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⚓ Lesson 1 of 4
⚓ Treasure Island — Ch.1: The Old Chest
🟢 Prepare & Equip
🟡 Practise & Deepen
🔵 Prove & Transfer
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🟢 Act One — Prepare & Equip
1
Ordinary World — Retrieval
The Old Chest
⏱ 3 min
📖 Your Story Begins…
You have always wanted to see what is inside your grandfather's old sea chest. It sits in the attic, locked and covered in dust. The brass lock is rusted shut. To open it, you'll need a key — or the courage to break it open.
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Before your adventure begins, let's warm up your brain. Pass this diagnostic to find the key to the chest…
🧠 Quick recall: What is a "genre" in writing?
1–2 sentences. Think about different types of books or films.
Click to speak
⚡ Diagnostic: Which of these is an adventure genre convention?
2
Call to Adventure — Mission
The Treasure Map
⏱ 2 min
📖 The Story Continues…
Inside the chest you find a yellowed, folded piece of paper. You carefully open it. It's a treasure map! Strange symbols mark an island, and in the corner, written in faded ink: "Flint's Fist — 1754." You feel your heart racing. You know what you must do: join a crew and find this island.
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Today you'll learn to identify genre and understand conventions — the rules and patterns that make adventure stories work. This is exactly what 11+ examiners test.
Learning Objective: Identify genre and understand conventions in adventure fiction.

🎯 Success Criteria — I can…

Name the genre of a text and explain how I know
List at least 4 conventions of adventure fiction
Spot conventions in an unfamiliar passage
Explain why a writer uses genre conventions
3
Meeting the Mentor — Toolkit
Long John Silver
⏱ 5 min
📖 A Stranger Approaches…
At the harbour, a tall man with a wooden leg approaches you. "The name's Silver," he says, tapping his crutch against the cobblestones. "I hear you've got a map. I can teach you everything you need to know about the sea — if you'll have me."
🤝
Speak politely: "Thank you, Mr Silver. I'd be glad of your help."
Wise choice — earn his respect
🧠
Ask a wise question: "How do I know I can trust you?"
Shows intelligence — Silver is impressed
⚔️
Challenge him: "I don't need help from a one-legged cook!"
⚠️ Risky — may lose a life
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Silver is your mentor — and he's brought your Genre Toolkit. Learn these rules and you'll never confuse genres again.
✅ Genre = the type or category of a text (adventure, horror, romance, sci-fi…)
✅ Conventions = the expected features readers recognise (a hero, a quest, danger, a villain…)
✅ Adventure conventions: hero's journey, unknown lands, treasure/reward, physical danger, a villain or rival, loyal companions, a quest or mission
✅ Writers use conventions so readers feel the thrill of recognition — they know what kind of story they're in
Quick check: Which is NOT an adventure convention?
🟡 Act Two — Practise & Deepen
4
Crossing the Threshold — Modelling
Aboard the Hispaniola
⏱ 4 min
📖 Setting Sail…
You step aboard the Hispaniola. The sails crack in the wind and the crew busies itself with ropes and rigging. Silver stands at the helm and begins to teach you the ways of the sea — and the ways of adventure stories.
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Watch how I identify genre conventions in a real passage. Then you'll try.
"I remember him as if it were yesterday, as he came plodding to the inn door, his sea-chest following behind him in a hand-barrow — a tall, strong, heavy, nut-brown man, his tarry pigtail falling over the shoulder of his soiled blue coat, his hands ragged and scarred, with black, broken nails, and the sabre cut across one cheek, a dirty, livid white."
— Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, Ch.1

💭 Think-Aloud: How I'd identify genre here

Step 1 — What genre? This is adventure fiction. I know because of the setting (an inn, the sea), the character type (a rough, scarred sailor), and the language (sea-chest, tarry pigtail, sabre cut).

Step 2 — Spot conventions: We see a mysterious stranger arriving (a classic adventure opening), physical description suggesting danger and experience, and props like a "sea-chest" hinting at secrets/treasure.

Step 3 — Explain effect: Stevenson uses these conventions to immediately signal to the reader: this is going to be a dangerous, exciting story. The scarred stranger creates tension and curiosity.
5
Trials — Guided Practice
Prove Your Worth
⏱ 5 min
📖 A Test of Skill…
Silver narrows his eyes. "Every crew member must prove themselves," he growls. "Choose your station." Pass these challenges to earn your place aboard the ship.
🔭
Crow's Nest — lookout duty
Spot genre conventions in passages
💰
Powder Monkey — the cannons
Match conventions to their effects
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Identify the genre conventions in these examples. Think about what each one does for the reader.
1) "A hero travelling to an unknown land" is a convention of which genre?
2) Which convention does "the sabre cut across one cheek" represent?
3) Why does Stevenson describe the stranger's "sea-chest"?
📦 Explain: Why do writers use genre conventions?
Think about the reader's expectations and how conventions create feelings.
Click to speak
6
The Ordeal — Stretch Challenge
The Storm
⏱ 6 min
📖 Danger Ahead…
A storm hits the Hispaniola. Waves crash over the deck. Silver shouts above the wind: "This is where we separate the sailors from the landlubbers! Choose your path, and choose well."
⚔️
A test of bravery — face the storm head-on
Standard difficulty challenge
🧠
A test of intelligence — navigate by the stars
Harder — but gain half a life if you pass
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Now the difficulty goes up. Read this unfamiliar passage and identify the genre conventions — no hints this time.
"The bar silver and the arms still lie, for all that I know, where Flint buried them; and certainly they shall lie there for me. Oxen and wain-ropes would not bring me back again to that accursed island; and the worst dreams that ever I have are when I hear the surf booming about its coasts or start upright in bed with the sharp voice of Captain Flint still ringing in my ears: 'Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!'"
— Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, Ch.34
1) What genre is this passage?
2) Name TWO genre conventions you can spot in this passage.
Think: treasure, danger, a quest, physical setting, haunting memories…
Click to speak
7
Reward — Recognition
Silver's Approval
⏱ 1 min
📖 A Reward Earned…
Silver claps you on the shoulder. "You've got the makings of a fine pirate," he says with a crooked grin. The crew cheers. Long John Silver accepts you as one of his own.
⚓
Act Two Complete
You can identify genres, spot conventions, and explain their effects. Now prove you can do it independently.
🔵 Act Three — Prove & Transfer
8
The Road Back — Independent Check
The Black Spot
⏱ 4 min
📖 A Dark Discovery…
You reach into your bag and find a small piece of paper you don't recognise. You turn it over. One side is blank. The other is marked with a black spot. In pirate lore, this is a death sentence — someone on this ship wants you gone. Pass this test to avoid the ambush.
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
No hints. Read a fresh passage and prove you can identify genre and conventions independently — exam conditions.
"The coracle — as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her — was a very safe boat for a person of my weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage. Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at."
— Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, Ch.22
Write a full answer: What genre is this passage? Name TWO conventions and explain how Stevenson uses them.
Use the method: Name genre → Spot conventions → Explain effect on reader.
Click to speak
9
Resurrection — Transfer
Who Do You Befriend?
⏱ 5 min
📖 A Choice of Allies…
Two figures approach you on the moonlit deck. Each offers friendship — and each carries a gift. Your choice will shape the next chapter of your adventure.
🗡️
Black Dog — an untrustworthy pirate
Gain a knife — may help in the future (risky ally)
🔭
Mr. Arrow — the first mate (always drunk)
Gain a telescope — may help in the future (unreliable)
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Top 11+ students can spot genre conventions in any text — even ones they've never seen before. Let's transfer your skills.
✍️ Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) that uses at least TWO adventure genre conventions.
Think: setting, character, danger, quest, treasure. Make it your own story!
Click to speak
10
Return with the Elixir — Consolidate
The Island is on the Horizon
📖 To Be Continued…
Dawn breaks. You climb to the crow's nest and there, through the morning mist, you see it — a dark shape rising from the sea. The island. Your heart pounds. Whatever lies ahead, you are no longer the same person who opened that dusty chest. The adventure continues in Lesson 2…
🏴‍☠️
🧑‍🏫 Tutor:
Excellent work, sailor! You've completed Chapter 1 of your Treasure Island adventure. You can now identify genres, spot conventions, and explain why writers use them.
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Score
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Lives
+75
XP
🎒 Your Inventory

✅ What You Learned

✓
Genre = the type of text; conventions = expected features
✓
Adventure conventions: quest, danger, unknown lands, treasure, villain
✓
Writers use conventions to signal genre and create expectations
✓
You can spot conventions in unfamiliar passages

📝 Homework — Due Next Lesson

Task: Read the first chapter of a book from your library collection. Identify the genre and list 4 conventions you can spot. For each one, explain its effect on the reader.

Stretch: Write a paragraph that could be the opening of an adventure story. Use at least 3 conventions.