an integrated unit of work for a Yr 1,2,3 multi-age class
by C. James-McGovern Sharon S.S.
Rationale
Pirates are a popular topic with the many boys in the class, and mermaids are popular with
the girls. This 8 week integrated unit is designed to provide stimulating learning
experiences across a range of KLAs, and fits perfectly with the school‟s Curriculum PLan
needs which include mapping, needs and wants and locating and presenting information.
Through working individually and in a variety of grouping arrangements, opportunities will
be provided for creative problem solving by designing a „landlubbers‟ ship‟ and preparing
for entry in the Great Piratical Ocean Race, creating a treasure island and a map, and
creating and dramatising a characterisation of pirate or mermaid.
Focus Tasks
The children will work in groups of four to:
Plan, design and create a ship to be used in the Great Piratical Ocean Race,
Plan, design and create a jolly roger,
Complete an entry form for the Great Piratical Ocean Race.
Life Long Learning
This unit builds lifelong learner outcomes by
- encouraging children to gain a greater knowledge and conceptual understanding of
technology information and materials as they design their islands, maps and ships and
characterisations.
- drawing together knowledge to develop creative solutions to a design challenge
- using a variety of reasoning processes to solve a common problem
- developing effective communication skills through spoken, written and visual means by
working co-operatively in a range of situations
- encouraging children to become active investigators through testing the suitability of
materials to be used in the construction process
- developing critical thinking and decision making skills through making choices and
justifying decisions in constructing their designs
- encouraging and developing skills as a reflective and self directed learner
Host K.L.A. Outcomes
S.O.S.E.
Place and Space 1.1 Students match relationships between environmental conditions and people‟s
clothes, food, shelter, work and leisure.
2.4 Students use and make simple maps to describe local and major global
features including oceans, continents, and hot and cold zones.
D2.7 Students make a model of an imaginary place and translate it to a two-
dimensional map.
Associated K.L.A. Outcomes
Technology
Information 1.1 Students identify and describe different forms of information.
1.2 Students use simple techniques for presenting information for their own
purposes.
2.1 Students explain the purposes of different forms of information and describe
how these are used in everyday life.
2.2 Students use simple techniques for accessing and presenting information for
themselves and others.
Materials 1.1 Students identify characteristics of materials and explain how materials are used
in everyday products.
2.1 Students match the characteristics of materials to design requirements.
1.2 Students explore equipment and techniques when joining and combining materials
for meaningful purposes.
2.2 Students select and use suitable equipment and techniques for manipulating and
processing materials.
Science
Life and Living 1.1 Students discuss their thinking about needs of living things.
2.1 Students look for patterns and relationships between the features of
different living things and how those living things meet their needs.
Science & Society 2.3 Students explain some of the ways that applications of science affect
their community.
Deep Knowledge and understanding
Pirates relied on living and non living things to provide them with their needs and wants, and the
way in which they obtained their needs and wants was not moral or legal.
Knowledge and Skills
Children need to know Children need to be able to
That pirates had needs and wants and they List ways pirates‟ needs were met
met these in unacceptable ways
How to read simple maps Read & interpret simple maps
How to create simple maps from their Create simple maps from their environment
environment & 3D models and from the model treasure island
Sea shanties Perform sea shanties for peers
How to complete simple entry forms Complete entry form
That information can be obtained from a Obtain information from a variety of sources
variety of sources
How to speak like a pirate Speak like a pirate
Learning Experiences
Orientating
KWL chart - maps
Investigate real pirates
Finding, reading books about pirates, their ships, mermaids
Finding, reading variety of maps
Accessing web sites related to pirates, mermaids
Matching pirates, mermaids to their descriptions – co-op, ind
Read the novel „Treasure Island‟ or „Peg Leg Meg‟
Responding to text after each chapter (see „Related Literacy Blocks‟)
List characters in stories
Read pirate, mermaid themed picture books
Discuss the need for a roster for caring for chooks
Look at basic structure of pirate ships
Accessing web sites related to pirates and mermaids, and finding information
Dialogue & pirate sayings
Enhancing
Describe the design challenge to students
Generate design ideas and plans that show basic features of their ships
Accessing the internet and books to find the names of real pirates
Discuss the appropriateness of the designs of ships
Discuss safety issues for when using equipment and materials
Literacy Cycles – variety of thematic writing
Reflective Writing – Pirate Logs
Cloze activities, vocab development, use of plurals, adjectives, verbs
Top level structure – compare and contrast
Guided reading – „Treasure Island‟
Descriptions – Pirates, Mermaids– deconstructing, textual features inc. generic structure,
cohesion, vocab, grammar, paragraphing
Modelled writing of treasure map
Joint construction of treasure maps – whole class, small groups
Sequencing story -co-op & ind
Retelling story using props – co-op & ind
Compare two books
Compare films – „Muppets‟ Treasure Island‟, „Treasure Island‟, „Treasure Planet‟, „Pirates of
the Caribbean‟, „Blackbeard‟
Classifying books – Fiction/non fiction
Making mini books
Thematic games – co-op & ind
Make big “Pirates, Mermaids” book
Sing sea shanties, pirate, mermaid songs from memory
Story map -
Following directions, listening activity
Innovate simple pirate and mermaid poems
Create crosswords, word searches – pirates, mermaids / „Treasure Island‟ vocab
Classifying pirates, mermaids
Writing Who am I? Big book
Illustrating big book – “______________”
Construct a timeline of main events in „Treasure Island‟
Pirate characterisations, costumes, voice, speech
Synthesising
Complete entry form for Piratical Ship Race – information, photos in costume etc. –sm gr
Design and create ship for Piratical Ship Race – sm gr
Design, create and present pirate shanty to class – sm gr
Design, create and present a treasure island and a map of same – ind
Write and perform pirate dialogue
Create dramatisation to introduce pirate characters to class – ind/pairs
Reflective evaluation - ind
Related Literacy Blocks
Stimulus Focus Genre
Treasure Island Read and discuss chapters narrative
By R.L.Stevenson during modelled reading
Peg Meg Meg Chapter activities narrative
By Nan Bodsworth
The Great Piratical Own Choice Activities variety
Rumbustification
By Margaret Mahy
Mermaids of the Sea Own Choice Activities variety
The Littlest Pirate Own Choice Activities variety
By Sherryl Clark
Adventure on Skull Island Own Choice Activities variety
By Tony Bradman
Shipwreck Own Choice Activities variety
Shen Roddie
I Wish I Had a Pirate Suit Own Choice Activities variety
By Pamela Allen
The Pirate‟s Decision Own Choice Activities variety
By Rachel Baron
Hornpipe‟s Hunt For Gold Activities in book variety
By Marjorie Newman
Pirate Boy Own Choice Activities variety
By John Wallace
Fifteen Pigs on a Pirate Ship Activities in book quiz
By Pat Edwards
Tom‟s Pirate Ship Own Choice Activities variety
By Philippe Dupasquier
The Man Whose Mother Was Own Choice Activities variety
a Pirate
By Margaret Mahy
Rodney Rat and the Sunken Own Choice Activities variety
Treasure
By Michelanne Forster &
Graeme Kyle
Captain Pike Looks After the
Baby
By Marjorie Newman
Pirate Piggywiggy Own Choice Activities variety
By Christyan & Diane Fox
The Babies of Cockle Bay Own Choice Activities variety
By Angela McAllister
The Journey Home Own Choice Activities variety
By Alison Lester
Tough Boris feelings memories, diary
By Mem Fox
The Pirate Who Wouldn‟t hygiene, direct speech, words direct speech
Wash instead of said
By Michael Salmon
Captain Abdul‟s Pirate School
By Colin McNaughton
P 5,6 adjectives, descriptive descriptions of pirates
phrases
P 7,8 design and describe pirate
uniforms for Sharon S.S.
P 9,10 pirate words pirate alphabet
P 13,14, 17,18 Verbs, ********* complex sentences
19,20 Direct speech/speech direct speech
bubbles
21,22 ? questions, ?
23,24,25,26 verbs, adverbs complex sentences
Jolly Roger dialogue, speech bubbles, pirate dialogue
By Colin McNaughton direct sppech direct speech
Wild Wicked Winifred & see
The Pirate Chief
By Pat Edwards
Eureka Maths
Pirates‟ & Mermaids‟ sequencing pics & text
Treasure
Teacher made big book
Grandad‟s Teeth innovation – pirate‟s missing short story
Rod Clements teeth
The Barefoot Book of Pirates listening comprehension traditional tales
By Richard Walker inc. CD
What Shall We Do With A innovate innovation
Drunken Sailor song
When I was one I sucked my
thumb… song
Blackbeard 1964 view beginning slowly, discuss
DVD
Pirates of the Caribbean 2nd scene, Jack Sparrow descriptive paragraph
DVD
Treasure Island 1964 view slowly, discuss & comparison
DVD compare with book
Muppet Treasure Island view slowly & discuss descriptive retell
DVD retell – explosion scene
Assessment
Task Strategy Instrument
The Amazing Chase Working in teams of four, Points awarded for collection
follow instructions and clues, of treasure
and read a map to complete
The Amazing Chase
Individually write and Formal oral presentation Evaluation grid
perform a pirate character
recital in costume.
Working in a group of four, Informal presentation as Evaluation grid
enter the Great Piratical part of Great Piratical Ship
Ship Race by: Race
Completing an entry form,
planning, designing and
creating a ship, Working with others – Working With Others
Performing a sea shanty. observation over time evaluation grid
Individually or in pairs, Informal oral presentation Anecdotal notes
create, design and construct Checklist
a treasure island and a map
of it.
Read and interpret a simple Observation Anecdotes
map to help find the Checklist
treasure.
Unit Evaluation
Develop a series of questions that you would ask of yourself, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the unit.
Consider:
whether the intent of unit was achieved
your effectiveness as a teacher, throughout this unit
the appropriateness/effectiveness of the learning activities
the effectiveness of the assessment strategies
the suitability of resources
the appropriateness of modifications made to cater for students with special needs