Adult-led activities
Life on the ocean waves
Make wonderful pirate ships.
Key learning intentions
Realise that tools can be used for a purpose
Understand that equipment and tools have to be used safely
Make three-dimensional structures
Further explore an experience using a range of senses
Adult:child ratio 1:2
Resources
Squares or triangles of thick, white paper ,thick colouring pencils ,flat pieces of soft wood ,four-inch nails ,hammers ,safety goggles ,sandpaper ,hole punch ,Pirate Boy by John Wallace or similar book (see box) ,water tray ,blue food colouring ,sea posters ,globe
Preparation
* This activity should only be undertaken by children with experience of working at a woodwork table.
* Punch two holes in each sail with the hole punch, one at the top and one at the bottom halfway along the sail.
* Display the pirate storybook and sea posters around the water tray.
Activity content
* Read the pirate story to the children. Talk about the pirate ship and look at its features, such as the sails and mast. Talk about where the ship is sailing and show the children the oceans and seas on the globe.
* Tell the children they are going to make their own pirate ships and sail them on the 'ocean'!
* Invite the children two at a time to the woodwork area.
* Children need to choose a sail and write their name on it with a coloured pencil. Encourage as much independence as possible when they write.
* Ask the children to choose a piece of wood, which they might like to sandpaper.
* Thread the nail through the sail to give a billowing effect.
* Ask the children to put their safety goggles on and hammer the nail into the body of the 'ship'.
* Suggest that the children go and sail their pirate ships on the 'ocean'!
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Pirate, ship, sail, sea, ocean, sink, float, wind, hammer, nail, wood, bang, safety
Key questions
Have you ever been on a boat or a ship? Can you write your name on the sail of your ship? Which piece of wood are you going to choose? What are you going to use the sandpaper for? Have you used a hammer before? Why do you think you need to wear the safety goggles when using the hammer? Can you hold the nail still with your other hand while you are hammering? Would you like to find out whether your pirate ship can sail on the ocean? Does your pirate ship float or sink?
Extension ideas
* Display the pirate ships among blue tissue paper or material.
* Write a pirate adventure story with the children, about what happened when their pirate ships sailed the ocean.
* Turn your role-play area into a pirate ship with the children. Brainstorm ideas with them following the reading of a pirate storybook. Sponge-print a picture of the sea for the background. Make a pirate ship from large boxes.
Suspend cut white sheets from the ceiling for sails. Add dressing-up clothes and accessories such as a toy parrot, a telescope and a treasure chest. Remember to add a skull and crossbones flag.
* Share more pirate stories (see box). Talk about the pirates' appearance and behaviour (Were they good people? Why/why not?). You might want to draw up a pirate code of conduct for the role-play area with the children to avoid potential aggressive incidents. Consider whether you want the 'pirates' to use weapons.
On the map
Pirate treasure maps will reinforce the idea of finding buried treasure on an island.
Key learning intentions
Use a widening range of words to express or elaborate ideas
Use simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately
Work creatively on a small scale
Adult:child ratio 1:1
Resources
A white paper ,tea bags ,small flat tray ,jug of water ,felt-tip pens ,washing line or string ,pegs ,a globe ,copy of Miranda the Castaway by James Mayhew (see box) ,a compass
Preparation
* Plan for this activity in two stages: make the map 'parchment' and then draw the maps.
* Make sure you have plenty of tea bags, because they can tear easily when the children use them.
* Hang up a washing line.
* Put a treasure chest in your sand pit.
Activity content
* Read Miranda the Castaway and discuss with the children what an island is. Show the children the globe and point out that Great Britain is also an island.
* Explain that the children are going to create their own islands like that of Miranda or like Pirate Boy and that it will have buried treasure on it.
* Explain that their maps will be drawn on special paper called parchment, which is what pirates used, and that they are going to make the parchment themselves.
* Write the child's name on their piece of A3 paper using a pencil.
* Stain the paper using a dampened tea bag. Put a very small amount of water in the tray and keep topping it up as required. Be careful not to put too much water in the tray otherwise the paper will become saturated. Show the children how to use the teabag to stain the paper moving from left to right. They will need to do this on both sides of the paper.
* Hang the paper up to dry. Once it is dry refer to it as parchment.
* Invite the children one at a time to come and draw their treasure islands on their parchment. Some children may want to dress up as pirates and undertake this activity in role.
* Look at Miranda's island and Pirate Boy's island. Suggest that they draw an island shape on their piece of parchment. Ask the children what can be found on their island, such as trees and a beach, and invite them to draw these landmarks.
* Talk about where to find the treasure and directions to it. Talk through the route together.
* Show the children the compass on the back cover of Pirate Boy and the real one and invite them to draw one on their own. Explain that a compass is something to help you ensure you travel in the right direction.
* Use the children's work to contribute to a treasure map display in your setting.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Island, treasure, map, treasure map, treasure chest, parchment, stain, old, wet, dry, direction, left, right, across, under, over, around, sea, surrounded
Key questions
Why do you think we need maps? What shape is your island going to be? Is your island going to be big or small? What kind of things are there on your island? Does anybody live there? Where can the treasure be found? Is it in a treasure chest? Why/why not? Which way does a pirate have to go to find the treasure? What route does he need to take?
Child-initiated learning
Outdoors
Additional resources
Maps relating to the outdoor area ,telescopes ,buckets and spades (large and small) and sieves ,selection of 'treasure' ,selection of dressing-up clothes ,general outdoor play fixed equipment
Possible learning experiences
* Developing directional vocabulary and map-reading skills. Use arrows to highlight the route to take. Laminate so that they last for the duration of the project.
* Exploring features of living and non-living things through a telescope.
* Developing hand-eye co-ordination while filling buckets and using sieves.
* Digging for buried treasure in the sand pit.
* Using language in fantasy play when dressing up as pirates.
* Using available resources to create props to support role play, for example, a bird hide could be the crow's nest, a climbing frame (with skull and crossbones flag) could be the ship, and balance beams could be used for walking the plank.
The practitioner role
* Extend the pirate code of conduct devised for the role-play area to outdoors.
* Model using positional and directional vocabulary when looking at maps with the children, for example, 'Which way is the compass arrow pointing?'
and 'Where do you need to go next?'
* Encourage children to describe what they see through a telescope. Ask them for clues so that you can guess or ask questions such as 'What colour is it?' and 'Does it move?'
* Model how to use the spades and sieves when looking for buried treasure in the sand pit. If you would prefer the treasure to stay in one place, place a large treasure chest alongside the sand pit and model putting found treasure in it.
* Support children's fantasy play. Use pirate language encountered during the project and introduce other vocabulary such as buccaneer, landlubber and galleon.
* Enter into children's imaginative ideas when using apparatus in the garden. Ask questions to extend learning such as 'What will happen when you get to the end of the plank?' and 'How many pirates are there aboard this ship?'
Malleable materials
Additional resources
Cardboard tubes, selection of materials, such as cellophane, greaseproof paper and cotton, paint ,feathers, white paper, pencils, Pritt sticks, scissors, information books on parrots or poster of a parrot ,good selection of junk modelling materials ,papier mache ,selection of shiny materials ,penne pasta sprayed gold and silver and gold and silver thread ,cardboard circles, silver foil
Possible learning experiences
* Investigating transparent, translucent and opaque materials when choosing the best material to use to see through a telescope.
* Exploring texture through making collage parrots. Encourage the children to draw a parrot first. Refer to the book or poster to discuss features and shape.
* Developing scissor skills.
* Exploring texture through using papier mache to construct an island for use in a display.
* Beginning to design and construct by making junk model pirate ships or galleons.
* Manipulating objects with increasing control through making treasure by threading pasta 'jewels' to make necklaces and bracelets and covering circles of card with foil to make money. (These can be used in the role-play area.) The practitioner role
* Encourage the children to explain why they used clear materials to make their telescopes.
* Ask open-ended questions to draw out descriptive language surrounding texture when using materials such as feathers and papier mache.
* Model holding and using scissors.
* Support problem-solving skills when the children make their pirate ships, for example, creating a sail or making sure the ship stays upright. Compare with the wooden boats - will the junk model boats sail? Why not?
* Encourage counting skills such as one-to-one correspondence and finding out how many - for example, how many jewels there are on a necklace.
Water area
Additional resources
Playmobil or other pirate ship and/or pirate island ,selection of sea creatures ,information books on sea creatures ,small stones sprayed silver and gold, glass beads ,small world play divers ,blue food colouring ,sea music such as 'Octopus's Garden' by the Beatles and extracts from 'The Little Mermaid' (Disney)
Possible learning experiences
* Engaging in fantasy small-world play.
* Developing counting skills.
* Understanding that information can be retrieved from books.
* Exploring floating and sinking.
The practitioner role
* Play alongside the children, developing imaginative ideas for fantasy small-world play.
* Model one-to-one correspondence for the children.
* Look at the information books with the children and point to whichever part you are reading. Move your finger from left to right underneath the words as you read.
* Use appropriate vocabulary to support investigations into floating and sinking.
* Keep modelling pirate vocabulary!
Resources
* Pirate Boy by John Wallace (Collins, 4.99)
* Miranda the Castaway by James Mayhew (Dolphin, 4.50)
* Pirate Pandemonium by Jeremy Strong (Penguin, 3.99)
* Pirate Pete Sets Sail by Jean-Pierre Jaggi (North-South Books, Pounds 9.99)
* Pirate Ship by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins (HarperCollins, 9.99)
* Treasure Hunt by Nick Butterworth (HarperCollins, 5.99)
* Treasure Hunt by Allan Ahlberg (Walker Books, 4.99)
* Treasure Chest by Dominique Flada (North-South Books, 4.99)
