Aarr!
Yep! There’s actually a “Talk Like a Pirate” day and it is officially
September 19. I wrote a blog about it last year, but I’ve added a few
more activities for this year.
Even at my age it’s exciting to learn something new! I’ll bet you’ll learn a thing or two if
you take a look.
Why? According to the founders of Talk Like
a Pirate Day, “Silliness is the holiday’s best selling point. And it’s fun!” There are many troubles and a great
deal of seriousness in the adult world, but the classroom needs a little fun as
well. Although a week from
Thursday is the official day, I wanted to share a few ideas with you early so
you could include them in your lesson plans. (You’ll even notice that I
integrated some Common Core Standards!)
Pirate Read – Reread poems and big books by
talking out of the side of your mouth like a pirate.
Pirate Song – Tune: “Yankee Doodle”
I’m
a pirate. That I be!
I
sail my ship upon the sea.
I
stay up late – til half past three.
And
have a peg below my knee.
Yo
ho ho ho
Let’s
sail away
Aarrr! Matey! Is what I say.
A
treasure I will hide today
And
walk the plank another day.
Note! I adapted this song from one posted on
talklikeapirateday.com
Creative Writing – What would you do if you
were a pirate? Where would sail on
a pirate ship? What would you like
to find in a treasure chest?
Pirate Cheer – Put one hand over your eye to
make a patch. Talk out of the side
of your mouth as you say, “Aarr! Way to go, matey!”
Parrot Cheer – Put your hands in your
armpits to make wings and then flap them as you squawk, “You did a good
job! You did a good job!”
Pirate Maps – Cut the bottom off lunch bags
and then cut down one side and you’ll have a big rectangle. Children can
draw a treasure map with markers or crayons. Squash up the paper and roll
it around in your hands to give it a vintage look.
*Older
children could write stories about their treasure hunt on the back of the map.
Younger children could dictate a story.
*Add a
compass map and introduce North, South, East, and West.
*Have
children make maps of the playground.
Mustache – Cut mustaches out of construction
paper and tape them under your nose. (This would just be optional,
but what little kid wouldn’t want a mustache?)
Eye Patch – Cut an oblong shape out of
construction paper, fold it in half, and glue it over a 30 piece of
string.
Hook – Cut hooks out of cardboard and let
children cover them with aluminum foil.
Insert the end of the hook in a cup you can insert over your hand.
Hunting for Coins – Write letters of the
alphabet on poker chips with a permanent marker. (You can buy poker chips
at most dollar stores.) Hide these on the playground or in the
classroom. When children find the coins they can name the letter or think
of a word that starts with that sound.
(You could
also write numerals, math facts, or words on the poker chips.)
Vocabulary – Introduce pirate vocabulary
that you can actually use in the classroom on September 19th.
Ahoy
= hello
Avast
= stop and pay attention
Matey
= friend
Disembark
= leave
Embark
= enter, get started
Foul
= something turned bad
Grog
= drink
Weigh
anchor = prepare to leave
Aye
= yes
Nay
= no
Parts of a Ship – Relate these to places in
the classroom with labels.
Starboard
= right
Port
= left
Stern
= back
Bow
= front
Pirate Flags – Let children design their own
pirate flags. These can be done
with crayons on paper, or, better yet, cut an old sheet into rectangles
children can draw on with markers.
Sharing the Booty - Cut pirate chests out of
construction paper and write numerals on them. Let children use the poker
chips to make appropriate sets or do addition and subtraction problems.
Walk the Plank – Children can practice
balancing by walking forwards and backwards on the plank. (To make a
plank put a piece of masking tape on the floor or draw a plank outside on the
sidewalk with chalk.)
Pirate Snack – How about some fish crackers
in an ice cream cone? After they eat the crackers they can eat the cone.
*You could
also serve oyster crackers, Pirate Booty, or grog (juice).
Board Game – Let children create their own
board game with a treasure at the end.
There are many free game images like this one on the internet.
Do I love my job or what? Arrgghh, matie!
