasure and taken the treasure. If you want it
you’ll have to find my cave on the East of the Island.”

Book inside chest at Ben Gunn’s Cave:

“Ben Gunn’s Journal: How I found the Treasure

Though I be not good at writing, this I must write down for all to know – how I, Poor Ben Gunn,
marooned on this island for many a long year, found Captain Flint’s treasure.

It came about like this . . . I had been about a year marooned and was wandering in the land below
the Spye-Glass when I caught my foot on something hard and tripped over. Well I was cursing and
swearing at that object until I saw that it was a skull and that the skeleton it belonged to seemed to
be pointing a certain way. I got to thinking that this was an old trick of Flint’s and that it might be a
clue to the burying of his treasure all those long years ago – that same treasure that led to me being
marooned here in the first place.

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Well I dug here and I dug there and I had no luck at all but with nothing else to do I kept at it day after
day until one fine morning I was staring at a tree and thinking how mighty tall it was. Then it came
into my mind that Flint might well need a marker and that a tall tree would do as well as any other.

So I picked up my pick-axe and set to work. It is hard digging all alone, I can tell you, but before long I
heard a clink as my iron tool hit the top of a chest. I cannot describe the excitement I felt at that
moment and the sense of triumph. I didn’t really think I would find it and I could hardly believe I had.

When I finally dug it out and prised that chest open, why it was so full of gold it fair dazzled me. The
sun shone on it and it shone on me. I leaped up and danced around it like a mad man. After that I
spent many a day carting it back to my hideout and here it rests with me. I’ll be a rich man If I ever
get home again and buy all the cheese a man could ever want.”

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4. WRITING TASK : NEWSPAPER REPORT
Explain to the children that they are going to write a newspaper report based on Ben Gunn’s theft
of the treasure and the pirates’ reactions to discovering the treasure had been stolen.

Lesson 1: Feature Hunt

L.O. To identify the features of a newspaper report.

 Give the children a range of different newspaper articles from real newspapers.
 Children work in groups and identify the common textual features of this type of text.
 As a class, come up with a features checklist for a newspaper report.
 Once this list is correct, children discuss the function of each of these features e.g. What
does the headline/picture caption/subheading/first paragraph/final paragraph do? Why is
there direct speech?
 Children annotate a copy of a newspaper article that they have been given. They label each
of the features and write a description of its purpose.
 Teacher an annotated newspaper article with key features to the working wall.

Lesson 2: Analysis of newspaper language

L.O. To identify the different types of language devices used in newspaper reports.

 Give out a range of different newspaper articles from real newspapers. If possible each
group of children should have a different report.
 Depending on where you are up to with your grammar teaching, children could be asked to
identify the following range of devices within the newspaper article (they must identify the
first three as they will be using them in their own writing):
- Embedded clauses.
- Direct speech with the reporting clause in different places.
- Linking words/phrases (including adverbials)
- Modal verbs
- Use of the passive voice
- Range of sentences of different lengths for effect.
 Children find examples of the above in the article and highlight them. They label what they
have highlighted.
 To end, collect a selection of sentences, one with each type of the above features, and add
them to the working wall.

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Lesson 3: Skills build-up

L.O. To identify an embedded clause within a sentence and develop sentences with embedded
clauses.

 Give the children a range of real newspaper articles and ask them to highlight any sentences
with embedded clauses.
 Children look carefully at these sentences. What do they notice about the parts of the
sentence on either side of the embedded clause? What different words are used at the start
of an embedded clause? What do they notice about the punctuation? Why are embedded
clauses so useful in newspaper reports? Feedback.
 Show the children sentences, based on Treasure Island, that do not currently contain an
embedded clause e.g. ‘Long John Silver strolled along the deck of the Hispaniola’; ‘The
treasure chest contained seven hundred thousand pounds’; ‘Jim hid from the pirates in the
undergrowth’.
 Model how to add an embedded clause into these sentences using a different type of
starting word each time. Emphasise that the clause comes after the noun or proper noun
and is separated from the rest of the sentence by two commas e.g. ‘Long John Silver, who
was the captain of the ship, strolled along the deck of the Hispaniola’; ‘The treasure chest,
which could not be found, contained seven hundred thousand pounds’; ‘Jim, aged 13, hid
from the pirates in the undergrowth’.
 Children then have a go at adding some embedded clauses into sentences based on
Treasure Island before writing some sentences independently, completing Resource –
Embedded Sentences Worksheet.

Lesson 4: Writing

L.O. To write the first paragraph of a newspaper report.

 Explain to the children that they are going to start writing a newspaper report based on Ben
Gunn’s theft of the treasure.
 Look at examples of first paragraphs from real newspaper reports. What information do
they contain? Hopefully children will come up with “Who? When? Where? What? Why?”
(5Ws).
 Revisit Ben Gunn’s journal: “How I Found the Treasure” that the children found in the game.
Can they identify the information that they need for the first paragraph of their newspaper
report? Write this up on the flip chart.
 Teacher models how to write a first paragraph of a newspaper report and includes
embedded clauses in the model.
 Children write the first paragraph of their newspaper report on whiteboards ensuring that
they include at least one embedded clause and the 5Ws
e.g. “A castaway, named Ben Gunn, has stolen £700,000 worth of gold from a hidden
location on Treasure Island. The theft, which came to light yesterday, is thought to be the
largest of its kind in the history of the Island.”
 Peer improvement of first paragraph then children add to the newspaper template
(Resource – Newspaper Template and Resource – Newspaper Template-2)

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Lesson 5: Writing

L.O. To write the second paragraph of a newspaper report.

 Look at examples of second paragraphs from real newspaper reports. What information do
they contain? Hopefully children will notice that they expand on the information in the first
paragraph often using the repetition of a key phrase as a linking device.
 Revisit the accounts in the text of the pirates’ hunt for the treasure and the events that
happened after they did not find it. This information is going to form the basis of the
second paragraph
e.g. “The revelation that Mr Gunn, who lives in a cave, had stolen the treasure came after a
group of pirates discovered an empty hole where the treasure should have been. At least
one pirate, named locally as Merry, was fatally wounded when shots were exchanged
shortly after the alarm was raised about the missing treasure.”
 Teacher models how to write a second paragraph of a newspaper report including
embedded clauses in the model and showing children how to make sure it links with the
first paragraph.
 Children write the second paragraph of their newspaper report on whiteboards ensuring
that they include at least one embedded clause and a linking sentence or phrase.
 Peer improvement of second paragraph and add to template.

Lesson 6: Skills build-up and writing

L.O. To correctly punctuate speech and include a sub-heading.

 Children work in pairs and write interview questions for Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins
based on what they know about the characters from their work on the book so far.
Children come up with three questions for each character ensuring that they are open
questions. [using the Resource – Character Interviews sheet]
 Children interview each other and respond as if they are the characters (their completed
“Think, Say, Feel” resource sheet should help with this). Children record the responses to
the questions in the first person.
 Teacher models how to correctly punctuate the direct speech that will make up the next
two paragraphs of the newspaper report – one paragraph with a quote from Long John
Silver and the other with a quote from Jim. When the teacher models they should ensure
that the reporting clause is in different places in each paragraph to add challenge. Teacher
should also demonstrate how to include a sub-heading in-between the two paragraphs.
 Children add their next two paragraphs to their template, punctuating their speech
correctly and ensuring they add a sub-heading in between the paragraphs.
 Peer-editing of speech punctuation and sub-heading.

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Lesson 7: Writing

L.O. To write the final paragraph of a newspaper report.

 Look at examples of first paragraphs from real newspaper reports. What information do they
contain? Hopefully children will realise that the final paragraph sums up the information in
the report.
 Children have a go at writing their own final paragraph on whiteboards, based on the models
from the real newspaper articles. This should be independent writing as all other writing
activities have been heavily scaffolded.
 Peer-improvement of final paragraph and add to template.

Lesson 8: Skills build-up and writing

L.O. To explore newspaper headlines and to write a headline for a newspaper report.

 Teacher shows examples of the types of devices used when newspaper sub-editors write
headlines e.g. short words, omitted words, word play, noun strings, alliteration, verb
changes, use of simple tense. Examples can be found by clicking on the link:
https://www.londonschool.com/blog/understanding-newspaper-language/
 Children are given a real newspaper and they go through seeing how many examples of the
different types of headline they can find. They cut them out and stick them on a sheet for
inspiration.
 Teacher models some examples of different headlines.
 Children come up with three different headlines on whiteboards that might work for their
article.
 Peer-improvement. Share really good examples. Children add their best example to their
newspaper article template.
 To finish, children do the picture caption challenge. They look at the picture captions in the
real newspaper and see if they can independently add a caption to the picture of the
Minecraft island on their newspaper report.

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