A Pirate's Life - Day 5 - Week 3 - Mark Day School
Shiver me timbers! It's time to walk the plank. Or rather, the balance beam, as our pirate tinkerers prefer. And onward through the booby trap, with its disguised safe route, leading to a hideaway complete with trap door and tunnel. But that's not all! Away in a courtyard lumbers a towering ship with mast and pirate flag. And lest you get too complacent, our cannons will fire and we'll have you ducking below the deck of the vessel. Or climbing the ladders to take in the view of our crow's nest.
So it is with mixed emotions that our camp week comes to an end. When we asked at closing circle in what ways students had achieved the Tinkering School goals, several tinkerers commented on the many friends they had made and the experiences they had had working in teams to build large structures.
But there were also little things that surprised and delighted me and showed that our tinkerers were full of creative verve: the illustrations along the ship's hull, the colorful gems on top of the treasure chest, the hand-written signs taking on pirates' personas, and the figurehead leading the ship.
We started the week by hearing a poem written by yours truly to inspire us on our pirate journey. Here are a couple of stanzas:
‘Cause we’re pirates, we arrr!
We sail near and far
Following the trusty north star
We’ll steal all of your gold
A pirate’s life doesn’t get old
But sometimes the ship’s a bit cold
So we’ll throw on our jackets
Take a look through our ‘scope
And see just whose treasure we gets!
Many a pirate knows that ships and hideaways come and go. And thus we found ourselves dismantling our creations (thank you, family members and loved ones for helping!) and returning the materials to their original states. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle may be a modern concept but it's one even pirates find useful. Many a screw and 2x3 were transformed from fantasy back into metal and wood for the next journey that awaits.
And even though our ship and hideaway are now a fond memory, the experience will live on within us...
A pirate's life for us!
