AHOY, MATIES!

You are about to enter the world of shipwrecks and pirates! You will be going out on the high seas to deliver cargo to Cuba, and your very lives depend on making good choices. Piracy was a big problem in the early shippping industry, as well as the hazards of sailing. Come aboard and sail with us!

THE TASK

You are a shipping merchant in England and have agreed to take an order of canons from England to Cuba (something pirates would like to have). All the pirates mentioned in the resources are alive and living on their favorite islands. You and your crew must deliver the goods safely. You must choose a ship, that you think will serve your needs, tell why you chose that ship, and pick 3 routes through the Caribbean Islands to Cuba. You must be aware of previous shipwrecks (as they could indicate perilous waters) and avoid them. You will need to keep in mind the kind of ship you want to have, if you do go near an island inhabited by pirates. Your mates are counting on you to bring them home alive!

ResourcesCaribbean Ship Wrecks
The Buccanear Reference Sites
Shipwrecks
Caribbean Shipwrecks 1492- 1521

THE PROCESS

First you and your crew will need to gather information from the resources given regarding pirates, their islands, the locations of shipwrecks, and types of ships (and their features).

Now that you are familiar with the names of some of the islands, you will take a blank map and label the islands to get familiar with their positions to each other- you may need to enlist the aid of an atlas.

Next you will need to locate on the map the favorite islands that the pirates claim as "home".

Then locate the shipwrecks on the same map. By now you should be getting a pretty good idea of where you don't want to sail.

Last, you will want to plan some tentative routes. Now your crew needs to select a ship. If you will be sailing past a pirate-inhabited island, you will need to consider the types of features each ship has, and which ship will suit your purposes and plans best.

LEARNING ADVICE

You will be using the same kinds of ships that the pirates use (afterall, they stole theirs). You can find ships under "Scurvy Dogs" on the Bucaneer Reference Site. When considering your ship, you must decide if you are going to try to outrun the pirates, or stay and fight.

CONCLUSION

You have learned a bit about the perils of the high seas, the harsh life of pirates, and how to take several factors into consideration before making a decision (sometimes it can make the difference between life and death). Can you think of times in real life when you had to consider 2 or 3 things before making a decision? When you get dressed in the morning, do you consider what you will be doing during the day and the weather, before making a clothing decision? Often life will require you to look at the "big picture". Click here to return to the 4teachers Main Menu.