build your own pirate island - orange board of education

Build Your Own Pirate Island A project combining natural

resources, land forms and map skills

By Forever In Third Grade

Forever In Third Grade

Start here: Design a shape for your map.


Include at least 4 landforms on your map (islands,

bay, hills, waterfall, sand dune, beach, lake or any

other).


Add the compass rose.


Add a map key.

Map Key Map Key


= = =

= = =

Add a map scale.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile Forever In Third Grade

= = =

= = =

Add a title.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile

Pirate Island Pirate Island


= = =

= = =

X marks the spot.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile



= = =

= = =

Add your pirate ship.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile



= = =

= = =

Add the path to the map.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile



= = =

= = =

Add dots to the map to make using the map scale

easier.

Map Key Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

1 cm. = 1 mile



= = =

= = =

Map Key

1 cm. = 1 mile

Pirate Island

Finally write directions to use the map. Make sure

you include directions and distance.

Example:

Your ship must sail to the

southeast point of the

island. Once on land walk

5 miles northwest. You will

reach the lake. Get a drink

of water here because you

won’t be able to later. Head

north 2 miles.


= = =

When you have written directions to the X give

instructions on what to do to find the “treasure”

which is a natural resource.

For example:

The x marks the spot. Dig down 4 feet into the

sand and you will strike oil. You will be rich!

Or…

The x marks the spot. Dig down

7 feet to find the treasure chest

filled with silver coins! Lucky you!


Additional Ideas:

*Turn this project into a creative writing assignment. I have included extra lined paper for this.

The students could tell the story of finding treasure from the pirate’s point of view.

*My students use green construction paper to make their island and glue it on to blue paper.

But, I have also torn the edges of large white drawing paper, crumbled it up, spread it out flat

and soaked it in tea or coffee. After it has soaked and is dry, we take our hands and flatten it

as much as possible. The maps could then be drawn directly onto this paper.

* Students could write incorrect directions to the X and someone would have to correct their

directions.

* The direction cards could either be printed out or projected. I like to bring up the pdf file, show

the class all the directions first and then just scroll down with the directions as the class is

ready for the next step. I also use the checklist which helps a lot.

*Added in Sept 2015 a cut and paste mapping activity to practice cardinal and

intermediate directions!

Thanks to


Name ________________________

Pirate Map Checklist:

_____ At least 4 landforms included

1. _____________________

2. _____________________

3. _____________________

4. _____________________

______________________

______________________

_____ Title

_____ Compass rose

_____ Map Key

_____ Map Scale

_____ Path to the X

_____ Pirate Ship

_____ A natural resource at the X

It is ___________________

Are there other natural resources

on your map other than the

“treasure”?

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________


Name ________________________

Pirate Map Checklist:

_____ At least 4 landforms included

1. _____________________

2. _____________________

3. _____________________

4. _____________________

______________________

______________________

_____ Title

_____ Compass rose

_____ Map Key

_____ Map Scale

_____ Path to the X

_____ Pirate Ship

_____ A natural resource at the X

It is ___________________

Are there other natural resources

on your map other than the

“treasure”?

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_________________________ _______________________________ ______________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ ________________________________ ______________________


____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Forever In Third Grade

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Forever In Third Grade

My Treasure Hunt

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Forever In Third Grade

Map Key Map Key Map Key Map Key

Map Key Map Key Map Key Map Key



Natural Resources

Nam

e _________________________________________ Required Elem

ents (1 point each) ____ Title ____ M

ap Scale ____ M

ap Key ____ Com

pass Rose ____ Path ____ Landform

s (x 4) ____ N

atural Resource W

ritten Directions (5 points each)

____ Accuracy ____ Creativity O

verall Presentation (5 points each) ____ N

eatness ____ Follow

ed Directions

Total: ____ out of0

Natural Resources

Nam

e _________________________________________ Required Elem


ap Scale ____ M

ap Key ____ Com


s (x 4) ____ N

atural Resource W




eatness ____ Follow

ed Directions

Total: ____ out of0

Natural Resources

Nam

e _________________________________________ Required Elem


ap Scale ____ M

ap Key ____ Com


s (x 4) ____ N

atural Resource W




eatness ____ Follow

ed Directions

Total: ____ out of0

Natural Resources

Nam

e _________________________________________ Required Elem


ap Scale ____ M

ap Key ____ Com


s (x 4) ____ N

atural Resource W




eatness ____ Follow

ed Directions

Total: ____ out of0

Name A Pirate’s Life For Me

A P

irat

e’s

Lif

e Fo

r M

e Na

me

____

____

____

____

____

___

Colo

r an

d cu

t ou

t th

e pi

ctur

es

a lo

ng t

he b

otto

m. F

ollo

w t

he

dire

ctio

ns b

elow

to

corr

ectl

y pl

ace

the

pict

ures

. 1.

Draw

a c

ompa

ss r

ose

in t

he

nort

heas

t co

rner

of

the

map

. 2.

Thre

e sq

uare

s no

rthw

est

of t

he is

land

glu

e th

e pi

rate

gi

rl.

3.Fo

ur s

quar

es w

est

of t

he

isla

nd g

lue

the

pira

te h

at.

4.Tw

o sq

uare

s so

uth

of t

he

isla

nd g

lue

the

pira

te s

hip.

5.

Just

sou

th o

f th

e pi

rate

sh

ip g

lue

the

parr

ot.

6.One

squ

are

sout

hwes

t of

th

e pi

rate

gir

l glu

e th

e pi

rate

boy

. 7.

Glu

e th

e m

ap f

ive

squa

res

sout

h of

the

pir

ate

boy.

8.

Glu

e th

e ba

rrel

thr

ee

squa

res

east

of

the

isla

nds.

9.

Glu

e th

e fl

ag t

wo

squa

re

nort

h of

the

bar

rel.

10.

Thre

e sq

uare

s so

uthe

ast

of t

he is

land

glu

e th

e X.

11.Fo

ur s

quar

es w

est

of t

he X

gl

ue t

he t

reas

ure.

12

.W

ho r

each

ed t

he t

reas

ure

firs

t? _

____

____

____

____

__

A P

irat

e’s

Lif

e Fo

r M

e Na

me

____

____

____

____

____

___

Colo

r an

d cu

t ou

t th

e pi

ctur

es

a lo

ng t

he b

otto

m. F

ollo

w t

he

dire

ctio

ns b

elow

to

corr

ectl

y pl

ace

the

pict

ures

. 1.

Draw

a c

ompa

ss r

ose

in t

he

nort

heas

t co

rner

of

the

map

. 2.

Thre

e sq

uare

s no

rthw

est

of t

he is

land

glu

e th

e pi

rate

gi

rl.

3.Fo

ur s

quar

es w

est

of t

he

isla

nd g

lue

the

pira

te h

at.

4.Tw

o sq

uare

s so

uth

of t

he

isla

nd g

lue

the

pira

te s

hip.

5.

Just

sou

th o

f th

e pi

rate

sh

ip g

lue

the

parr

ot.

6.One

squ

are

sout

hwes

t of

th

e pi

rate

gir

l glu

e th

e pi

rate

boy

. 7.

Glu

e th

e m

ap f

ive

squa

res

sout

h of

the

pir

ate

boy.

8.

Glu

e th

e ba

rrel

thr

ee

squa

res

east

of

the

isla

nds.

9.

Glu

e th

e fl

ag t

wo

squa

re

nort

h of

the

bar

rel.

10.

Thre

e sq

uare

s so

uthe

ast

of t

he is

land

glu

e th

e X.

11.Fo

ur s

quar

es w

est

of t

he X

gl

ue t

he t

reas

ure.

12

.W

ho r

each

ed t

he t

reas

ure

firs

t? _

____

____

____

____

__

build your own pirate island - orange board of education

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