Text type:
Fiction 

Word Count:
3600 

Page count
22 

Text Summary
Treasure in the Puget Sound is a fictional modern-day Pacific Northwest adventure. The story will keep young readers wondering, "Is there really buried treasure out there?" Tim Hawkins, now a grown man, retells a story from his youth. With a touch of pirate antics, some bad guys, and high action, students will read right through to the end. They'll also find out the answer to this question: Will Tim tell what he knows?

Vocabulary
Puget Sound
swaggered
confront
civil
Bremerton
Spokane
ruthless
confound
mutiny
commander
foliage
subdue
authorities

Reproducible Worksheets
Worksheet 1 - Character map featuring trait identification
Worksheet 2 - Vocabulary

Lesson Objectives

Comprehension
The student will demonstrate the ability to describe common character traits that might identify a "good" guy and a "bad" guy.

Word Work
The student will demonstrate the ability to list descriptive character traits and situations pointing to character development. In doing so, they will identify antonyms as they apply to good and bad traits.

Visual Literacy
The student will demonstrate the ability to locate items based on a grid using an x-y axis.

Before Reading

Elicit Prior Knowledge and Build Background
Ask students if any of them have searched for buried treasure or wanted to find a buried treasure. What would they consider a "treasure?" 

Ask students if they know anyone who was or is in the Navy. Briefly describe the timeframe and situation of World War II and discuss the concept of why treasures might be found in the seas during a war.

Skim and Scan
Point out the number of chapters in the book. Have students watch for the places found on the map during the introduction. Also, tell them to look for other names of characters in the story and to think about what those people may be like, if they really existed.

Introducing the Book
Post the title of the book and show the book to students. If possible, display a map of Washington State that labels Seattle, Puget Sound, Spokane, and Bremerton. Depending on your location, you may also want to use a U.S. map for a reference to the location of Washington State.

Explain to students they will be reading an adventure story based in the state of Washington. Either point out the state or ask a student to find it. Post these names: Seattle, Puget Sound, Spokane, and Bremerton. Have students find these locations on the map. (If the map you're using doesn't show these places, indicate where these are.)

Introduce the words on the vocabulary list. Tell students to use the context of the sentence or paragraph for other words they're unfamiliar with. For example, discuss what it might mean when "Bones swaggered into the Inn."

Explain that there are many different characters in the story, some good and some bad. Their job while reading will be to find out who's good and bad and look for situations, words, and actions that help them decide.

During Reading

Set the Purpose
Using Worksheet #1, have students list words and terms they find while reading that describe good or bad character traits in relation to the character in the character map. Suggest they use two differently colored pencils or highlighters. Students will underline the words in the book in one color for "good" and the other color for "bad" as they read. Later, while working on the worksheet, they can go back and list the words they feel fit best. For example, you might say: In Chapter 5, someone hates to tell lies. Would that be a good guy trait or a bad guy trait? Underline that sentence in the "good" color you've chosen.

On the worksheet in the good guy column, write, Hates lying. Choose other examples as you see necessary for your class.

Monitor students' understanding as they read and underline in the book and fill in the worksheet. Explain that paraphrasing on the worksheet is fine. For example, they might write the word mean to describe a bad trait, based on an action a character demonstrates, even though they don't find the word in the text.

After Reading

Building Comprehension
To confirm their understanding of character development and trait identification based on reading, ask:

• Which characters in the book do you think were good? Bad? Why?
• What character traits do you have listed on your worksheet in the good guy column? The bad guy column?
• Do you think these people are realistic? Why or why not?
• Can you describe Tim Hawkins now based on the way he was as a child?

Discuss the fact that sometimes a good guy or bad guy might demonstrate the same traits. In these cases, they'll need to use more description when saying a trait is good or bad.

Word Work
Put the names of the characters in an envelope: Tim Hawkins, Johnny Bones, Tim's mother, Tim's father, Dr. Living, Black Dog, Captain Glint, Glint's men, Robert Jacks, Frank, Captain Elliot, John Gold, Ron Gunn, Gold's men, Gold's parrot.

Have students draw out names and play "Who am I?" Each student will give as many adjectives as they can that describe the character they've drawn. Other students guess the character. When one student guesses, he or she draws the next name and gives the traits.

As students play, be sure that you or a student lists the words on the board. After the game is complete, go through the list and point out those that are similar (synonyms) and those that are opposites (antonyms). Also note that the antonyms should be describing the good guys in contrast to the bad guys.

Learning through Visual Devices
Using a map from the book, explain that maps are miniature versions of a larger area. Based on the experience level of your class, you may need to take time and teach them how to read a simple map.

Once students are familiar with reading and using maps, tell them to pair off and look at their maps. Have them make a map of their classroom, focusing on scale.

Writing Link
Have students write a fictitious letter to the adult Tim Hawkins or any of the characters in the story. Prompt them to include descriptions of what they would do if they had been in the same situation. (You might ask them to include suggestions that are nonviolent and discuss why.)

Assessment

• Review students' completed comprehension worksheets in order to assess whether they understood the reading.
• Have students write sentences or paragraphs using selected words from the vocabulary list, or using word work examples from the lesson, to demonstrate their understanding of word meaning.