THE LEGEND IS TOLD of an uncharted island 692 kilometers northeast of Baltimore, Maryland. During one spring break, a Northeast Middle School teacher went sailing in search of this mythical isle. After fighting off pirates and steering clear of whirlpools, the teacher discovered the island hidden snugly behind a ring of steep volcanic rock. He reached land, docked his boat, and began to explore the newfound place.To his surprise, the island was already inhabited by all sorts of people and creatures. From the futuristic streets of Kerner City to the white sands of Hopkins Beach to the castle atop Mount Jacob, this world was oblivious to anything outside its ring of rock. There were no schools; instead, learning was everyone's full-time job. Certain people specialized in adjectives while others knew how to write a formal business letter. Others were well-versed in vocabulary and some rocked the proverbial house with objects of prepositions.
The teacher had an idea, a crazy, unconventional idea: what if he brought his students to this island for the remainder of the school year? They would choose where they lived, become part of the learning community and imbibe knowledge like Big Pouch Capri-Suns. Excited by this prospect, the teacher raced around the island, asking the current residents if they would mind adding a hundred students to their secluded world. The unanimous answer was yes.So the teacher's students packed up their belongings and survived the perilous voyage to Northeast Island. For the next two months they would read, write, think, discuss, draw and imagine in challenging and exciting
new ways. At the end of their journey, the students left the island with a folder of their accomplishments and several artifacts they collected along the way. Even with this proof, some of their friends didn't believe their stories of learning Tweetspeak to talk to the birds or finding an entire underwater city. The legend has been passed down several generations, and no one has been able to find the island again. Some say it doesn't exist. There are no records of any 607, 608 or 611 classes in room B-23 at Northeast Middle School. Only one teacher and a hundred students know the real truth...Vocabulary (thanks dictionary.com)
imbibe: to drink, or receive as if by drinking.
inhabit: to live in.
mythical: existing in a myth; imaginary, fiction.
oblivious: lacking awareness; not knowing what's around you.
perilous: dangerous, risky.
proverbial: from a proverb (a short saying of a basic truth).
secluded: kept away from view, private.
unanimous: complete agreement.
unconventional: out of the ordinary, different.