Yo ho ho, Matey! “Talk Like a Pirate” day is officially September 19, but you might want to celebrate it on Friday, September 18. This is a repeat of a past blog, but it's one of my favorites and I hope you can find a new idea or two to add to your lesson plans. According to the founders of the day, “Silliness is the holiday’s best selling point. And it’s fun!” Don't we all need a little more silliness and laughter in our lives? If you look hard enough you'll see how to integrate some standards (writing, reading, vocabulary, math, map skills, speaking, etc.) to justify the creative activities.
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 Read – Reread poems and big books by talking out of the side of your mouth like a pirate.
*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.)
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.
That's all, matey!