A Pirate’s Treasure Chest of Learning

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treasure chest

In the world of education, creativity knows no bounds. A simple shoe box, often discarded after serving its primary purpose, can be reborn into a treasure trove of learning opportunities. The allure of adventure and the thrill of discovery captivates the imagination of young learners.

When I found this handsome box discarded I saw its many potentials! So I secured it with paper tape, reinforced it on the inside (with parts of another pizza box!), cut it in the middle, covered the parts which had letters on them, tried to imitate the style of the rest of the box with various matching paints, crafted a lock, and finally, lined the interior with red wafer paper. When my treasure chest was ready, it was time to put my treasure inside! Children’s jewellery, plastic or glass gems, lucky plastic coins gathered from vasilopita pies (vasilopita is a traditional Greek New Year’s Day bread, cake, or pie that contains a hidden coin) and any other trinket I could think of!

I will use my treasure chest with my 3rd graders, since there is much scope in their 1st and 2nd Units for a re-enactment of the lessons where the treasure chest is discovered by Kelly and then used by the pirates in Captain Cook’s crew!

Here is a map in imitation of the map in Lesson 1 of Unit 1: Treasure Hunt Map

and the bamboo leaves with the panda on them (like a puzzle) in Lesson 2: Bamboo leaves

For a pirate hat have a look at my ‘Ahoy mates!’ blog post here.

Have students make their own pirate treasure chest: this activity will not only add sparkle to the lesson but also encourage students’ fine motor skills and imagination as each one of them will create their own. Have students recycle (or rather, upcycle!) materials such as boxes, cardboard scraps, ribbons, strings, or any other embellishments in order to make a treasure chest for their “treasures.”

 

Transforming a shoe box into a pirate treasure chest not only engages students in a fun and hands-on activity but also opens the door to a wealth of educational possibilities:

Literacy and Phonics:

Hide letters or words within the chest, prompting students to identify and spell them correctly.

Creative Writing:

Encourage students to develop pirate-themed stories centred around the treasure chest. This activity fosters creative writing skills, expands vocabulary, and allows for imaginative expression.

Mathematics:

Introduce counting and sorting using the toy coins or jewels. Create math problems based on the number of treasures hidden in the chest. 

History and Geography:

Explore pirate history and geographical locations of famous pirate adventures. Incorporate maps and discuss the concept of buried treasures to tie the project to real-world historical contexts.

Teamwork and Collaboration:

Assign group projects where students work together to create a collective treasure chest. This fosters teamwork, communication, and collaboration skills.

Reward System:

Fill the treasure chest with small prizes, such as stickers, candy, or small toys, to reward students for exceptional work or good behaviour.

 

Unlock a treasure trove of educational opportunities through this tangible artifact!!!

Making (and using) a storytelling chair

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Storytelling for kindergarten (and, of course, primary school) children is highly beneficial. Not only does it inspire imagination, but it’s also highly engaging. It captivates young learners’ attention, acts as a language booster, and ignites a love for literature.

Using puppets, props (even the simplest ones can have a tremendous effect on the little ones! – try pressing all your fingers to the front, using your hand as a beak and then engage in a dialogue with it), body language and animated voice can encourage imagination and creativity and foster social interaction: children empathize with characters and engage in discussions, developing, thus, their critical thinking, a much sought-after skill not only for their personal growth but also for their academic success. Sometimes nothing else is needed when telling a story other than imagination: creating mental pictures and getting the children physically engaged through movement can do the trick (‘imagine being the wind that blows the leaves off the tree, or being the leaf thrown out of the tree by the wind!’, ‘imagine climbing up the beanstalk, careful not to slip and fall, looking down as we climb’).

Finding the age-appropriate book for our students is of paramount importance. Books that contain simple language (or you can simplify it yourself as you read), and repetitive patterns are very helpful: fun aside, repetition can boost students’ confidence, consolidation of new vocabulary and sentence structures.

And how should you narrate (or read) a story? Standing or – better – sitting in the middle of a designated storytelling area is a good idea. A storytelling chair can serve as a focal point for teacher-student interaction during storytelling sessions, fostering a positive learning atmosphere. It can enhance engagement, create a sense of anticipation, and provide a comfortable and focused environment for children, making the storytelling experience more memorable and enjoyable.

I’ve had my eye (and set my heart!) on getting one – but then I thought: why not MAKE one? So I bought a plastic chair with ample writing space and got a pencil, a rubber and some permanent markers, and some days later … my storytelling chair was ready!!!

You can see the story of my chair unfold here:

Ways to use a strorytelling chair

Tell stories and repeat them often. Children feel more confident listening to stories when they know them inside out and know exactly what comes next.

When children become very familiar with certain stories invite them to sit on the storytelling chair and recount (or repeat) a part of the story. Anyone who sits in it becomes the storyteller with powers to entrance their listeners!

Have students identify another character on the chair. What would happen if the hero of the story met another hero (and became good friends with them?) – time for some critical thinking and communication development then!

 

Food for thought

How about you?

How would you use a storytelling chair?

 

Can you find the stories that appear on my chair?

How many can you find?

(here is something that will help you 😆 Books that appear on the storytelling chair)

 

How many have you used in your teaching?

 

Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the process yourself: approach storytelling with enthusiasm and joy. Your genuine passion for the story will be contagious, and the child will sense your enjoyment and engagement.