Ahoy, ye mateys! September 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, but ye can engage yer learners all year long with pirate activities. Students can learn science, math, geography, history, culture, citizenship, and more by studying pirates. Below is a list of fun classroom activities to git ye sailing.

Talk like a pirate

• Study new words and phrases from the Pirate Dictionary
• Learn pirate slang with Speak Pirate’s translator
• Challenge students to a Pirate Word Search
• Set up a pirate-themed sight word activity

Learn navigational skills

• Create an authentic pirate treasure map using brown grocery bags
• Pillage and plunder QR codes with Class Tool’s QR Code Treasure Hunt Generator
• Help students add interactive, pop-up clues to hand-drawn maps using Thinglink
• Learn how to read a map and with this free downloadable coloring page
• Make a compass using A to Z Kids Stuff’s lesson plan

Explore the Golden Age

• Celebrate pirate culture with Learn English Kids pirate-themed songs, stories, and activities
• Start a 10-day unit about pirates (sixth grade) or browse The Pirate Museum’s list of K–12 lesson plans
• Visit the Pirate’s Realm to learn about famous pirates and their ships, crews, hideouts, flags, code, and more
• Read a selection from National Geographic’s roundup of Books for Buccaneers

For more ideas, check out Teaching Ideas’ list of pirate-themed classroom resources.

Alina O'Donnell is the editor of Literacy Daily.