Our Pirate Theme

Here is a recap of our August theme--Pirates!

Concepts explored:
Flags (symbols are a great pre-reading skill and representational thinking gives rise to later literacy development)
Maps (spatial representation)
The ocean and its creatures
Treasure, money, exchanging goods (this is what developed into our current theme!)
Senses (visibility with the eye patch, exploring colors through work with flags and books)
Sinking and floating (pirate boats)
Manners (pirates didn't have theme!)
Identity (what it means to be a pirate, pirate families, pretend play)

In this photo, the kids took turns wearing a boat costume and holding a jolly roger flag, and with a blue marker they made waves along the extra long sheet of butcher paper.  The goal was to give them a sense of the vastness of the ocean and the long distances pirates traveled on water.

Activities:
Finding treasure
Find the Jolly Roger wet paper sack game

Eye patches
Pirate hats (twice!)

Ate lunch with our hands to display our pirate-like poor table manners
Made telescopes
Made boats that float (using corks and CD's and wood and glue)
Swords and shields
Kids brought treasures from home

Decorated small wooden boats

Treasure bags

Parrot collage

Sinking and floating activity

 
Some things we added to the classroom:
Pirate flags
A treasure map
Pirate puzzle
Pirate library books
Treasure chest that the kids helped decorate
Scarves and bandanas in the dramatic play area
Sand, water, treasure and boats in the water table
Boats in the outdoor water tables

Our treasure map: Crumpled paper with a map drawn on, soaked in coffee all day, then dried!

 And don't forget our pirate party!

Pirate yoga:
Bow pose="the Boat pose"
Crow pose="Parrot pose"
Wave=moving up and down like the ocean
Half moon pose="Pirate's hook pose"
Tree pose="Pegleg pose"
Shavasana="Calm waters"

The Pirate Board Story
Once upon a time there was a pirate named Annie McGee.  Her treasure map led her to the sunken treasure at the bottom of the ocean.  One day, after many weeks of travelling, she arrived to the place that the sunken treasure sat on the ocean floor.  The problem was, the sunken treasure was under water and being guarded by dozens of stinging jellyfish!  After trying many tactics to ward off the jellyfish, Annie McGee had to call upon her mer-people friends to help her.  The mer-friends agreed to help, and as one of them played the magical harp, the mesmerized jellyfish swam in circles around the beautiful merman playing the beautiful music.  While the jellyfish were occupied, the other two mermaids brought the treasure and hoisted it up onto Annie McGee's boat.  She thanked them by sharing the treasure, and when the harp music stopped, the jellyfish swam back to the treasure site.  Seeing that it was no longer there, they swam along their merry way.  Annie McGee thanked the mer-people and sailed off into the vast blue ocean.

Resources:
http://www.fun-activities-for-kids.com/pirate-theme/
The library : )
http://www.kidscraftweekly.com/pirates2_issue.html