Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter

Written by Richard Platt and Illustrated by Chris Riddell

 

 

You are invited to go on a piratical journey with Jake Carpenter. You will read about Jake’s adventures through the diary he kept throughout his travels. You will learn about Colonial America and Pirates, as well as many other exciting people, places, and happenings. As your teacher, I invite you to keep your own Diary of sorts.

 

You will begin a Double Entry Diary, otherwise known as a DED. We will be reading, writing in your diary, and discussing throughout this entire book of historical fiction.

 

As you are assigned your reading, you will write four entries in your DED for each section. You will find important words, quotations, or passages from the book. Then you will explain why those words, quotations, and passages are important—in other words, when you read them, what do those words mean to you?

 

You will write each entry so that it looks something like this table:

 

From the book (words, quotes, passages). Please include the page and paragraph.

What it means to me

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are options that you may choose to write about and how you might organize your thoughts:

 

Significant passage copied from the text; include page and paragraph #.

Quote

Connections or reactions to recorded statement

Reaction (How you feel about the quote)

Quote

Connection (Self, Text, World)

Quote/Picture

Inference (What you think it means)

Prediction

What Really Happened (You will complete this after you know)

Question you have  or something you don’t understand

Answer or possible answer

Author’s Craft (Simile, metaphor, personification)

Explanation of what it means and how it adds importance to the passage

Fact

 Your Opinion

Effect (What happened?)

Cause (Why did it happen?)

 

Here is what your schedule will look like:

 

Section 1 (1-21)

We will read pages 1-12 together.

YOU will read pages 13-21. Be sure to stop before the entry labeled Saturday 20th. As you are reading, think about the following:

v      Jake and his family

v      Colonists’ feelings about paying taxes—what is your opinion?

v      Author’s craft-simile (comparison using like or as) and personification (giving human or person traits to objects or things)

v      Pirate punishments

v      Navigation on the ship

v      Make a prediction after reading Friday 19th entry: Who is aboard the “other vessel” Jake sees?

 

Remember to write at least 4 journal entries for Section 1. In addition, remember to add to your Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms. Remember to include sketches and anything else to help you remember important words and terms. Think about adding the following terms:

 

v      brig

v      masts

v      starboard

v      port

v      contraband

v      customs taxes

v      molasses

 

v      upper topsails

v      first mate

v      helmsman

v      flogged

v      latitude

v      backstaff

v      almanac

 

 

Look for Martinique, the West Indies, England and Jamaica on the map.

 

 

Here is an example of a DED from the first section.

 

Effect: Will sent Jake to wash the decks aboard the ship; the boards must be kept damp. (p.10)

 

Cause: The wood boards on the deck will shrink apart—if dry—and let the sea water into the lower part of the ship. (P.10)

Quote: “Will has told me of sea monsters, mermaids, and of floating islands made of ice.” (p. 5)

Reaction: I think the floating island is a glacier. Also, I wonder about the stories of sea monsters and mermaids…I think I will try to find out more information; I might check out some Internet sites.

Quote: “…if you can put up with old Captain Nick!” (p. 7)

Connection: This makes me think that Captain Nick is not such a pleasant person, maybe he’s disgruntled and cruel. I wonder if something ghastly happens because of this Captain Nick?

 

Quote: “Candles are permitted only inside a horn lantern, which protects the ship against fire” (p. 10)

 

 

Inference: I imagine with the entire ship made of wood and rope, sailors must be very careful to prevent fire on the ship. I wonder where they store the gun powder and how safe that is?

 

Example of Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms:

 

Quayside (p. 7, 10): quay is a platform that runs along the edge of a port or harbor, where boats are loaded and unloaded, so quayside is the side of the ship that is next to the dock.

 

 

 

Section 2

You will read pages 21-37.

 

As you are reading, think about the following:

v      The Pirate Attack: Cause and Effect

o        Major events that occurred and why they happened

o        Jolly Roger

v      Pirate Facts and your Opinions about pirates

v      Conditions aboard the ship

v      Marooning

v      Pirate Articles-Oath of Loyalty (Connection to government?)

v      Whales!

v      Careening the ship

v      Henry Jennings

v      Cannons-How do they work?

 

Please consult your book, The Best Book of Pirates by Barnaby Harward, for further information on:

v      Pirate ship pp. 8-9

v      Conditions aboard the ship pp. 10-11

v      Tools of the trade-weapons pp. 12-13

v      Careening a ship p. 20

v      Pirate Rules and Punishments pp. 28-29

 

 

Remember to write at least 4 journal entries for Section 2. In addition, remember to add to your Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms. Remember to include sketches and anything else to help you remember important words and terms. Think about adding the following terms:

 

v      quarterdeck

v      boatswain

v      maggots

v      marooning

v      moored

v      articles

v      deserters

v      league

v      tacking

v      careen

v      powder monkey

v      magazine

 

 

Activities:

 

  1. Pirates sailed under flags called Jolly Rogers. The origin of the name has several theories: it could come from the French term joli rouge meaning "pretty red" or from an English expression for the devil: Old Roger. Many pirates created their own designs, and women in the West Indies would sew the flags for them. When a sea-traveler saw that a ship's flag was all red that meant 'no quarter given' (there would be no survivors of any attack), so in some ways, it was better to see the Jolly Roger and know that there was a chance for survival.

    Individually, create a Jolly Roger-Research the various pirate flags (Jolly Roger) and make your own incorporating elements from the famous pirate flags. Be prepared to discuss why you designed your flag the way you did--what does it symbolize? Please feel free to use fabric and other materials.  We will display these in our classroom. Have loads of fun!

 

Jolly Roger

http://www.isd12.org/bhe/Archives/Activities/Pirates/Pages/Flags/flags.html

http://tayci.tripod.com/flaglang.html

http://www.inkyfingers.com/pyrates/flags/index.html

http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/pirates/jolirouge.html

http://www.kipar.org/piratical-resources/pirate-flags.html

 

 

 

 

  1. Pirate Articles-Work in groups of 4 or 5 and complete the following:

v     Read the Pirate Articles in our book and compare/contrast them to articles from other pirate ships. Please consider each rule/article separately. Do you think each rule/article was necessary? Explain.

v     Consider the articles as a whole. Are the rules fair? Is the punishment just? What is it about the rules that would attract individuals to an outlaw life of piracy?

Be sure to check out the books in class along with these web sites:

http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/MD/Lesson11/Lesson11_14.html

http://blindkat.hegewisch.net/pirates/articles_new.html

http://www.geocities.com/cptblood_1999/page15.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v     Work as a democracy: Please name your ship; select your Captain and crew (entire class is available to be a crew-member on your ship). Write a log of today’s decisions.

a.       Quartermaster

b.      First Mate

c.       Boatswain

d.      Cabin Boy

e.       Carpenter

f.        Gunner

g.       Powder Monkey

h.       Surgeon

i.         Battle Strategy

j.        Life On Board a Sailing Ship

 

v     Finally, create your own Pirate Articles.

 

Section 3

You will read pages 37-54.

 

As you are reading, think about the following:

v     New Providence-Bahamas

v     Author’s craft-Simile and personification

v     Money- Pieces of eight

v     Saint Elmo’s Fire

v     Manatees and Mermaids

v     Passing time on the ship

v     Tools on the ship

v     The “Dutch saw” and Ben…what do you think happened?

v     England’s King George and the Act of Grace…what are your thoughts? Would you have taken the pardon? Be prepared to defend your answer.

v     The Storm at sea and its effects

v     Jake’s relationship with Abraham

v     Uncle Will

 

 

Remember to write at least 4 journal entries for Section 2. In addition, remember to add to your Dictionary of Piratical and Nautical Terms. Remember to include sketches and anything else to help you remember important words and terms.

 

Wrapping it up…

v      What other books/characters does the book remind you of? (Literary Connections)

v      What special meaning or message does the book have for you? (Theme)

v       What is your favorite part of the reading?

v      Questions I still have are_________________________