Reading, Writing, Communicating Connections: Treasure Island Teacher Tidbit: About the Author Magazine. In 1880 the Stevensons traveled back to Europe, Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson was born in Edinburgh, living for a time in Bournemouth, England. But the climate Scotland on November 13, 1850 and was the only child born was still too much for him and he spent winters traveling. In to Margaret Isabella Balfour and Thomas Stevenson, 1888 he set sail for the South Seas, and by the end of 1889 pioneering designer of lighthouses. He was familiar with the island of Samoa, the would later change "Lewis" to "Louis." place where he and Fanny would call home. When young Louis was not bed-ridden suffering from a fever or cold Having been enamored of the locals who exacerbated by the damp and chilly bestowed the name "Tusitala" or "Teller of Scottish weather, he was often in the Tales" on him, Stevenson purchased four company of his father, the fishermen hundred acres for his mansion he named and lighthouse keepers. These times "Vailima" (Five Rivers). Stevenson would provide much fodder for his own immersed himself in the local culture and stories as a child and adult. Louis' politics of his new home, and continued his devoted nurse, Allison Cunningham prodigious output of novels and letters. "Cummy," read to him and encouraged Robert Louis Stevenson died at home of a him at an early age to write his own stroke in December 1894, his beloved Fanny stories including "History of Moses." by his side. He later dedicated A Child's Garden of Verses (1885) to Cummy. Treasure Island was first published in May 1883. Other fiction titles by Stevenson Louis attended Edinburgh Academy include: before entering the University of The Story of a Lie (1879) Edinburgh with the intent of following New Arabian Nights (1882) in his father and grandfather's footsteps The Black Arrow (1883) as a lighthouse keeper, but it was an The Merry Men (1887) occupation for which he was physically The Master of Ballantrae (1889) ill-suited. He next studied law but The Misadventures of John Nicholson decided ultimately to become a writer. (1894) Illness often curtailed his studies and The Ebb-Tide (1894) throughout his life he traveled to St. Ives (1897) warmer climates. Stevenson wrote Island Nights' Entertainments (1905) numerous novels, stories and collections Prince Otto: A Romance (1905) of essays based on his travels, including Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes Non-Fiction (1879), An Inland Voyage (1878) and In Edinburgh Picturesque Notes (1879) the South Seas (1893). While on one of Virginibus Puerisque and Other Papers his many forays in France, Stevenson (1881) met American artist Fanny Osbourne Memoir of Fleeming Jenkin (1887) (1840-1914) who was there without her Memories and Portraits (1887) husband but with son Lloyd and A Footnote to History (1892) daughter Isobel. The children were Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson (1892) dazzled by Stevenson's outgoing Familiar Studies of Men & Books (1894) personality and pirate stories, and Louis Lay Morals and Other Papers (1911) and Fanny fell in love. Records of a Family of Engineers (1916) In 1879 he sailed to New York from Poetry Books Glasgow, much to the distress of his father who was Underwoods (1887) concerned for his well-being. After making the arduous Ballads (1891) cross-country journey to San Francisco, Louis and Fanny Songs of Travel and Other Verses (1896) were reunited, Osbourne having been newly granted a Prayers Written At Vailima (1904) divorce. In May 1880 they were married. New Poems (1918) Stevenson took up a number of positions writing for various As you can see, some books were published after newspapers and magazines including The Cornhill Stevenson’s death. Created by: Supported by: Reading/Writing/Communicating Connections: Treasure Island Reading/Writing and English Content Standards Activity 1: Read Treasure Island aloud in class then have students find as many words describing the book as they can using letters from the following words: “pirate” and “treasure” and “cheese.” Activity 2: Have students write a letter to their favorite actor in the show. Or have students write a fan letter to Imagination Celebration that expresses how they feel about being able to attend events at the Pikes Peak Center. We have several sponsors that help support the season and we love to share your thoughts with them. Send letters to 1515 North Academy Boulevard, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80909. Activity 3: While the story comes to a conclusion, it’s easy to imagine many more adventures for Jim, Long John Silver and even the doctor. Have students write and illustrate a new adventure for any of the characters from the performance. Reflect, Connect, Respond 21st Century Learning questions provided by the framework of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) are meant to deepen this theater experience. The questions below are modified from the CDE examples. Touch Points for Kindergarten In many books about pirates, they have parrots as pets. If you had a parrot as a friend who could talk, what do you think it would say? What words do you think your friend might use to talk to you and what do you think might be important to hear about from your friend? We call pet friends by names—what letters are in your pet’s name? Are those letters in other places in the room? Touch Points for 1st Grade There are many new words in the play—why is it important to know what those words mean? Why do you think the playwright (the person who wrote the play) used those words instead of different words? How do you think the playwright began writing the play? What tools did he/she need? When reading the book, what do you imagine the characters look like? Why? How do the characters look on stage? Is it the same as what you imagined? Touch Points for 2nd Grade There are many new words in the play—why is it important to know what those words mean? What can you do to remember the meanings of the new words? Do you learn more by talking or listening? Why? What does the title of the book tell you about the story inside? How do the pictures on the front of the book help tell you about the story inside? What age of reader do you think the author was trying to tell this story to? Why? Touch Points for 3rd Grade The play’s script is written using different writing patterns/styles than the book. This is because the script is written for the actors to read to learn how the playwright wants them to act the story; the book is written in a style that has pictures to help children read and understand the story. Do you talk differently to your friends than your family? How? Why? Cover up the words on a page of the book. Try to describe what you think the picture is telling you. Now read the words on the page as fast as you can. Is the first description you created from the picture the same as the fast description you just read? Finally, read the page carefully. Is it still the same message? What are the differences? What tools do you think the author needed to write this story? What tools do you think the playwright needed to write this play? Touch Points for 4th Grade What tools do you think the author needed to write this story? Why? What tools do you think the playwright needed to write this play? Why? When you first read the book, were the characters what you expected in the play? If the author changed any of the settings in the story, how would it have change the story? Touch Points for 5th Grade Speaking volume and patterns are different when directed to an audience from a cast on stage. How is volume different? How is eye contact different? Why? How do the actors know you are listening to the play? How do you think the author might have written this story for adults? What would be different and why?.