Pirates

“Piratical Internet workshop” & “The Not-So-Jolly Roger”

I  enjoyed the pirate workshop, I found it interesting to look over the various websites and read all about pirates.  Most of the websites had similar information, the only real difference I noticed was the way in which the information was presented.  I feel that this is definitely something I would do with my own students.   It is a great way to make learning more fun and interesting for students, while getting away from using textbooks all the time.  Also the DRC was a good tool to help collect and compare similar data from various websites.

The Not-So-Jolly Roger is an easy read and would be very appealing to children.  The characters and the story itself will draw children in and take them along on the exciting adventure.

What If You Met a Pirate?

Author/Illustrator:  Jan Adkins

This book is full of interesting information and facts about “real” pirates.  While reading this book I soon came to realize I had a lot of misconceptions about pirates; one of which is how they dressed and the types of ships they used.  I guess most of what I envisioned a pirate to be came from movies and fictional books.  Some of the facts I read in this book were surprising to me, especially the fact that “walking the plank” was something that never really happened, it seems to have been made up somewhere along the way.  This was especially surprising because for as long as I can remember “walking the plank” has always been associated with pirates.  I must say this book is full of a great deal of factual information that would really engage children in the classroom.  Children will be so engrossed while reading this book that they will not even realize it is full of informational text.  The illustrations also bring the information alive and give students a more accurate depiction of what “real” pirates are like.

Pirate Diary the Journal of Jake Carpenter

Author:  Richard Platt

Illustrator:  Chris Riddell

After reading this book I feel children would absolutely love it!  I think this would allow children to follow their imagination on a sea adventure of their own.  This is a fictional story about a young boy named Jake who joins his uncle on the high seas aboard a ship known as the Greyhound.  While aboard the ship Jake and the rest of the crew are captured by awful pirates, which leaves Jake with a life changing decision.  One of the things I really like about this book was the way it is set up to look like an actual diary and I feel children will enjoy this feature as well.  The illustrations in this book are wonderful; they really help bring the words alive.  I would like to have this book in my own classroom and I really like the idea of doing a unit on pirates; there are so many great things that can be done with a unit like this.

I am Blackbeard

I am ruthless and wicked

I wonder where I will find my next bountiful treasure

I hear whirling winds

I see fear in others eyes

I want to conquer all

I am ruthless and wicked

I pretend that the ocean is mine, and mine alone

I feel invincible

I touch smooth gold with my fingertips

I worry I will someday lose the power I hold over others

I cry for lost bounties

I am ruthless and wicked

I understand that I am feared by most

I say, “blimey!”

I dream of the Caribbean

I try to be the most feared pirate alive

I hope my reign of terror will last forever

I am ruthless and wicked

I Am Blackbeard~2

I am ruthless and wicked.

I wonder when I will find my next victim.

I hear whirling winds aboard Queen Anne’s Revenge

I see fear in my prisoner’s eyes.

I want to conquer all.

I am ruthless and wicked.

I pretend the ocean is mine, and mine alone.

I feel invincible.

I touch shiny doubloons with my fingertips.

I worry I will someday lose the power I hold over others.

I cry for lost bounties.

I am ruthless and wicked.

I understand that I am feared by most.

I say, “Blimey!”

I dream of the Caribbean.

I try to be the most feared pirate alive.

I hope my reign of terror will last forever.

I am ruthless and wicked.

Double Entry Diary

Pirate Diary-DED

Quote: “When I ask what is in the hold and where we are bound, Will tells me, “Best not to ask too many questions on board this ship, lad, if you know what is good for you.”” (p.11)	Inference: Reading this passage leads me to believe that whatever happened on this ship was very hush, hush, and no one should ask any questions about what was going on aboard this ship.
Quote: “We left the island today, but not before leaving behind the captain and the second mate.” (p.30)	Inference: Based on this quote I would conclude that anyone can be “voted” off the ship, including the captain if the majority agrees.  Which lead me to believe that life on the ship could at times is similar to a democracy.
Effect: Henry Jennings, a pirate leader, is planning an attack on the Spanish camp.	Cause: The Spaniards are using divers to search for a fleet of sunken treasure ships off the coast of Florida.  There is said to be gold and other treasures from the wreckage at the Spanish camp for safekeeping.

What If You Met a Pirate?-DED

(Section 1) Quote: “Plunder, the stuff pirates stole, was not all silver and gold. Pirates took or smuggled anything they could find and anything they could sell.” (p.22-23)	Reaction: I think there are some misconceptions about what pirates “treasure” consisted of.  I know prior to reading this book, when I heard the word treasure I automatically thought of gold and jewels.  However I now know that a pirates plunder might consist of many things, such as, sugar, spices, food, cloth, indigo, ivory, rum, guns and gunpowder, and of course gold and jewels.
(Section 2) Quote: “Real pirates weren’t flashy dressers.  They looked like common sailors because, actually, they were.” (p.4-5)	Inference: Pirates are very plain, there is probably nothing fancy about them or their wardrobe.  I would imagine that pirates weren’t very clean either, especially since they stay on the ships for such long periods of time.
(Section 3) Effect: Pirates had to work very hard day and night changing the ship sails constantly. (p.14-15)	Cause: The changes in weather and wind lead to constant changing of the sail positions.  If the wind died down sailors would have to put out more sail and if the wind picked up they would have to take in some of the sail.