COULD you write a creative adventure story about survival in the jungle? My Inquiry Strategies for Science teachers were given this assignment. They had to include a location, waterway or physical feature such as mountains, plateaus and ranges. The country had to have a name, plus five facts. The story had to also include 15 vocabulary words, chosen from a list of 30 that I gave them. I try to select words that students need to “reach” for. This is what we call Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Learning. For optimal learning to take place, an assignment should not be too hard or too easy but just a tad bit above average to make one stretch their gray matter. Finally, the story had to include the following details: a .45 caliber pistol (loaded); a book titled “Edible Animals of the Jungle;” a red and white parachute; compress kit with gauze; flashlight, Jack knife; plastic raincoat; two pair of sunglasses; one cosmetic mirror and a magnetic compass.
Students got together in cooperative learning groups where they could brainstorm ideas, scenarios, etc. Within each group there was a leader, recorder and presenter. Then they wrote their story. Finally, reading and presenting to the entire class.
One of my students from Tinian, Mariana Omengkar, shared with the class this past Wednesday that she had been a substitute teacher and presented the survival lesson to her students after all tasks assigned by the regular teacher had been completed. She’d made some modifications to the original plan to meet her needs, like changing some of the vocabulary words. She stated that they loved the group interaction, writing process and the fun they had creating their stories. She added, “they didn’t even want to go to the next period, which was P.E.” I guess that is a true indicator of the success of the lesson.
This type of assignment can also be applied to any given situation and age level. Just change the vocabulary and specific details as Mariana did. Parents, have your son/daughter create a story using vocabulary words from a cereal box that they look at each morning, select words from the box in addition to various objects that might be in the box. Have them use their imagination and write an adventure story.
Anyway, utilizing the criteria as outlined above the following story was developed through the creative, vivid imagination of Tony Aldan, Wilma Hofschneider, Jack Kiyoshi and Vanessa Mobel. Enjoy!
Tony, Wilma, Jack and Vanessa decided to develop the story around a Mission Impossible theme. The Order of Operations, according to them, included the Mission: Seek and Destroy Bin Laden and his Al Queda Army. The time of completion was to be 24 hours. Situation: Stranded on an island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Location: 50 degrees North Latitude and 150 degrees West Longitude. Island Physical Features: Three active volcanoes, several flat plains, rugged high cliffs, gray/black quick sand pits, several rivers and streams infested with piranha; Island Name: Island of the Baboons; Facts: Tropical setting, baboons, Atlantic Ocean, island features, Bin Laden and Al Queda. The team members consisted of: E-1 Sergeant Pathfinder Make-up Anything starring Vanessa; E-5 Sergeant Medic Wilma starring Wilma; Captain Know-It-All need to know starring Jack and Ranger Major Payne starring Ton.
Here goes, “The Adventures of Ranger Major Payne and the Suicide Squad.”
A beep awakens us from our sleep. It’s time for our mission to begin. The sounds of the engine and propellers are buzzing and humming as we hovered over the Atlantic Ocean, which added to our disorientation from our nap. Once again, we were on a mission for the President of the United States. We left our headquarters in Puerto Rico and were debriefed on our mission.
General Geri had informed us that our goal for this mission was to seek and destroy Bin Laden and his Al Queda Army at a mysterious island in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. That sounded easy enough, until General Geri described the treacherous terrain of the island. The island consisted of three active volcanoes, rugged high cliffs, several flat plains, gray and black quick sand pits, and several rivers and streams infested with piranhas. “Are you willing to take on this mission?” asked General Geri. I stood up and said, “The Suicide Squad and I will consider this mission and vow to bring back prolific results.”
Now on a plane over the Atlantic Ocean, which was producing caustic sounds that irritated all of our ears, we thought to ourselves. We are gifted, brave and talented soldiers sent to seek and destroy Bin Laden and his Al Queda members. Only a few audacious individuals were carefully selected to be on such a daring mission.
First is the beautiful yet deadly Medic Sergeant Wilma. Fashioned in a black tight leather outfit covered with a black plastic raincoat and wearing a pair of Oakley sunglasses, she looked like an extra out of the movie Matrix.
Second, is Sergeant Make-up Anything. Born in the rainforest jungles of the Amazon and raised by the Amazonian spider monkeys, she is able to make a trail anywhere. Versed in many languages such as Swahili, Indonesian and French, Sergeant Make-up Anything is a great asset to the Suicide Squad.
Third is Captain Know-it-all. He is able to speed read a novel faster than a blonde trying to read Curious George Goes to the Zoo. Equipped with verbal martial arts, he can kill a person by boring them to death. The group found him to be an orthodox person especially after the mission with the Amazon women of the Moon.
Fourth is Ranger Major Payne, who lives his life as a military fanatic. He joined every branch of the military and became a very decorated and well-respected soldier. Unfortunately, with the break up of the boy bands Menudo and New Kids on the Block, he was never the same.
As superior soldiers, we were entailed with the necessary equipment, charged and paid for by the army, to complete this epic journey. Some of us were contemplating on the excitement of being able to finally blow-up buildings and people as Ranger Major Payne let out a zestful warrior scream to motivate us. Unfortunately, his scream didn’t detract Medic Wilma from her cosmetic mirror.
Seeing a mountain zenith from her cosmetic mirror, Medic Wilma showed apathy towards the eccentric object, as she was more concerned with applying her lip and eyeliner evenly. Suddenly a meteoric object that caused a momentous explosion hit our plane. Everyone jumped up and ran for their red and white parachute bags. We ejected from our plane and threw ourselves into the deep blue sky. “There’s the island,” shouted Sergeant Make-up Anything.
After we landed from our ordeal, we browsed around the jungle with a flashlight. We guided ourselves with an obsolete magnetic compass that was influenced by magnetically induced fields. Using a small jack knife, Sergeant Make-up Anything made a trail that led to a village full of baboons. There on the throne was Bin Laden, king of the Bermuda Triangle Baboons a.k.a. Al Queda. The mystery was finally solved! We deduced that Bin Laden was hiding among a village of baboons in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle! Surrounded, Ranger Major Payne took out his loaded .45 caliber pistol, Medic Wilma took out her compact mirror and her eye liner set, Pathfinder Make-up Anything took out her small jack knife, and Captain Know-it-all took out his Book: “Edible Animals of the Jungle.”
“Attack!” screamed Bin Laden. Skilled and equipped, we were not going to succumb to his evil ways. Like a scene from the Wizard of Oz, an army of monkeys pounced upon us. Medic Wilma started to do somersaults and flying kicks that knocked out 20 baboons. Sergeant Make-up Anything sprang into action with her small jack knife while screaming in a Swahili warrior call. She made a group of baboons follow her on a jungle trail that lost them forever. Captain Know-it-all, armed with his book, found out that baboons wouldn’t make a delectable delicacy. Therefore he stuffed a grenade in the book and threw it into a big crowd of baboons. Boom! Forty baboons ready for adobo. Ranger Major Payne, on the other hand, threw his loaded .45 caliber pistol away, opened his duffel bag, and retrieved a sub machine gun. Having fun like a little boy in a candy store, trigger happy Ranger Major Payne laughed as baboon body parts flew into the air.
After the carnage, Ranger Major Payne and his Suicide Squad stood alone among the fallen Al Queda baboon army. Astonished and stunned by such skill, Bin Laden tried to escape through his dimensional portal behind his throne. Fortunately, Medic Wilma took out her compress kit with gauze and threw it towards him. Her compress kit with gauze transformed into an acid net that fell upon Bin Laden. Screaming and shrieking, Bin Laden began to melt and dissolve into a puddle of mush. “Ewwww!” screamed Medic Wilma.
“Well our mission is done and now we can go home,” said Captain Know-It-All with such candor. Sergeant Make-Up Anything advised that we jump through the portal to get off the island. “Are you sure?” said Ranger Major Payne. “Yes and don’t worry because I can always find the trail home,” replied Sergeant Make-up Anything. Trusting and confident, we jumped into the dimensional portal that would probably take us home.
Darkness fell. A swirl of light surrounded us. Momentarily, we felt seared, but a warm feeling encircled us. Our eyes opened to see where the dimensional portal had taken us. It was the Bahamas! The portal had transformed our military gear into island clothing and we began to party. Guys with thongs carried Medic Wilma and Sergeant Make-up Anything to a Jacuzzi for a relaxing massage. Ranger Major Payne was showing off his big gun to a couple of Bay Watch girls, and Captain Know-it-all was immersed in a book called, “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.” Ranger Major Payne and his Suicide Squad had finally begun their long awaited vacation.
