Pirates

 

 

Internet Workshop: Pirates

I find research a very enjoyable process, after I locate my resources. This internet workshop took the hard part out of the resarch and allowed me to fully experience the information contained within these web sites about pirates. I really expanded the background knowledge I had about pirates and piracy in the age of piracy.

The thing I think will be most valuable to students is the method of organizing the information, which was always difficult for me, as a student. The Data Retrieval Chart focused my reading and resarch and helped organize the information to make it more accessible should I use it later for something else.

Pirate Workshop- This is the Internet Workshop I completed on pirates!

Blackbeard Internet Workshop- I did this Internet Workshop to research Blackbeard for my persona poem.

 

Internet Workshop and Blog Publishing: Meeting Student(and Teacher) Learning needs to Achieve Best Practice in the 21st Century Social Studies Classroom

By reading this article on internet workshops I began to have many great ideas about how to use this set of lessons with a pirate unit or other areas of the curriculum. I think this data gathering activity would help guide students in using the best resources for research assignments. The students in my internship class are researching lighthouses in North Carolina. However, they are only using print sources to gather information. An activity such as this would greatly increase the amount of current information they would have access to.

Pirates in Historical Fiction and Nonfiction: A twin text unit of study  and  Swashbuckling Adventures on the High Seas

 This handout and accompanying handout detail an awesome lesson plan that helps students read fiction and nonfiction works and compare them. Both books used for this lesson were great selections for children. They were engaging and fun to read. What if you Met a Pirate? was fun to read and really broke the mold of what I think of when I think of nonfiction. I think the Q and A format of the book would really hook students and get them thinking about the life of a pirate.

Time Warp Trio: The Not-So-Jolly Roger

In this book Fred, Sam and Joe have a brush with Blackbeard, the world’s most notorious pirate. They are found on a beach, become prizoners, and find their way in Blackbeard’s good graces. Just when they begin to ask for treasure, Blackbeard shows his true self. Read on to find out what happens to Fred, Sam and Joe!

I didn’t LOVE this book but I thought it was age appropriate and might be a good introduction to get the students hooked on Blackbeard and pirates. This would be a good book for a guided reading, like we did in class, espescially if students haven’t had much experiences with all things piratical.

Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter

This historical fiction piece by Richard Platt takes readers on the crazy journey of Jake’s life as a pirate. The book gives great detail about pirate life and the situations that occoured on pirate ships. The illustrations are beautiful and are filled with wonderful detail. They really added to the story being told. Some of Jake’s adventures include what happens when someone does not follow orders or a naval ship and how pirates handle dissention in the ranks.

Although the reading was easy and the story moved well, I found difficulty in reading a diary style book. However I feel that this format makes the book great for shared reading and many class activities. I also found the violent languge unpleasent but students today are exposed to more violence in their entertainment and find it appealing to read about.

What if you met a Pirate?

This non-fiction work was very enjoyable. Every page answers a different question about life as a pirate. This book does not read like most non-fiction works, but really keeps the reader interested with good writing and an interesting subject. I liked how the opening of the book contrasted a pirate sterotype with what a pirate may have actually looked like and why. This non-fiction piece also spoke about the harsh conditions on a British navy ship as did Pirate Diary. I thought some of the funny facts such as those about pirates and sea sicknessand going to the bathroom while at sea were humerous and gave the non-fiction work an interesting flair.

One great asset of this work is that students can independently select passages to read based on what they want to find out. There is something for everyone and students will always be able to find something to select that interests them. I always wondered why Blackbeard’s beard appeared to smolder. This book answered my question!

 Blackbeard- Draft

I am a force to be reckoned with
I wonder how much I can plunder while at sea
I hear the sea waves crashing against my powerful ship
I see the smoke from my smoldering braids
I want the thrill of victory and the wealth that comes with it
I am a force to be reckoned with 

I pretended to retire but returned to piracy
I feel like the leader of a democracy
I run my fingers through all of my pieces of eight
I worry that I will perish in battle
I cry when the men on my ship disobey
I am a force to be reckoned with 

I understand that pirates live a hard working life
I say, “Board the vessel!”
I dream about conquering other vessels
I try to escape capture
I hope to be pardoned instead of hung
I am a force to be reckoned with

Blackbeard Reigns- Final Draft

I am a force to be reckoned with
I wonder how much I can plunder while at sea
I hear the sea waves crashing against my powerful ship
I see the smoke from my smoldering braids
I want the thrill of victory and the wealth that comes with it
I am a force to be reckoned with 

I pretended to retire but returned to piracy only to meet my death
I am the leader of a democracy but can be booted out at any minute
I run my fingers through all of the pieces of eight
I worry that I will perish in battle
I vehemently cry when the men on my ship disobey
I am a force to be reckoned with 

I understand that pirates live a hard working life
I say, “Board the vessel, and plunder what you can!”
I dream about conquering other vessels and stealing their ship
I try to escape capture while navigating sandbars of the Carolina coast
I hope to be pardoned instead of hung like a salted side of pork
I am a force to be reckoned with

 Double Entry Diary- Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter and What if you met a Pirate?

	From the book	What it means to me
Section 1 A	“In the afternoon I thought I glimpsed Will on the horizon waving from his little boat- though perhaps my mind played tricks on me, for by then he would have been far out of sight”	Inference/Question: I wonder if Jake saw his uncle, Will in the boat or if it was another vessel he saw. I think he saw another approaching boat because it is unlikely that his uncle would still be so close.
Section 1 B	“But you’d never walk onto the dock and ask for a pirate! They were very touchy about that name.  Most pirates had letters of marque (say mark). Letters of marque were fancy documents from Country A, authorizing a pirate ship to steal from Country B- if they gave half of the booty to Country A.”	Author’s Craft: I like how the author explains while using a familiar language. It makes the information more readable to a young reader.Cause/Effect: The letters of marque were a legal way for men who didn’t want to be among navy ships to be legal pirates.
Section 2 A	“… I could see that the PIRATES (for so they proved to be) had hauled down their Dutch flag, and hoisted a black flag with an hourglass and crossed swords on it.”	Reaction: I like how Jake tells us something new about how pirates operate. He tells us that pirate ships would often fly a country’s flag to trick ships into thinking they are friendly. When they attack they reveal their true flag.
Section 2 B	“Pirates sometimes owned parrots bought in Africa or South America. Unusual birds could be resold for a good price in a port town. On board a ship, cats were more useful- they caught rats.”	Opinion: I would have never expected cats on a ship. Pirates don’t seem the type to put up with the temperament of a cat. However, I see their use on a ship catching rats and other rodents.
Section 3 A	“Those pirates who swear to give up their trade shall receive a royal pardon and will not be punished. This is good news, since (as is well known) the punishment for piracy is usually execution by the hangman’s noose.”	Prediction: I think this news may divide the ship and I am curious about how the pirates would handle such a decision. Will they be democratic about it or will someone make a decision for the group? Will those who want to remain pirates exert force on those who want to surrender
Section 3 B	“There were still sea outlaws here and there- piracy goes on in the remote parts of the world today.”	Current Events Connection: The book points out that there is still piracy in the world today. I wonder how the life of a pirate now differs from the life of pirates during the Golden Age of Piracy.

Section 4

Please answer the following questions in you pirate notebook:

1. Who were the colonists? Colonists were people living in America who emigrated from England or other European countries. Colonists came for many reasons. Some came for religious freedom and others came simply for the promise of a better life.

2. What are the Navigation Acts? These laws limited trade in the colonies to the English.

3. How did the colonists feel about Navigation Acts? The colonies hated these Navigation Acts because it limited their trade and they had to pay heavy taxes on imports.

4. Who were freebooters? Freebooters smuggled goods to the new colonies in North America. They had influential friends and provided a service to them.

5. Describe the relationship between the colonists and the pirates. Freebooters were welcomed in most ports. Blackbeard was a welcomed visitor on the North Carolina coast because he brought luxuries to those living in the colonies.

Please answer the following questions in you pirate notebook:

1. What did you learn about the different kinds of pirates? Some pirates called Seadogs were commissioned by England to protect the country while England built up its navy. Buccaneers were violent pirates and gave pirates a bad name. They originated in the Caribbean and sailed for Spain and the open Atlantic. Freebooters smuggled goods to the new colonies in North America and provided a service to wealthy colonists.

2. Out of all the pirates mentioned in this section, which ones do you find most interesting? Please explain why. My favorites may have been the Seadogs because they really walked the fine like between patriotism and piracy. While I find the myths originating from the buccaneers interesting I don’t like their violent actions.