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ships

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

December 25, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

When you are learning about watercraft, ship terminology is an important part of the lesson. Also, you’ll love my post Ship Craft Ideas.

Whether it be battleships, pirate ships, cruise ships, cargo ships, or sailboats, your child will want to learn ship words.

Cruise into some fun lessons on the various types of ships and what they are called, how they are used, and who they are used by.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

I have included ship terminology, some resources, and even an activity to get you going on your study.

Hands-on activities are one of the best ways to learn about a topic.

Besides, I have an inexpensive activity that is so much fun- how to make a kid’s ship wheel.

I found both key parts at Dollar Tree with plenty of leftover craft sticks.

Do not overlook Dollar Tree for school supplies or items for awesome crafts.

They have so much that I never have a shortage of ideas when i walk up and down their aisles.

Books for Kids Who Love Boats, Ships and Sailing

First, look at some of these books about ships and sailing.

17 Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Learning About Watercraft

Add some of these fun books and resources to your learning day about ships.

Stickmen's Guide to Watercraft (Stickmen's Guides to How Everything Works)

How does a giant cruise ship stay upright? Just how big is an aircraft carrier? How are submarines powered? Join the Stickmen for a close look at how watercrafts work, though be careful―you may get into deep water!

The Sailing Frigate: A History in Ship Models

The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich houses the largest collection of scale ship models in the world. Many of the models are official, contemporary artifacts made by the craftsmen of the Royal Navy or the shipbuilders themselves, ranging from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. As such they represent a three-dimensional archive of unique importance and authority. Treated as historical evidence, they offer more detail than even the best plans, and demonstrate exactly what the ships looked like in a way that even the finest marine painter could not achieve. Now available in paperback, this book tells the story of the evolution of the cruising ship under sail. It includes a large number of model photos all in full-color as well as close-up and detail views. These are captioned in depth, but many are also annotated to focus attention on interesting or unusual features. Although pictorial in emphasis, The Sailing Frigate weaves the pictures into an authoritative text, producing an unusual and attractive form of technical history.

Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies

Step aboard, buccaneers and book lovers! On the Salty Carrot sails a wild, rowdy band of Buccaneer Bunnies, led by Barnacle Black Ear, the baddest bunny brute of all time. His son, Henry, would rather read books than shout "Shiver me timbers!" or make prisoners walk the plank, even if it means swabbing the decks as punishment. But when a crashing, thrashing, bashing wildcat of a storm threatens them all, will Henry and his landlubbin’ library save the day?

The Sinking of the Vasa: A Shipwreck of Titanic Proportions

This is the saga of the great Swedish warship, the Vasa. Built to be the crown jewel of the Swedish Navy, the Vasa capsized not a mile into her maiden voyage in 1628―a tragedy resulting in many deaths and great loss. But who was to blame? Award-winning author Russell Freedman explores the history of this ship, and her resurrection from the seas in 1961. William Low’s gorgeous illustrations bring The Sinking of the Vasa to life.

Island Boy (Picture Puffins)

The acclaimed author of Miss Rumphius recounts the lives of four generations living on a New England coastal island and the importance of family ties.The youngest and quietest of 12 children, Matthias grew closest to Tibbets Island, learning its secrets through the years. And though in later years he sailed to faraway places, he always returned to the island he loved.

My Blue Boat

A child journeys from her bathtub on an imaginary ocean voyage. Her blue boat sails across the bathtub, into the harbor, between the whales, under the moon and the stars...until it manages to find its way home. A simple tale and light-filled watercolors together create the voyage of every child's dream.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch:

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat", an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor's world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn't promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout.? Nat's long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors' Bible"), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

Battleship With Planes Strategy Board Game

I could hardly talk about a shipping unit without mentioning the classic game Battleship could I?

USS Arizona Battleship Model Military Ship

Complete deck fittings including searchlights, motor launches and whaleboats, rangefinders, ladders, cranes, and tripod masts with observation nests.

Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War

Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation. Biesty's incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow's nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors going about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon's toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship's biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He's the one with spiky hair, and there's a reward for his capture!

A Kid's Book on Boatbuilding

As a kid, Will Ansel would spend hours rowing the creeks around Annapolis, Maryland. From his boat he could look down on the wrecks of Chesapeake skipjacks, and watch the turtles sun themselves on deckbeams and the tops of centerboard trunks. He found other types of Chesapeake boats there too, including the old "log" boats. Years later, Will built scaled-down skipjacks, wrote about them, and eventually went to work at Mystic Seaport as a ships' carpenter and boatbuilder. Will now lives in Georgetown, Maine, in an old house built at the water's edge, with a small shop and dock. The inventory of boats and kayaks is currently seven. Besides keeping up, using, and adding to these, he does some writing and painting, and work around a cabin in the woods.

Old Wood Boat

Raise the sails and follow the wind across the green sea in this captivating marriage of lyrical prose and intricate illustrations from a renowned West Coast artist.Old wood boat remembers the wind. Dilapidated and parted from the sea, she remembers and waits as her mast cracks and blackberry vines creep across her deck. But one day, a family tows her home. Scraped, scrubbed, sanded, and varnished, she is made beautiful and seaworthy again. After libations have been poured out, the family casts off, and old wood boat embarks on adventure once more. In this love letter to sailing, heralded artist Nikki McClure tells the story of a restored boat in timeless and reverent prose that perfectly accompanies her stunning cut-paper illustrations. At once delicate and bold, each page is masterful, rendered from a single sheet of black paper with precision and care that is sure to enthrall readers from coast to coast.

Toy Boat

This classic tale makes the perfect gift for children who love adventure!

A little boy has a toy boat that he made out of a can, a cork, a yellow pencil, and some white cloth. The boy and his boat are inseparable . . . until the day the wind pushes the boat out into the wide lake, and the little boat must face fierce waves, a grumpy ferry, a sassy schooner, and a growling speed boat if he is to find his way home. From Randall de Seve and bestselling artist Loren Long, creator of the Otis series and illustrator of The Little Engine That Could, comes a child-friendly adventure sure to inspire imaginative toy play.

Oars, Sails and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships

The evolution of shipbuilding reflects the growth of civilization, and in Oars, Sails and Steam, Edwin Tunis has produced a beautifully illustrated and skillfully
written history of water transport from the dugout to the aircraft carrier. He resents the most interesting and important types of boats and ships in chronological order, revealing each advance that made navigation easier, faster, and more efficient. Every page in this delightful book becomes a new adventure in the story of humanity's progress on traveling across the seas. The Egyptian sailboats that plied the waters of the Nile in 4700 b.c. give way to Phoenician warboats, Greek war galleys and Roman triremes, which in turn are surpassed by Norse long ships, Mediterranean carracks, Elizabethan galleons, and British East Indiaman. The Steam Age is represented by John Fitch's 1787 Delaware River steamboat; the 1807 Clermont, which made five miles per hour against the current of the Hudson; and the Curaçao, which in 1827 became the first ship to cross the Atlantic almost entirely under steam power. Graceful clipper ships, profitable whaling barks, reliable tramp steamers, opulent steam liners, and deadly warships, from destroyers to submarines, round out Tunis's illustrated history.

In addition to his fine drawings of the vessels, Tunis includes a glossary of seagoing terms and detailed diagrams that take readers below decks, up in the rigging, and alongside the gunners of the U.S.S. Raleigh. Remarkable for its clarity and accuracy, Oars, Sails and Steam, first published in 1952, is a treasury for all those who are sailors at heart.

Lightship

 Once, lightships anchored on waters across America, on the oceans, and in the Great Lakes, floating where lighthouses could not be built.

The Little Sailboat

Mr. Small is a sailor in this maritime adventure! Captain Small and his dog Tinker sail and fish together. When a storm comes, Captain Small heads for the safety of the shore. A comforting, nostalgic story full of information about sailing.

Classic Ships, Their History and How to Model Them: Cutty Sark No. 3 (Classic ships: Their history & how to model them)

Next, let’s find out the definition of what is a ship.

Ship- A vessel that is larger than a boat and is used for transporting people or goods by sea. They are classified as a ship based on their size, shape, load capacity, and purpose.

Boats on the other hand are smaller watercraft. And are intended for navigation of coastal and inland waters rather than ocean faring.

Now that we know what defines a ship, we will move on to learning about the various types of ships that are or were used in more modern times

Types of Ship Terminology

Passenger Ships- Before airplanes people used to travel on ocean liners, they had dining rooms and cabins where guests could sleep.

Today big ships used for travel and entertainment are cruise ships. You will find swimming pools, bowling alleys, restaurants, and more onboard these multilevel ships.

Find out about the most famous passenger ship of the past with my RMS Titanic Unit Study and Free Lapbook.

Aircraft Carriers- An aircraft carrier is a warship that is a sea-traveling airbase. These massive ships have tops that are almost entirely a flight deck.

The deck is a landing and take-off point for the aircraft it carries. Aircraft carriers are used by the United States Navy.

There are currently 11 active US nuclear-powered fleet carriers in the water. Learn How to Make an Aircraft Carrier.

Battleship- A large warship that is armored and has large caliber guns. 

The first battleship was the USS Texas in 1892. However battleships are no longer used in war today; they were retired as strictly museum ships following the Cold War in 1992.

They were initially used to attack the defenses of the enemy’s coast in preparation for amphibious assaults.

This model would be fantastic to put together as an art project while you learn about battleships.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Oil Tanker- Like the name implies tankers carry oil in bulk within their cargo spaces. An oil tanker transports crude and refined oil from port to port and some can even refuel moving other moving ships.

Cargo Ships- They are freighters and a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another.

They are massive and carry these items inside thousands of giant containers like the big metal boxes you see semis pulling down the road.

The first container ship appeared in 1956. It could only hold about 1,000 containers; now there is one being built that can hold up to 30,000. This is how we get the majority of our goods from overseas.

You can build whatever type ship you like in a bottle with these Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids.

Submarines- Submersible crafts are considered ships but are referred to as boats.

They are able to dive a minimum of 800 feet below the surface and can stay submerged for 3 months.

Submarines are used by scientists and the military for exploration, patrol, and attack enemy ships in wartime.

How to Make A Ship Wheel With Kids

You will need:

  • Craft sticks
  • Styrofoam wreath form
  • Canning lid (or cardboard)
  • Brown craft paint
  • Gold craft paint
  • Foam brush
  • Hot glue gun/ sticks
How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

First, start by painting your mason jar lid or a circle cut out of cardboard gold, you will likely need several coats to cover it well. Set aside to dry.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Then, push 5-6 craft sticks into the center of the wreath form from the inside stopping before they pierce the other side, securing each place they go in with hot glue to hold them well.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Now push the same number of popsicle sticks through the outside of the round, lining them up with the others but pushing just above or below the other stick so they can go as far in as possible.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Add hot glue at each point where the sticks go into the styrofoam wreath form.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Be sure all your center spikes just overlap in the center, it doesn’t have to be perfect as you will be covering it up.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Paint the entire wreath form and craft sticks with brown paint, it will take at least 2 coats to cover it well, and allow it to dry.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Flip it over and hot glue the painted round over the center, attaching all the sticks to the lid or at least each other.

I think this turned out so fun and would make a great handmade decor item too.

How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, ships

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

October 2, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

It’s time to set sail on an adventure with these ship craft ideas from Viking ships to the RMS Titanic. Also, you’ll love the ideas I have on my page RMS Titanic Unit Study and Free Lapbook.

I have a tutorial and loads of other ideas to encourage any type of sailor.

Besides, ships were once the only source of transport between lands,

They were used for exploration, migration, moving cargo, fighting wars, pirating, and even for entertainment.

Egyptians, Romans, Vikings, Pilgrims, Pirates, and more made their way across vast stretches of water on boats or ships.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Ships have come a long way in how they are built, navigated, and used but they are no doubt still important to us.

We have also learned much and made a lot of advancements through ships of old like the Titanic, The Mayflower, The HMS Victory, and the USS Enterprise.

Today’s craft celebrates these ships and a fun and unique hobby that highlights them- a ship in a bottle.

5 Facts About Ships

  1. Ships use the term “knots” a nautical mile per hour in navigation.
  2. The word quarantine comes from the Italian words- quaranta giorni meaning forty days. This comes from the Venetian policy of quarantining ships from places stricken with the plague for 40 days to keep those on board from infection.
  3. Vessels that are intended for navigating coastal and inland waters are usually called boats and ocean-going vessels are called ships. For example, ships are also usually larger than boats.
  4. The Seawise Giant was the longest ship ever constructed at 1,504.1 ft. long in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
  5. Furthermore, the earliest historical evidence of boats is found in Egypt during the 4th millennium BCE.
Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Ship Craft Ideas Resources

Here are more resources.

  • Free Titanic Lapbook and Fun Homeschool Unit Study Ideas
  • Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft
  • STEM and Geography: How to Build an Ancient Viking Ship
  • 5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse
  • How to Make A Kids Ship Wheel | Ship Terminology

Ship Vocabulary

Next, look at some of these vocabulary words about ships.

Bow – Front of the ship.

Starboard – Right side of the ship.

Port – Left side of the ship.

Stern – Back of the ship.

Aft – In the direction of the stern.

Astern – Behind the ship.

Bridge – The room where the ship is controlled.

Cabin – The room where a crew member lives.

Decks -Floors.

Galley – Kitchen.

Brig – Prison cells on the ship.

Hold – The area inside the ship used to carry goods.

Hull – Main body of the ship.

Keel – Beam running from stern to bow.

Mast – A center pole on which sails are hung.

Next, look at these fun ship craft ideas.

Ship Craft Ideas

You'll love these ship craft ideas for hands-on kids.

STEM and Geography: How to Build an Ancient Viking Ship

From reading fun books to STEM projects, this Viking Unit gave us a vast insight to where exploration began and helped set the stage for the Age of Exploration. Studying the Vikings is not a standard that is mandated by our state, but I still wanted the kids to be interested in these explorers who were instrumental in changing the world.

Photo Credit: www.ourkidthings.com

Nature Stick Pirate Ships Craft

Ahoy, matey! Arrrr you ready for the craft idea we’ve got for you today? Yes, these Nature Stick Pirate Ships Craft are really fun!

Photo Credit: craftingagreenworld.com

Hands-on History: Make an Upcycled Cardboard Model Ship

We made these upcycled cardboard model ship recreations of the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria.© Hands-on History: Make an Upcycled Cardboard Model Ship • Crafting a Green WorldSource

Photo Credit: kidscraftroom.com

Moving Mayflower Craft

To add to our collection we’ve made this super fun moving mayflower craft for kids.  It’s really easy to make with the printable template and you simply wiggle the popsicle stick handle to make your ship sail along the ocean waves!

Photo Credit: www.teach-me-mommy.com

Titanic Recycle Craft

When my eldest son was about eight, he became a bit (putting it mildly) obsessed with the Titanic. We spend almost a year (not kidding!) on the Titanic and literally everything related to the Titanic. 
Photo Credit: www.youtube.com

HOW TO MAKE PAPER BATTLESHIP I

. How to make paper boat. I How to make paper ship

RMS Titanic Unit Study and Free Lapbook

This unit just felt like we needed to turn the file folder sideways or horizontal to get the full length of the Titanic. So all minibooks were created for a horizontal file folder. Here is one way we arranged the minibooks.

Photo Credit: www.craftprojectideas.com

Wood Stick Ship

Use wood craft sticks to create your own Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria ships.

Finally, add this fun easy ship in a bottle to your ship craft ideas.

Ship Craft Ideas | How to Make an Easy Ship in a Bottle

You will need:

  • 2-liter or 3-liter bottle
  • Wood scrap
  • White craft foam
  • Wood coffee stirrers
  • Twine
  • White school glue
  • Blue craft paint
  • Brown craft paint
  • Black craft paint
  • Box cutter
  • Clear tape
  • Hot glue gun/stick
Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

First, start by peeling off the label and cleaning out the bottle with warm soapy water.

Use a box cutter to make a “door” on one side of the bottle.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Make it large enough to insert your ship.

However, it has to be small enough that when you lay it down you can’t see it from the sides. I made my cuts 2 ½” by 6” for my 3-liter bottle.

Next, you want to start making your boat model.

Moreover, use scrap cardboard to cut out a boat shape 5” long by 2” wide as well as a piece as long as the back.

And one for either side to make the sides- 1”-1 ½” tall is a good height.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Hot glue the sides to the bottom of the boat and fill in any gaps with additional hot glue.

Be sure to test your ship and make certain that it will fit in the door you cut in the bottom.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Now, paint the ship as you like, to give it a wood look, paint a tan/brown and distress it with black, allow it to dry completely.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

The next thing you are going to do is cut down two wooden stir sticks to about 3”.

In addition, hot glue them into place in the center of your ship, and add two small scrap pieces of cardboard to either side of each one to stabilize it.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Cut sails from white craft foam.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Hot glue into place.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Carefully slide the ship into the door you made on the bottom.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Mix ½ cup of glue with a ¼ cup of blue paint.

Easy Ship in a Bottle

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Also, tape along the cuts in the bottom with tape, be sure to secure it so the paint mixture doesn’t drip out.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Carefully pour into the opening of the bottle.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Further, rotate the bottle, coating the bottom and slightly up the sides with a paint mixture to create water.

Additionally, add more as needed to cover the very bottom of the boat and you should also be able to easily slide the boat around at this point.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Allow the paint and glue mixture to dry for a few days.

However, you want to do this with the cap off or moisture will form condensation on the inside of the bottle.

Bottle Ship

In addition, once the mixture is dry the boat will be held in place, color the cap with a brown permanent marker to resemble a cork and screw it back on.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Wrap twine around to cover the neck of the bottle and give it a more nautical feel.

Lastly, apply hot glue to the wooden scrap (you can find thick planks of wood at Dollar Tree).

Allow it to cool a bit, press the bottle down into it, and hold it in place until it cools and hardens.

Now, your bottom cut is now disguised.

Ship Craft Ideas & Ship Terminology | Fun Ship in A Bottle Craft for Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: boats, crafts, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool, ships

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

September 22, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m sharing some fun pirate activities for middle school and a craft for a pirate ship figurehead. Also, you’ll love my Pirates Unit Study and Lapbook.

If you are swashbuckling your way into a pirate unit study, you are going to need some solid pirate activities for middle school.

I have a tutorial to recreate a pirate ship figurehead.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

And it is not only a great craft for building creativity for your middle school child, but it also makes an awesome addition to a room or your homeschool space.

It can be made as part of a larger study on pirates or just as a fun independent activity for the middle schooler who loves all things pirates.

Figureheads were carved figures mounted on a ship’s bow for good luck or to ward off evil spirits and were often made to look like maidens, angels, or skeletons.

Talk Like a Pirate Day is September 19th and it is the perfect excuse to study pirates, ships, treasures, parrots, and everything that makes up the life of a buccaneer.

5 Facts About Pirates

  1. Pirates kept parrots as pets but often they kept them temporarily, bringing them home from exotic places and selling them for steep prices in places like London.
  2. Pirates did in fact wear eye patches but not just because they were missing an eye. The patches help their eyes adjust quicker between the bright ship deck and the dark belowdecks so they would put a patch on one eye.
  3. On board, pirates packed their ships with cured meats and fermented vegetables. They might also keep animals on the ship that could provide fresh milk, eggs, and even fresh meat.
  4. Captains were elected by popular vote and could be removed if they failed to perform up to “standards”.
  5. Pirates still exist today but are mostly contained in Indonesia, Somalia, and Nigeria. They still board the vessels and steal money and valuables from the crew, as well as cargo. 

Books to Learn About Pirates

Next, you’ll love these books to add to your activities for middle school kids.

Books for Multiple Ages About Pirates and Fun Resources

Add a few of these books about pirates to your history, science or pirates unit study.

The Ballad of the Pirate Queens

Recounting the stories of two legendary women pirates, a ballad about Anne Bonney and Mary Reade describes their desperate 1720 evening battle with the governor's men while the rest of the crew remained below.

A Pirate's Life for Me! A Day Aboard a Pirate Ship

Ahoy, matey! Did you ever wonder what life was like on a pirate ship? Join this pirate crew for a day and see for yourself. Hoist the Jolly Roger as the pirates prepare to attack a merchant ship and you'll earn a share of the loot. Sing a sea chantey as you help wind the capstan. And after you climb down the ratlines from the crow's nest, you can feast on salmagundi. From Spanish galleons to stinkpots, from treasure maps to desert islands, for a pirate it's all in a day's work!

One-Eyed Jake

One-Eyed Jake was the most despicable pirate to ever sail the seven seas. The cook, the bo'sun, and the cabin boy were desperate to escape Jake's evil clutches and live quiet, law-abiding lives--and one day they get their chance. "Buried treasure reluctant beginning readers need."--School Library Journal. "Illustrated with bouncy bravado."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Treasure Island: The Original 1883 Edition With Complete Illustrations

"For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From the moment young Jim Hawkins first encounters the sinister Blind Pew at the Admiral Benbow Inn until the climactic battle for treasure on a tropic isle, the novel creates scenes and characters that have fired the imaginations of generations of readers.

Mystery History:Pirate Galleon (Mystery History Series)

Describes life aboard a pirate ship. Includes games, puzzles, and mazes.

Little Children's Pirate Activity Book

An action-packed, write-in activity book for little children, full of lots of different things to do. There are things to spot, mazes to follow, colouring, drawing and lots more. Factual information about the
life aboard a pirate ship are incorporated into the activities.

The Pirate's Handbook: How to Become a Rogue of the High Seas

Presents facts about the lives of real pirates, and provides ideas for how to become one with instructions for making pirate shoe buckles, a treasure map, pirate flag, and pieces of eight

The Book of Pirates: by Howard Pyle with Original Illustrations

Rarely have the exploits of marauding pirates and buccaneers of the Spanish Main been more vividly recounted than in the stories of author and illustrator Howard Pyle. Possessed of a unique talent for recapturing the flavor of bygone eras, Pyle wrote and illustrated these highly readable sagas of the sea wolves who sailed under the dreaded black flag.

Pirates (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House #4: Pirates Past Noon, they had lots of questions. Did pirates really make people walk the plank? What was life like on a pirate ship? Is there any buried treasure around today? Argh! How do you talk like a pirate? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.

The Stowaway: A Tale of California Pirates

When a pirate terrorizes the 1818 California coast, a brave young boy summons up the courage to defend his Monterey home from a savage attack. By the author of Jimmy Spoon and the Pony Express.

Pirates: Robbers of the High Seas

Full-color artwork and a simple text chronicle the world of the pirates, detailing the exploits of such famous villains as Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, their battles on the high seas, and their lives aboard ship.

Treasure Island (Signet Classics)

For sheer storytelling delight and pure adventure, Treasure Island has never been surpassed. From young Jim Hawkins’s first encounter with the sinister beggar Pew to the climactic battle with the most memorable villain in literature, Long John Silver, this novel has fired readers’ imaginations for generations. A rousing tale of treachery, greed, and daring, Treasure Island continues to enthrall readers of all ages.

Who Was Blackbeard?

Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne’s War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough, Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. Known for his thick, black beard and fearsome reputation, the legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for over 300 years.

Pirate Fluxx

Play Pirate Fluxx, boardgames are always a good addition to any study.

How I Became a Pirate

When Braid Beard’s pirate crew invites Jeremy Jacob to join their voyage, he jumps right on board. Buried treasure, sea chanteys, pirate curses—who wouldn’t go along?

Soon Jeremy Jacob knows all about being a pirate. He throws his food across the table and his manners to the wind. He hollers like thunder and laughs off bedtime. It’s the heave-ho, blow-the-man-down, very best time of his life. But then Jeremy Jacob finds out what pirates don’t do. . .

Bucket of Pirate Action Figures

BUCKET OF PIRATES: Ignite your child's imagination with this bucket of pirate action figures playset! Includes 8 detailed pirate figurines, boat, ship, treasures, and more for epic battles and treasure hunts. Let their creativity soar!

Next, look at these pirate activities for middle school.

9 Pirate Activities For Middle School

  1. Read the classic, Treasure Island, or assign it as independent reading to your middle schooler.
  2. Grab my free Pirate Unit Study Ideas and Free Pirates Lapbook.
  3. Another good option for reading is Who was Blackbeard? While these books are recommended for 5-6 grade I think they still have a lot to offer to kids through middle school as an easier read with a lot of great information.
  4. Watch Pirates of The Caribbean together as a family.
  5. This Pirate Escape Room would make an amazing activity for home or even as a group in a co-op setting.
  6. Have your child research and write a paper on female pirates like – Anne Bonny, Cheng I Sao, or Mary Read.
  7. Play Pirate Fluxx, boardgames are always a good addition to any study.
  8. Learn how to draw a pirate map from distressing to final coloring.
  9. Create a piece of pirate artwork like the pirate ship figurehead below.
Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Finally, look how to make this cool octopus pirate ship figurehead.

How to Make an Octopus Pirate Ship Figurehead

Figureheads of the ship embodied the spirit of the ship.

They were made of wood and were placed on the prow of the ship.

The prow is the most forward part of the ship’s bow above the waterline.

And the pirates felt the figurehead offered protection and safe voyage, so they went to great lengths to protect it.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

We are going to create a figurehead that looks as if it might have been recovered from a pirate shipwreck and brought up to be put on display.

You will need:

  • Air dry clay
  • Craft paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Toothpick
  • Craft stick
  • Water
  • Aluminum foil
Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

You will also need:

  • Scrap wood (Dollar Tree)
  • Small rope (Dollar Tree)
Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

First, you want to condition the clay by pulling off a large piece.

Work it in your hands for a minute or two to warm everything up and make it easier to work with.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Divide the clay up and eight same-size pieces as these will be the legs for your octopus.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Roll each of the legs out to the same length and thickness.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Then arrange them in a circle where they touch in the middle. You will not want to move it again after this, so be sure to build it where it’s going to be able to sit for the next two or three days.

Add a small piece of clay over the top of the legs where they touch and carefully smooth it with your fingers so that it’s pressed into each of the legs.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Pirate Ship Figurehead

Now take another piece of clay and condition it by kneading it for a few minutes and use it to shape the head of the octopus.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Press into the piece that you placed over the legs and smooth it, so that it appears to be one solid piece.

Use the paintbrush with a little bit of water to wet the pieces anywhere you join them or want to create a smoother appearance.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Create deep-set eyes by pressing the end of a paintbrush into the sides of the head.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Now you can pose your octopus if you don’t want it to just lie flat by arching his arms, twisting them up words, etc. using balled-up tin foil to hold it into place while it’s drying.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Use a toothpick to create little suctions on the bottom of his tentacles anywhere that you can see the underside.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Let the octopus sculpture dry out completely for 2 to 3 days, and then carefully remove the aluminum foil props pieces.

Once the sculpture is completely dry, paint it however you like and allow the paint to dry, while you’re waiting for that to dry you can move onto the board.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Hot glue your rope all the way around the board to give it a little bit of a nautical look.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Secure the octopus to the center of the board with your chosen glue.

You may want to use something a little more substantial than hot glue like E6000.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Be sure to give us plenty of time to dry before hanging so that your octopus stays secure and will not fall off.

Now, you can either display it flat on a table or shelf or hot glue a loop of twine to the back to act as a hanger.

Pirate Activities For Middle School And Make a Cool Pirate Ship Figurehead

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: american history, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, history, history resources, octopus, pirates, ships

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

August 5, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have 5 cool lighthouse facts and a fun chip can lighthouse craft. Also, look at this Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

Besides, National Lighthouse Day is on August 7th. It’s a fun time to learn a bit of history.

Even if you don’t live on the coast of Cape Hatteras your child can learn about lighthouses, what they are for, where the most famous ones are, and how they were built.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Recycle a potato chip and make your own lighthouse that you can use for decor or as a nightlight with just a few basic craft items, a chip can, and a tealight.

Lighthouses were built to help guide ships onto the shore and help them avoid crashing into rocks using a bright light.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts

  1. The first lighthouses were lit with open fires, eventually, they were lit through the use of candles, lanterns, and electric lights. Now they are electrically monitored and run by machines.
  2. The lights rotate in a circle, so sailors see flashing lights to guide them in.
  3. With a few modern improvements, there are still hundreds of lighthouses in the US that remain operational.
  4. The first true lighthouse was believed to have been built in Egypt over 2,000 years ago.
  5. For a period of sixteen years, the Statue of Liberty was used as a lighthouse for ships entering the New York Harbor. But it was too costly and was not considered an important navigational aid.
5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Lighthouses are iconic and beautiful, but their importance to the coast guard then and now is unarguable.

Also, add some of these books about lighthouses for a fun mini unit study.

Fun Books about Lighthouses

Lighthouses are a cool part of history and make for a fun day of learning.

Lighthouses of North America: Beacons from Coast to Coast

A tour of more than 70 of the continent's most beautiful and important lighthouses.

Lighthouses of North America is a beautiful tribute to 71 lighthouses in the United States and Canada. The selection covers the full range of lighthouse architectural styles and represents all regions of the continent. The book opens with a brief but fascinating history of lighthouses, which traces their use from the Romans to the "golden age" of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when lighthouses became a strategic and commercial asset to seafarers.

Hello Lighthouse (Caldecott Medal Winner)

A beloved picture book from two-time Caldecott Medal award-winner Sophie Blackall that transports readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor! Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around. Inside, the daily life of a lighthouse keeper and his family unfolds as the keeper boils water for tea, lights the lamp's wick, and writes every detail in his logbook. Step back in time and through the door of this iconic lighthouse into a cozy dollhouse-like interior with the extraordinary award-winning artist Sophie Blackall.

The Puffin Keeper

From bestselling author Michael Morpurgo comes a beautifully illustrated classic story for ages 9 to 12 about a lighthouse keeper, a daring rescue and puffins, for fans of War Horse and The One and Only Ivan.As a child, Allen is saved from a nautical disaster by Benjamin Postlethwaite, a solitary lighthouse keeper. Years later, Allen returns to the lighthouse, and the two nurse an injured young puffin back to health. When Allen is called up to fight in World War Two, he's not sure he'll see his mother or Benjamin again, but his fond memories of his time at the lighthouse keep him going, even through prison camp.Allen and Ben's enduring friendship over the years is the basis for this story about friendship, art, war and an incredibly adorable puffin. From masterful storyteller Michael Morpurgo and world-class illustrator Benji Davies comes this truly beautiful tale which will enchant readers of all ages.

Day in the Life of a Colonial Lighthouse Keeper (The Library of Living and Working in Colonial Times)

Follow Thomas Knox through a day of work at Boston Light. As we learn about some of the daily tasks and responsibilities of a colonial lighthouse keeper, Knox’s reminiscences tell the reader the history of
Boston Light, while we also learn what some of his daily responsibilities might have been. Knox, and other lighthouse keepers like him, maintained the lighthouse, lit its huge lanterns nightly, and monitored the weather. When a storm arose, Knox often risked his life to save sailors whose boats crashed on the rocks beyond the lighthouse.

Enjoy one or more of the crafts below as you learn about the history, architecture, and contributions that lighthouses and their operators have made to sailors for many years.

More Lighthouse Crafts & Activities

  • Have your child locate famous lighthouses throughout the world on a map for a simple geography lesson.
  • Learn How to Make a Clay Pot Lighthouse tutorial to create a decoration for the garden.
  • Watch How Do Lighthouses Work on YouTube to understand more about how they function.
  • Have your child place a list of lighthouses in alphabetical order to include some language lessons in the theme.
  • Make a Toilet Paper Roll Lighthouse Craft for a great upcycled idea.
  • I really enjoy easy and fun crafts made from common household items like this Paper Plate Cardboard Roll Lighthouse Craft.
  • Recreate this cute little Lighthouse Cupcake Liner Craft, it is quick and easy to boot!

Check out the Easy How to Draw a Lighthouse Tutorial and Lighthouse Coloring Page

Grab Ocean Anatomy to learn about lighthouses and all around them from creatures to waves to boats.

I thought I had exhausted all the wonderful content in Ocean anatomy for sharks, icebergs, fish, coral reefs, etc but then I came across several pages that talked about lighthouses and where some of the most famous ones are located as well as the moving Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. 

Make sure you grab one if you don’t already have one on your shelves, these books are absolute treasures.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Finally, look how to make this fun chip can lighthouse craft.

Chip Can Lighthouse

You will need:

  • An empty, clean chip can
  • Red construction paper
  • White construction paper
  • Battery powered tealight
  • Black marker
  • Small plastic clear cup or bowl
  • Glue
5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

First, be sure to rinse out and completely dry the inside of the chip can to remove any crumbs or grease.

Next, trim your white paper to fit the can.

I found it only had to take off maybe a quarter of an inch on a standard piece of construction paper, and a few inches off the length so it just barely overlapped in the back.

Apply glue all over the can and roll your paper around it, smoothing out the bubbles.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Cut red construction paper into three strips and then glue them to the top of the white paper, wrapped around the can. Be sure to secure the ends with extra glue.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Use a black marker to draw on windows and any other details that you would like.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Now attach your light flip over the lid from the can and trace the tea light.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Cut out the circle that you traced in the middle of the lid slightly smaller than the outline you drew so that the tea light doesn’t fall through.

You want to place the tea light so that the battery pack and the on/off switch are accessible through the lid.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Draw window lines on your clear plastic up or bowl.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

 Place the lid with the attached light back on top of the can and add a bead of hot glue all the way around the top.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Quickly press the clear cup into the glue so it stays in place.

5 Cool Lighthouse Facts and Make a Chip Can Lighthouse

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, lighthouse, science, ships

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