The Golden Hinde

Our main this term is The Golden Age of Piracy. We began by making a timeline, which ran from the present day back to 100BC. We discussed the passing of time and, from this, the children were able to grasp the idea of just how long ago these events took place. We looked at the fact that the Spanish had claimed the ‘New World’ which became known as The Spanish Main. The children did some wonderful research homework on the Aztecs and Incas. From this, we were able to understand where much of the gold that the pirates coveted came from. Later in the term, the children were lucky enough to visit The Golden Hinde, an exact replica of Francis Drake’s ship in which he circumnavigated the globe. The Pirate workshop on the ship included learning about the gun deck and cannons. We all learned just how hard life would have been aboard a pirate ship. Particularly gruesome was the information about how pirates were punished. (The children loved it!)