Take the struggle out of teaching creative writing and replace it with a fun pirate adventure! Yo, Ho, Ho! Write a Pirate’s Tale is an easy, step-by-step creative writing course for grades 3-6 that works great with both willing and reluctant writers. What I love most about this book by Jan May is how it incorporates hands-on activities into the lessons so kids aren’t just sitting still and struggling to write. Each lesson unlocks the Five Writing Superpowers:
• Creative brainstorming – builds a bridge from brain to paper
• Pre-writing fun activities – guides in organizing an irresistible story
• Free writing – gives the student permission to be a child
• Theme immersion – provides activities to create a fountain of ideas nourishing the imagination
• Gentle grading – builds confidence without the fear of criticism and unleashes the storyteller
The curriculum gently guides students through these steps so they can be excited about the theme and confident in what they write. Along the way, they’ll learn about story elements and writing basics without getting bogged down in heavy terminology. They will learn:
• How to create characters, settings, and plots
• Literary tools like onomatopoeia and interjections
• How to use strong verbs, adjectives, and dialogue
They’ll have tons of fun coming up with wacky pirate names (Calico Codfish or Pegleg McStinky, anyone?), letting their imaginations run wild as they design a pirate island (complete with kanga-gators, hamburger bushes, or anything else that they like), and so much more! Jan has woven elements such as pirate vocabulary, tidbits about life on a pirate ship and the pirate code, and more to help fuel your child’s story, even if they’ve never read Treasure Island or the Swiss Family Robinson. (Reading one of those alongside this unit would be extra fun!)
There are lots of great activities to excite even the most reluctant writer (and they are sure to create some wonderful family memories, too!). You can:
• Make a pirate hat
• Make a pirate hook
• Make a pirate poster
• Make your own pirate code
• Dress up like a pirate for the day
• Bake a pirate map pizza
• Make Walk the Plank Jell-O Shark Cups
• And more!
Check out Yo, Ho, Ho! Write a Pirate’s Tale today!
I received a free copy of Yo, Ho, Ho! Write a Pirate’s Tale in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
this looks pretty cool
Thank you! I think it’s a great unit!