Day 12: Pirates of the Caribbean....and Elsewhere

I have not seen the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie yet, although I want to.  I really loved the first one, but the next two kind of killed it for me (way to have a melodramatic ending, guys.) Anyway, a fun project I've done with kids is making their own Pirate Treasure Maps.  It's a great project for any age, because it incorporates Geography, Literature, and most importantly, Creativity. (Ok, I'll get off my 'teacher' soapbox now.)  But, really, I like making them purely because they're really fun. 

For the map to be rooted in reality, it has to have a Compass, a Map Key, and a Title.  You have to name where your treasure is! I also draw in the Latitude and Longitude lines, and there is an aging process applied. Mostly, it's just drawing, Sharpie, and watercolor paint.  But the results can be pretty awesome.

Here's our inspiration, Antique Maps:

Here's my map, before the aging process:

And here's the map, completed:

I did this project with my kids at camp last week.  They ranges in age from 6 to 12.  Here are the results:

I would call this one: successful :-)