Setting:  Several chairs are on stage, as well as a large dry-erase board with markers or a chalkboard and chalk.

As the scene opens, Mrs. K greets the people who begin to file into the room, where they take a seat. After they are all seated, she speaks to the group.

Mrs. K:

Well, I hope you all wore comfortable shoes today because I thought we’d try something a little different.

Leo:

What’s the topic?

Mrs. K:

You tell me.

Leo:

(confused) Huh?

Mrs. K:

You’re going to tell me what today’s topic is.

Trent:

(smiling) How about supermodels?

All the guys “high five” each other

Mrs. K:

That’s not exactly what I had in mind. You see, today you will be going on a scavenger hunt.

Katie:

(excited) Sounds like fun!  What are we looking for?

Mrs. K:

Clues.

Trent:

For what?

Mrs. K:

Our topic of the day. I’ve hidden clues all over the block.  It’s your job to find them  and figure out what they all have in common.  Once you do, you’ll know our topic for the day.

Ronna:

But how will we know what to look for?

Mrs. K:

Each clue is on a brightly colored piece of paper and will have the letter “K” in the top corner. They will be hidden everywhere, so look carefully.  You’ll need two people to stay behind to record and discuss the clues as you find them.

Jordan:

I’ll stay. I’m good at solving puzzles.

Marcus:

Me too. 

Mrs. K:

Very good. The rest of you will be “on the hunt.”  When you find a clue, bring it back here to be recorded.  When you’ve figured out the topic, you will receive your reward.  

Trish:

We get a reward?

Mrs. K:

Only if you can figure out what the clues have in common.  Now, go find those clues!

All the students except Marcus and Jordan quickly run off stage

Mrs. K:

(to Marcus and Jordan)  Let me know when you have the answer. (she exits)

Marcus:

Any ideas of what this could be about?

Jordan:

Not yet. It could be anything. 

Leo:

(rushes on stage with a brightly colored paper in his hand) I found the first clue. It was taped to the door.

Trish:

What’s it say?

Leo:

I’m not sure.  I can’t pronounce it.

Marcus:

Let me see.

Marcus takes the paper from Leo and tries to read it, stumbling over the word: Arachibutyrophobia.

Marcus:

Arach..ibu…tyro…phobia. 

Leo:

Never heard of it.  What is it?

Jordan:

(she writes arachibutyrophobia on the board) Well, it has “phobia” in it (she underlines the word “phobia”), and a phobia is a fear of something. 

Marcus:

I got it: spiders!

Jordan:

That’s arachno-phobia.  This is arachibutyrophobia.  It’s not the same thing.  We’ll need more clues to help out.

Leo:

I’ll try to find some. (he exits)

Marcus:

If all the clues are like that one, then his may be harder than I thought. 

Jordan:

Let’s wait and see what else we get first.  That was just the first one.

Trish:

(enters with a clue) Hey, I found one.  (she reads her clue) It says “Washington.”

Marcus:

I got it--George Washington.  We’re going to be talking about presidents and that word (pointing to arachibutyrophobia) is the fear of presidents!  (excited) Man, I’m good!  It only took me two clues. You may bow in the presence of genius.

Jordan:

Not so fast. It could also refer to the state of Washington.

Trish:

Or football: the Washington Redskins.

Jordan:

Or money, like the dollar bill. 

Trish:

It could be anything, genius.

Marcus:

I didn’t think about that.  Guess we’ll need more clues to know for sure, huh?

Trish:

(sarcastic) You think?   (she exits)

Jordan:

(writes “Washington” on the board) So far we’ve got: Washington and a phobia of something.  Doesn’t make any sense yet.

Trent, Max, and Bailey enter with clues

Trent:

Maybe these will help. 

Marcus:

What have you got?

Trent:

(reads his clue) Mine says “Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.”

Jordan writes Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter on the board

Marcus:

(to Jordan) Two more presidents.  Ha! I was right!

Bailey:

Then how does an astronaut fit in? My clue says “Astronaut Allen B. Shepard brought this with him to the moon.”

Jordan writes Astronaut and moon on the board

Marcus:

(confused) What? That doesn’t make any sense! Let me see that! (grabs the paper from Bailey) What does an astronaut have to do with presidents?

Jordan:

We still don’t know if it has anything to do with presidents yet.  (to Max) What does yours say?

Max:

(reads his clue) It says “small yellow flowers.”

Jordan writes it on the board

Marcus:

Flowers, phobias, astronaut, presidents…this doesn’t make any sense at all!

Trent:

No, it doesn’t.  (pats Marcus on the arm) Yeah, good luck with that.  (to Max and Bailey) Come on, let’s find some more clues.

Trent, Max and Bailey exit

Marcus:

(looking at the board, getting frustrated) This is impossible! How are we supposed to know what all this stuff has in common?