Image of a sailing pirate ship with skull and crossbones on the sails
iStockPhoto/Getty Images (Cockroaches); GeorgePeters/Getty Images (Pirate); Shutterstock.com (All Other Images)
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Ahoy, Pirates!

What do you know about pirates? Read these facts—or get ready to walk the plank!

From the May/June 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Children will discover historical information about pirates.

Lexile: 460L
Featured Skill: Vocabulary, Main Idea,
Vocabulary: below deck, spoil, loot, Jolly Roger
Topic: Social Studies,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Decoding RI.1.3 Connecting information RI.1.4 Vocabulary RI.1.5 Text features RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and images RI.1.7 Use illustrations to describe key ideas SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative discussions with peers and adults
TEKS Standards
  • Science (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that the living environment is composed of relationships between organisms and the life cycles that occur. The student is expected to: (A) sort and classify living and nonliving things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce offspring; (C) gather evidence of interdependence among living organisms such as energy transfer through food chains or animals using plants for shelter. (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats.

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1. Pirates Are Real

A skull and bones flag was called a Jolly Roger.

Many famous pirates lived long ago. They sailed the seas in big ships. They attacked other ships and stole their gold and jewels. 

A black pirate flag meant trouble was coming!

2. Life On A Pirate Ship Was Dirty

Pirates slept below deck. That is the lower part of the ship. It was dark and smelly. There were rats and bugs. Yikes!

3. Pirate Life Was Hard

Pirates stayed on the ship for weeks. Food did not stay fresh. It would spoil. The pirates did not have a lot of fruit or vegetables. That made them sick. Sometimes their teeth fell out. Arr!

4. Pirates Had Treasure

Some of them got very rich. They stole a lot of loot, like gold and jewels. 

The pirate Sam Bellamy had a ship filled with treasure. But it sank into the sea. Could it ever be found? Go to this page to find out!

video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (2)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
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Slideshows (1)
Activities (2) Download All Skill Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Nonfiction text features

Vocabulary

below deck, spoil, loot, Jolly Roger

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole Group: Read this article to build background knowledge on pirates for the Big Read-Aloud.

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: "Big Read-Aloud: The Search for Pirate Gold,” “Mini Read: A Puppy Found Treasure,” “Paired Text: Toys or Treasures?”
  • Suggested books: The Grumpy Pirate by Artemis Roehrig and Ashlyn Anstee; How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long

Before-Reading Resources

 
  • Video: Pirates: True or Untrue? (5 minutes) Build background knowledge and excitement about pirates.
  • Vocabulary Slideshow (3 minutes) below deck, spoil, loot, Jolly Roger

Suggested Reading Focus

Information from text and images (20 minutes)
  • Tell students they will be learning about pirates. Have students share what they might already know about pirates or what stories they know with pirates as characters. Review the “Pirates: True or Untrue?” video to explore the history of pirates.

  • Walk students through the nonfiction features of the page. Take a close look at the pictures and ask students to share what they notice.
  • Read the mini article. Pause to check for understanding with each of the bolded vocabulary words.
  • Ask students: What was the most surprising or interesting thing that you learned from the article?

 

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Key details; vocabulary/key details (15 minutes)

Extension Activity

Skills:  Symbols (15 minutes)

  • Review the Jolly Roger symbol on a pirate flag. Then have students design their own pirate flag. What pictures or symbols would they include? What colors would they use? You can use collage materials or paint to enrich the experience.

Text-to-Speech