You would never expect a snipe hunt to begin in a sixth grade
English classroom. This one did.
Several boys in my third hour class were avid waterfowl hunters.
Throughout the year, I listened to and read story after story
about the hunts these young men experienced. Nick, in particular,
lives to hunt. His enthusiasm for the sport could not be higher.
In April, a class discussion turned to hunting. Acting upon impulse
I casually asked, "Have any of you been on a snipe hunt?"
One girl instantly knew what I was talking about.
"I have!" she nearly shouted. "It's so much fun!"
Nick was hooked. He wanted to all about it.
"How'd you do it? What gun did you use?" Nick demanded.
"We didn't use guns, Nick," I told him. "It really
isn't necessary. "
"But how do you get them?" Nick demanded. "What
do they look like? I'm going to look them up in my book."
I told him that was a good idea. It might even be in the dictionary.
He reached for the dictionary -- one of the few times he did so
of his own accord.
While Nick was looking up "snipe" Sam called me over.
He could tell I was trying to trick Nick, "But, Mrs. Boatman,
there really is a snipe. It's a bird," he said.
"That's true, " I whispered, "but a snipe hunt
is a great joke to play on someone."
"I want to go snipe hunting!" Nick announced as he closed
the dictionary. I told him that would be fun. Maybe we could arrange
it.
I got the class back on task and rushed to my computer. Perhaps
I could find the snipe kit web site. There was a story on it that
would help Sam understand a snipe hunt. I found the web site and
printed out the story. Giving it to Sam I whispered, "Read
this and see if you get what I mean."
Later he came to my desk, "I think I understand. But how
could we do it?" We talked about several options, all involving
his twin brother Jack and Darrin, another hunter in the class.
That afternoon I talked to Nick's stepfather. I described what
happened in class that day. "Would it be okay if I arranged
for Nick to go on a snipe hunt soon?"
"You know he'll want to take a gun," he said.
"We took care of that. We told him that they were easy to
catch and that in Colorado snipe had to be released," I told
him. He laughed and thought it would be a great idea.
Throughout April, Sam and Jack tried to set up the snipe hunt,
but it didn't happen. School was ending early this year; time
was running out. Inspiration hit. Our sixth grade class was taking
an outdoor education field trip to the YMCA of the Rockies in
Estes Park, Colorado. We could hold the snipe hunt there! I ordered
the Snipe Kit, hoping it would arrive before we left for the YMCA.
I talked to Sam, Jack and Darrin. They were as excited as I was.
"But how are we going to do it?" Sam wanted to know.
"I'll get a parent to help. Don't worry."
Looking over the parent chaperone list, the choice was easy. I
called Charles, the father of one my homeroom students. "Would
you like to play a joke on someone?"
"You bet!" He was the perfect choice.
The day came for the overnight trip. The snipe kit had not arrived,
so I went prepared with a pillowcase and flashlight. Nick was
barely able to focus. He was going snipe hunting!
After a night hike students got ready for a talent show. It was
then that Charles took Nick, Sam, Jack, Darrin and his son Eldon
off for the hunt.
Charles instructed the boys to stay below when he climbed the
hill. He'd flush out the snipe for them to catch. Sam and Jack
saw the snipe right off. "I got one!" Sam yelled. "Oh,
it got away!"
"How are you seeing them?" Nick wanted to know. The
others were catching snipe. After all, wasn't there one in the
pillowcase Sam was holding?
The hunt continued in this vein until Charles told the boys they
must join the rest of the sixth grade for the talent show. On
the way, Nick asked if they could go snipe hunting early the next
morning -- he wanted to see the snipe. He was certain he could
catch them if he did.
Near the end of the talent show, I asked all the boys who went
on the snipe hunt to join me on stage. Sam enthusiastically described
their successful hunt . Using exaggerated hand motions he showed
how he caught the snipe and how they got away. The co-conspirators
chimed in with their stories. I quieted the audience and asked
Nick to tell us about his hunt.
"I didn't catch anything! " He raised his hands in exasperation.
"How were they seeing them?"
I asked the audience and asked how many parents had been snipe
hunting. Most had. How many were surprised that Nick didn't catch
any? None. The students began to laugh and Nick turned to me with
confusion written in capital letters on his face.
"It was a joke, Nick."
He stared at me. I repeated, "It was a joke."
"Oh, man," he groaned.
After we stopped laughing, Nick received the news that a snipe
kit had been ordered just for him.
The last day of school arrived. The infamous snipe hunter s bounded
into the classroom. We first awarded Sam, Jack and Darrin certificates
for being "Master Snipe Hunting Guides." (Eldon received
his during his class period later in the day.) Nick received his
"Amateur Snipe Hunter" certificate and Snipe Kit with
cheers and applause from his classmates.
The rest of the day, each time I saw him, Nick was re-living that
hunt with any student or teacher that would listen.
It was, indeed, the first one that started in my English classroom.
But, maybe not the last.
Star Bound would like to thank Claudean and her class for their patience while we prepared the site for them. We are grateful that they wanted to use our Snipe Kit in their endeavor to catch the slippery little bird. If the kit had made it to them in time perhaps their luck would have been better.
Dont you think?
Be well.