Dear Educator,
Thank you for choosing to enrich your students with the dramatic arts! The production of
“Pirates!” is The LaPorte Service League’s 82nd play, beginning in 1934 with “Cinderella”.
The organization was founded in 1932 by Hallie Fox with the intention that “...the efforts of
each individual member to contribute of her time, skills, and abilities to further the growth
and development of the cultural life of our community.” From the costumes to the set to the
lighting design to the seating charts, members of LaPorte Service League devote countless
hours to promote the creative arts for our community. It is an honor to continue this annual
tradition with you and your students.
Story Synopsis
“Pirates! begins as two brothers, their perfect sister, and their nanny happen upon a
cave that is rumored to be visited by pirates every hundred years. After their nanny
is kidnapped by these bumbling pirates, the siblings work together to save her. It
is an action-packed tale with memorable characters and a great message about
working together against adversity toward a common goal.
Learning Outcomes
Using the activities provided, students will learn vocabulary used in “Pirates!”. They
will also demonstrate comprehension skills, writing skills, the ability to follow verbal
commands, sequencing skills, make text to text, text to self, and text to world connections.
Pre-activities
• Discuss what it means to see a play.
• Explain that an author wrote a story, and that actors worked together to bring those
characters to life. If possible, read a picture book about pirates, or simply read the play
synopsis to the class so they are familiar with the story.
• Ask students to take note that the actresses will need to wear costumes to change their
appearance to look like the characters in the story. Have students predict what those
costumes will look like.
• Have students predict what the stage will look like based on the description of the story.
• NEW! Students can track the transformation of the stage at www.laporteserviceleague.
com/behind-the-scenes
• Review the behavior of a good audience member. It is important to sit quietly and be a
good listener, but students should not be afraid to laugh, clap, or join in during audience
participation.
• Have students fill in the pre-assessment portion of the Theatergoing Experience
worksheet.
Activities
The following activities are ready for you to print or simply display on your Smart Board for
a fun group exercise.
• Theatergoing Experience: Use this Pre- and Post-Assessment as a tool to measure
students’ experience. Instruct students to fold the paper on the dotted line as to hide the
“After” column until after the performance.
• Story Sequence: Students cut and glue narrative statements in chronological order.
• Plot Diagram: Students write the plot points of the play as they are graphed on a
diagram.
• Coloring Clues: Students color a picture of a pirate ship, identifying parts by following
explicit directions.
• My Favorite Character: Students choose a favorite character from the play, identify a
personal trait, and cite evidence from the plot.
• Context Clues: Students use context clues to define terms used in the play’s dialogue.
• Cause and Effect: Students write and/or draw an event from the story and recall its
effect on the plot.
• Word Search: Students search for words used in the dialogue.
• Writing Mood: Students begin with three story starters that they can write as scary,
funny, or exciting. A great way to practice Smekens!
• Writing Activities: Writing and critical thinking activities for the classroom.
• Vocabulary Builder: A list of words and phrases used in the play’s dialogue.
• Captain’s Coins: Students can solve the mystery of the pirate captain’s coins by creating
a bar graph and using a number sentence.
We hope that these materials enhance your theater experience!
About LaPorte Service League
The production and performance of “Pirates!” is a non-profit project
produced each year solely for the education, advancement, appreciation
of art, and enjoyment of the students of LaPorte County and beyond.
This is the 82nd play that Service League has performed for area school
children. It is one of several volunteer projects LaPorte Service League
contributes to the community.
Other service projects include, but are not limited to: Eye Screening,
Meals on Wheels, County Home Bingo, Salvation Army Cooking and
Bell Ringing, School Tutoring, LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra
Children’s Concert Ushering, Scholarship/Rumely Awards, and the
Women’s Care Center Diaper Project.
For more information, visit www.laporteserviceleague.com
Name __________________________________
Theatergoing Experience
Complete the answers on the top before you go to see “Pirates!” using crayon. When
you return from the play, take the quiz at the bottom using pencil. Be sure to write
about your experience, too!
Before
1. I like to go to the theater to see plays.
Yes
No
2. It will be hard for me to sit quietly in a chair for an hour.
Yes
No
3. Watching a play will help me understand the story better than if I read it on my own.
Yes
No
After
1. I liked going to the theater to see a play.
Explain:
Yes
2. It was hard for me to sit quietly in a chair for an hour.
Explain:
No
Yes
No
3. I understand the story of “Pirates!” better after seeing the play than I would have if I read the
story on my own.
No
Yes
Explain:
Name __________________________________
Story Sequence Poster
Write the story information (title, author, setting, and characters) in the boxes
below. Cut out the sentence strips. On a separate sheet of paper, glue the sentences
in order of how they happend in the play, and glue the story information to label
your story sequence poster. Add illustrations to decorate your poster.
Title:
Author:
Setting:
Characters:
Lee and Jim went for a walk on the beach.
Lee, Jim, and Jennifer work together to save Miss Smedly.
The boys discover a treasure.
Pirates capture Miss Smedly.
Pirates appear on the beach.
Miss Smedly warned Lee and Jim to stay out of the cave.
Name __________________________________
Plot Diagram
Complete the plot diagram to show how the story of “Pirates!” developed.
4
Rising Action
Climax
3
5
Falling Action
Problem
2
1
Opening Events
Closing Events
1
Opening Events
4
Climax
2
Problem
5
Falling Action
3
Rising Action
6
Closing Events
6
Name __________________________________
Coloring Clues
Carefully follow the directions to color or circle the parts of a pirate ship.
1. The SAIL is the cloth that catches the wind to make the ship go. Color
the SAILS blue.
2. The MAST holds up the ship’s sails. Color the MASTS green.
3. The DECK is where the pirates walk. Draw a red arrows to the DECK.
4. The RUDDER is on the back of the ship to help steer. Draw a square
around the RUDDER.
5. The JOLLY ROGER is the pirate flag with a skull and crossbones.
Circle the JOLLY ROGER.
Name __________________________________
My Favorite Character
Choose your favorite character from “Pirates!” and draw a picture of the character,
then fill in the information about them in the boxes below.
My name is:
The most memorable part of the story for me was:
Character Trait:
I know because this
happened in the story:
Name __________________________________
Context Clues
Context clues are hints that an author uses to help you understand the meaning
of a difficult word. Using the hints in each sentence, circle which phrase best
describes the underlined word.
1. The fisher boy sat quietly mending his
fishing nets.
Mending is:
a. washing something
b. to fix something
c. coloring with a marker
d. a tool used for fishing
2. Jim and Lee had to rescue Miss Smedly
from the pirates before sunset.
Sunset is:
a. a brand of orange juice
b. a special kind of rice
c. when the sun goes down at night
d. another word for police
3. Lee found a fancy cutlass with jewels on
the handle.
A cutlass is:
a. when you need a bandaid
b. a green vegetable
c. a kind of broom
d. a short, heavy, curved sword
4. Pirate Mike called Ike a weirdo.
A weirdo is:
a. a saltwater animal
b. someone who is strange or
different
c. something you use to carry food
d. to give away to the enemy
5. Dan, the fisherboy says the cave is
haunted.
Haunted means:
a. people believe ghosts live there
b. it smells bad
c. at the top of a mountain
d. the place where bears live
6. Miss Smedly shouted, “Don’t touch me
you dirty, rough hooligan!”
A hooligan is:
a. a grassy land or pasture for
grazing animals
b. the part of the pencil that writes
c. a troublemaker
d. a kind of bear
7. Jim was hoping there were no villains
in the cave.
Villains are:
a. types of cheeses
b. a kind of bird
c. wicked or evil people
d. something you wear on your head
8. The pirates did not like it when Miss
Smedly called them cowards.
A coward is:
a. a kind of meat
b. a person who eats only vegetables
c. someone who lacks courage and is
easily afraid
d. someone who lives in the desert
Name __________________________________
Cause and Effect
Write or draw something that happened in the play. This is called the CAUSE.
Then write or draw to tell what happened. This is called the EFFECT.
Cause
Effect
Cause
Effect
Cause
Effect
Name __________________________________
Word Search
Name __________________________________
Writing Mood
Mood is when a story makes the reader feel an emotion. A pirate story could be
scary, funny, exciting. Finish the three stories below, making one story scary, one
funny, and one exciting. Read them to a friend and see if they agree on the emotion
that you chose!
“Ship ahoy!” the captain shouted. He lowered his telescope and warned, “That ship
be comin’ straight for us!” ____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
My story is (circle one)
scary
funny
exciting
Everyone was asleep on the ship but me. There was a scratching sound above my
head. It sounded like: ________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
My story is (circle one)
scary
funny
exciting
The whole crew sat around the dinner table waiting for their food. Smoke was
coming from the kitchen door: ________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
My story is (circle one)
scary
funny
exciting
Writing Activities
The Moral of the Story
The moral - or lesson - learned from “Pirates!” is “Anything is possible when people
work together toward a common goal..”
Text to Self: Have you ever helped someone? How does doing something for your
community change who you are? Discuss with your class, then write about what
you might want to do to change the world. (ex. help animals in the shelter, feed the
hungry, etc.)
Text to Text: In this story, Jennifer changes from being annoying to being
helpful. Max, the little boy in Where the Wild Things Are changes from naughty to
nice. Draw a Venn Diagram to demonstrate how the Jennifer and Max are alike,
different, and the same.
Expository Writing
Reflection: One message that a person could learn from the story is to take risks
despite what you are told. Do you think that it is okay to disobey the people in
charge? Why or why not?
Reflection: Did you enjoy seeing a story coming to life with actors? Write about
your experience going to see a play at the high school.
Letter Writing
Students are welcome to write to the actors, director, and production staff. Use
the play program to see all of the people onstage and behind-the-scenes who work
together to bring the play to life. Service League members will do their best to
address students’ questions about what it’s like to be onstage, how much work it
took to make the pirate ship, how hard it was to sew the pirate captain’s costume,
and any other detail a kid would want to know.
Email questions and letters to: [email protected] or mail letters to
LaPorte Service League, P.O. Box 451, LaPorte, IN 46352. We’d love to hear from
you!
Name __________________________________
Vocabulary Builder
The words and phrases below were used in the dialogue. Students may or may
not be familiar with the terms. Use this glossary for activities in your classroom,
choosing words that are most appropriate for your grade level.
cutlass – a short, heavy, slightly curved sword
governess – a woman who teaches and trains children in their home
admire the view – be delighted or view with approval
impressed – to have a strong effect on the feelings and mind
sensitive child – easily affected or influenced
nanny – a woman who cares for children
villains – wicked or evil persons
coward – one who lacks courage and is easily afraid
brutes – unintelligent, cruel or coarse persons
hooligan – a young, street tough hoodlum or gang member
“Walk the plank!” – walk along a piece of wood on a boat and off into the sea
barnacle – a small saltwater animal with a shell that attaches itself to something under
water
weirdo – someone who is strange or different
“We’ll loosen her tongue” – we will make her talk and give us information
vanished – the pirates disappeared as soon as the sun set
fainted – person lies as if asleep and does not know what is going on
lass – a young girl
lad – a young boy
lumberjack – a person who chops down trees and makes them into logs, a woodsman or
logger
Name __________________________________
Counting Coins
Cap’n is counting his coins to make sure that Jim and Lee didn’t steal any.
Complete the graph and answer the questions to solve the mystery.
6
5
Number
of Coins
1. How many coins
have anchors on
them? ________
2. What is the least
amount of one coin
Cap’n has? _______
4
3
2
1
Anchor
Skull
Flag
Cutlass
Types of Coins
3. How many coins does he have? _______
4. Cap’n started with 20 coins. Do you think that Jim and Lee took any?
Number Sentence ______________________________________
Answer _____________________