More Talk Like a Pirate Day

4th Grade

I had so much fun with this activity, and I think the kids did as well.  I found a pirate themed task card set on using reference sources on Teachers Pay Teachers by Teaches Third in Georgia. 

I was going to have the students do the task cards, but I wasn't sure how I would have them go about doing it.  My thought was to have the cards throughout the library.  Students would find them and answer the questions.  I wasn't really happy with that, but then I remembered that I had previously purchased a library game called the Amazing Race.  Just like the TV show the kids have to complete various challenges before moving on and getting a new challenge.  I found that the challenges in the game didn't work well with the resources we have in the library, so I never used it.  I decided to merge the two concepts. Unfortunately this idea came to me an hour before the classes were to arrive. 

I quickly got to work modifying my original plan.  I used the task cards as is, but divided them into four groups.  Luckily there were 4 questions for each reference source.  I divided the cards so that each group would have to answer a dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and online question (the set does come with map questions, but I decided not to use those as we haven't spent time working with maps yet).  Borrowing an idea from The Amazing Race game, I had the students work together to create some things.  I mixed up the order for the different groups so they weren't all trying to use the same resource at once.  The challenges that involved making something were put in between the task cards. Click here for the Google Doc of the challenges I created.

When the classes arrived, I announced that I was a Pirate Captain, but all my crew had to walk the plank.  I was holding auditions for a new crew.  I randomly divided them into four groups.  At each table there was a bucket of supplies.  The buckets held 10 popsicle sticks, 10 strings of yarn about 2' long, glue, scissors, markers, colored pencils and paper.  They were given a passport to keep track of their challenges.  The master for this came from the Amazing Race game due to the last minute change-up.  In the future I would probably either remake the passport (and remove the picture of an airplane) or create some type of a treasure map that they use. 

The students were given a few minutes to see what supplies they had and to come up with a team name.  When they reported their team name to me, they were given their first challenge.  After each challenge, they had to report back to me with all of their team.  They either turned in their answer or showed what they made.  I gave the a sticker for their passport and their next challenge.  We didn't finish the game, so it will carry over into next week.  They are given 1 point for each correct answer (I did not check their answers as they turned them in).  Bonus points were given for the most creative raft, rope, flag.  First place finisher received 4 points, second place 3 points, and so on. 

Things I learned

Have a set of cards for each class rather than sharing.  Since we didn't finish in once class period, I had to make notes of which task each group still needed to do since I couldn't just put their remaining tasks in their bucket.  Which leads me to.....

Keep the standard supplies separate from each teams "consumables."  My fourth grade classes are back to back.  It was a little challenging to reset the game for the next class.  I did pause the game with 15 minutes left so they could check out.  I used that time to start resetting, but as I was explaining the game to the next class; I was talking while distributing supplies.

Rules!  I had one group in the first class that sailed through and finished with plenty of time for checkout.  For the dictionary and thesaurus cards, they were able to answer the questions without looking anything up.  That pretty much defeats the purpose of the game which is to use reference sources.  For the second group I added that they had to include the page number where the information came from; they couldn't just answer the question. 

What about a tie!  There was a tie in one of the classes.  As a tie breaker, the groups had to write and perform a sea chantey.  As luck would have it, our music teacher had stopped in so she helped judge the competition.  

Disclaimer

You may look at this and think how on earth could you possibly do this in one or even two library sessions.  I am very lucky and see my kids for double the amount of the other specials teachers. That means for 2nd-5th grade I see them for 50 minutes.  K-1st grade is 40 minutes.  PreK follows their own rules.  For now I see them for 30 minutes.  When we start using the computer lab (after fall MAP testing) it will be 45 minutes.