“For this assignment, you will need to pair up. You are to choose one of the great explorers and present this person to us in costume.” There was a gasp from the class.

“You will need to tell us each of the facts on this sheet.” The teacher held up a pink stack of papers. “First I want you to pair up, then come to me so I can write your names down. You will pick an explorer from this hat, take a pink paper, and go to the library to start researching. Any questions?”

Eyes all focused on the teacher for one last moment, eager, shining, excited, not wanting to miss a word. Heads shook ‘no’. Hands said ‘no’.

Then in a flurry of activity, hands began frantically signing all over the room. Words flew, danced, and fluttered from left to right. Students rose from their seats to pair up, hands moving so fast, it was a wonder the words reached their intended recipient.

Not a vocal utterance was made. It always amused their teacher, who grew up in a noisy world, how deceptive this quiet was. It was a silent storm.