Pirates is a great way to energize your language arts curriculum.
Your students will
love instead of hate antonyms. No more confusing or confounding synonyms.
They'll sell
their cell phones and exchange them for homophones. They'll know declarative
sentences.
How can they ever fail again to identify interrogative sentences? They'll
thrive on
exclamatory sentences! Go ahead, let our Pirates from Grammar Island teach
them imperatives!
The play is chock-full of information, clever song lyrics, and of course silly jokes that all reinforce the curriculum. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Key Concepts
Pirates covers the basic aspects of grammar:
- parts of speech
- types of sentences
- subject-verb agreement
- capitalization
- synonyms and antonyms
- types of pronouns
For a simpler show about grammar, see Grammarosaurus.
Publication Information
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN: 978-1-886588-38-7
© 2006 Bad Wolf Press, LLC
Song Samples
Full Song List
1. Pirates from Grammar Island
2. The Sentence Song
3. He's an Antonym
4. It's a Curse
5. Capitalize
6. We Were Punctuation Pirates
7. Parts of Speech
8. Hunting for Some Verbs
9. I'm the Queen of Pronouns
10. Pirates from Grammar Island (Reprise)
Casting
Flexible casting from 11-40 students.
Use as many Punctuation Pirates, Scouts, Sentence Keepers, etc. as desired.
One stucent can easily play several roles if needed, and individual roles
can be
doubled up. Note that all roles can be played by either boys or girls;
see our
comments on page 35 of the Teacher's Guide.
Script
This is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Captain Comma
Shmitty
Downing
Keepers of Sentences:
Declarative
Interrogative
Imperative
Exclamatory
Collector of Synonyms
Collector of Antonyms
Crewmen
Officials from the Capital Capital
Punctuation Pirates
Adverb Librarian
Advective Librarian
Scouts
Queen
Servant
and a CHORUS comprised of all students who are not playing roles on stage
at the time
(Entire CLASS faces audience and sings:)
Song 1 -
Listen now!
CLASS:
We're gathered here today for you
To tell a pirate tale
And we may have the strangest crew
That ever has set sail.
While other pirates search for gold
To fill their treasure chest
The heroes of our story have
Good Grammar as their quest!
They're Pirates from Grammar Island
Pirates from Grammar Island
They will fuss and they will fume
'til everyone knows who from whom
Pirates from Grammar Island.
They don't say "Arrrg" or "That's me ship"
They don't ask "Who ye be?"
The subjects of their sentences
And all their verbs agree.
They're out to save all synonyms
And they love homophones
And every double negative
They send to Davy Jones!
They're Pirates from Grammar Island
Pirates from Grammar Island
They will fuss and they will fume
'til everyone knows who from whom
Pirates from Grammar Island.
They will fuss and they will fume
'til everyone knows who from whom...
(EVERYONE gasps for air)
Pirates from Grammar Island.
(CLASS takes its place.CAPTAIN COMMA, SHMITTY,
and DOWNING enter or step forward; CAPTAIN holds a
treasure map:)
SHMITTY: Captain Comma, sir,why did you put ashore here?
CAPTAIN: We're doing what us Pirates from Grammar Island
always do. Here look.
(CAPTAIN points to spot on the treasure map. THEY ALL
look at it.)
DOWNING (looking): Wow. The treasure map says this place is
loaded with grammar.
SHMITTY: (pointing to map again): And right here, on this
X, we'll find all eight parts of speech.
CAPTAIN: Exactly.
(FOUR GUARDIANS of SENTENCES enter. They wear
signs that read: DECLARATIVE, EXCLAMATORY,
IMPERATIVE, and INTERROGATIVE.
DOWNING: Hey, look, someone's coming.
DECLARATIVE: We are the Keepers of the four main kinds
of sentences. I guard Declarative sentences, sentences
that makes a statement. And this is the Keeper of
Interrogatives.
INTERROGATIVE (to PIRATES): Who are you? Where did you
come from?
(pulls a photo out of pocket)
Would you like to see a picture of my pet moose?
IMPERATIVE: Stop asking questions!
DECLARATIVE (gesturing to IMPERATIVE): That's the
Keeper of Imperatives. He gives commands.
EXCLAMATORY: I can't stand it! I'm always last! This stinks!
DECLARATIVE (gesturing to EXCLAMATORY): And this is the
Keeper of Exclamations...he's filled with strong feelings.
SHMITTY: So, what do you all do?
IMPERATIVE: Tell them!
EXCLAMATORY: Ooh, I can't wait!
INTERROGATIVE: Can I go first?
DECLARATIVE: You certainly may.
INTERROGATIVE:
Song 2 -
Listen now!
What can I say?
Where do I start?
Don¹t you like my question mark?
Why is there air?
Why is it cold?
Why do I sound two years old?
ALL FOUR:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question...but
Imperatives are saucy
They're commanding and they're bossy
Just telling you what to do.
EXCAMATORY:
This is so fun!
I'm feeling proud!
Holy smokes I sure am loud!
I gotta shout!
I gotta scream!
Think I had too much caffeine!
ALL FOUR and CHORUS:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question...but
Imperatives are saucy
They're commanding and they're bossy
Just telling you what to do.
IMPERATIVES:
Clean up your room!
Finish your food!
Sit up straight and don't be rude!
Stand over there!
Pick up your clothes!
Don¹t put carrots in your nose!
ALL FOUR and CHORUS:
The declaratives make a statement
Exclamations shout at you
Interrogatives ask a question...but
Imperatives are saucy
They're commanding and they're bossy
Just telling you what to do.
Just telling you what to do.
CAPTAIN (to SHMITTY and DOWNING): I'll take these
Keepers to our ship. On Grammar Island we need all
four kinds of sentences.You two start searching
for those parts of speech.
(SENTENCES and CAPTAIN exit.)
DOWNING: How are we supposed to do that?
SHMITTY: Here come a couple locals. Let's ask them.
(COLLECTORS enter)
DOWNING (to COLLECTORS): Hi there, we're Pirates
from Grammar Island.
SYNONYM: Welcome. I¹m a Collector of Synonyms.
DOWNING: I LOVE synonym. Especially synonym toast.
And those synonym rolls with the icing? Theyre the best.
SYNONYM: Synonyms, not cinnamon. Words that mean the
same thing. Identical. Alike. Parallel.
SHMITTY: Well, maybe you can tell us what it's like
around here.
SYNONYM: It's a friendly land. Neighborly. Amicable.
ANTONYM: And hostile, angry, malcontent.
SYNONYM: Just ignore him. He's a Collector of
Antonyms. Let me tell you about our land.
Song 3 -
Listen now!
SYNONYM:
It's burning and it's torrid
It's sweltering and hot
ANTONYM:
It's freezing something horrid
It's cold in every spot.
SYNONYM:
Don't don't listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
It's waterless and arid
It's withered up and dry
ANTONYM:
So wet you cannot bare it
I wouldn't tell a lie.
SYNONYM:
Don't don't listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
Don't don't listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
BOTH:
Synonyms all mean the same
But antonyms just don't
SYNONYM:
When I say yes, of course you will
ANTONYM:
I'm here to say you won't!
SYNONYM and HALF OF CHORUS:
The land is high and soaring
ANTONYM and OTHER HALF OF CHORUS:
The land is rather low
SYNONYM and HALF OF CHORUS:
The wind is loud and roaring
ANTONYM and OTHER HALF OF CHORUS:
So quiet when it blows.
SYNONYM and COMPLETE CHORUS:
Don't don' listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
Don't don't listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
Don't don't listen to him...he's an antonym
He's an antonym.
(COLLECTORS exit. CAPTAIN enters, in a hurry,
with THREE CREWMEN following.)
(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)
Additional Comments and Reviews:
"My third grade class just performed Pirates from Grammar Island
to a packed house. It was magic! Even more important than the children
having fun, they learned about grammar in a fun manner. I used the play
as a means to review before our standardized testing. It was wonderful
to hear the children humming as they completed their assessments!"
---Arlee Hall, Teacher (3rd grade), Suburu School, Bakersfield, CA
"Incredible! Every play has been a smashing success, but this one
was by far the best yet! Fourteen eight- and nine-year-olds fearlessly
belting out songs and owning the stage. Seamless transitions. Wild standing
ovations. The class just accepted an invitation to reprise their performance
at a community arts festival next month, maybe in front of several hundred
people. And they're absolutely confident about it."
---Jay Garret-Larsen, Teacher (3rd grade), The Well School, Peterborough
NH
"This year my middle school students performed Pirates from Grammar
Island.
Through this experience they gained an understanding of grammatical concepts
that no worksheets could ever have given them. Your plays have reminded
me of
the importance of hands on learning."
---Bonnie Hauschka, Teacher (3rd-6th grade) Cantwell School, Cantwell,
AK
"Pirates was an instant hit from the first reading of the script--pirates
are popular with
all age groups. I also found it engaging my students for some otherwise
dull language
arts topics. After internalizing the songs, they would come up and quote
or sing from
the script each time they found an example in their reading or language
study."
---Debbie Lindemann, Teacher (3rd grade), Rancho School, Livermore, CA
"The grammar songs really hit the mark in terms of teaching students
important skills.
The combination of humor and concepts really reaches the students. We
LOVE
the plays!"
---Wendy Ulrich, Teacher (4th grade), Joe K. Bryant Elementary, Anna,
TX
"They loved it and so did the parents. It's been over a month since
our last
performance and they are still singing the songs...which means they remember
the
grammar rules! Sucn a plus!"
---Bev Knox, Teacher (4th grade), Ryan Park School, Angola, IN
"I loved it. The kids really liked the songs. It was just the right
length and everyone
was able to have a small part. I would recommend this play to any upper
elementary group."
---Lisa Mannering, Teacher (7th grade remediation English), Pioneer Jr/Sr.
High School, Royal Center, IN
"The humor was very appropriate for this age. It made it easy to
learn lines and the
songs were catchy, allowing students to really remember them easily and
apply them
to lessons as well."
---Joanna Simmons, Teacher (3rd grade), Gallup Hill School, Ledyard,
CT
"This is my 7th year directing a show. It has become a highlight
of 2nd grade and a
wonderful memory for the students. Each year older students begin to
ask me what
show we are doing, and when. My students perform each number with gusto.
When
they are having so much fun, and learning too, how can it fail?"
---Helena Signore, Teacher (2nd grade), Holy Trinity School, Comstock
Park, MI
"My third graders are doing Pirates from Grammar Island this year,
and they could not
be more delighted, as are their classroom teachers. I actually had one
parent say to me,
'Well, if that's the way I'd learned grammar, I'd still remember it!'
Our faculty and our
students are big Bad Wolf fans! "
---Lisa Feazell, Teacher (music), Deer Creek Elementary, Cedar Park,
TX
"Fun and witty script! Since my curriculum does not have any explicit grammar lessons, Pirates fit in very well as a read-aloud
during reading workshop while opening the door for teaching grammar."
---Kristina Cevallos, Teacher (5th grade), Riffa Views International School, Kingdom of Bahrain
Common Core and Other National Standards
Language Arts
Pirates from Grammar Island was written specifically to teach the Common Core Language Standards:
- Common Core Conventions of Standard English - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
- Common Core Reading Standards for Literature - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
- Common Core Reading Standards: Foundational Skills:
- 2nd: Phonics and Word Recognition
- 3rd, 4th, 5th: Phonics and Word Recognition, Fluency
- Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration - 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
- Common Core Language Standards: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use -2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th
- Common Core Standard 10: Range, Quality & Complexity:
National Core Arts Standards
Vocabulary
synonyms
apostrophe
comma
colon
adverb
verb
declarative
rhetorical question
antonyms
homophones
parenthesis
articles
semicolon
noun
interjection
interrogative
contractions
capital letters
punctuation
adjective
conjunction
exclamatory
double negatives
proper nouns
dangling participle
possessives
pronoun
preposition
imperative
General Vocabulary:
crew
quest
fume
horrid
supersize
purloin
splendid
ponder
Davy Jones
locals
saucy
arid
italicize
plunder
scout
rebel
caffeine
amicable
cinnamon
soaring
hoard
trolling
brutal
parallel
torrid
hostile
gawk
scour
eBay
doomed
malcontent
fuss
sweltering
capital
Bahamas
sea-way
disastrous
King James
President McKinley
Captain Kirk
withered up
"put ashore"
"walk the plank"
"out to sea"
"money in the bank"
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Wolf Products and Licensing
How does your pricing and licensing work?
A: In short: each teacher/director using the play should have a copy of it. That's it! Your purchase gives you the right to use the play with as many classes as you wish, to photocopy the script for your actors, and to put on as many performances as you wish. This one-time purchase gives you a lifetime license. See below for more information on site licenses (for 3+ teachers or whole schools).
Q: What comes in the package?
A: Every musical play comes with the script and a 12-page Teacher's Guide that provides lots of tips and advice for using the play from start to finish. It also includes the audio recording for the play, which has all the songs both WITH and WITHOUT vocals. Sheet music is NOT included with the basic package, but it is available for $12. Extra/replacement CDs are also available for $12.
Every non-musical play comes with the script and the 12-page Teacher's Guide.
Q: I'm just one teacher putting on a play. If I use the play with multiple classes, do I have to purchase multiple licenses?
A: No! Your purchase gives you a lifetime license to be used with as many actors and classes as you wish. If other teachers/directors wish to use the play as well, they will need to purchase their own licenses.
Q: Do I need to purchase scripts for students?
A: No! Your purchase includes permission to photocopy the script for your actors.
Q: What is a "site license"? How do I know if I need one?
A site license is the economical choice when a whole school or grade level wants to put on the same play. Instead of each teacher/director having to purchase a script, the school/site can purchase
a site license. This comes with three copies of the play (or one digital download) and permission to make copies for any additional participating teachers, as well as all the actors. You do NOT need to purchase both a site license and individual copies of the play; just buy one or the other.
Q: I understand that I can get two or more scripts for $35 each. Do they have to be the same play?
Nope! The discount applies whether you are purchasing multiple copies of the same show or single copies of multiple shows.
Q: What is the difference between the printed and digital versions? Which one should I get?
There is no difference in terms of content. The printed version of a musical play comes with an audio CD in a plastic sleeve in the back of the book. The digital version comes with two downloadable files: the script (PDF format) and the songs (individual MP3 files compressed in ZIP format). The advantage of the digital version is that you will not pay shipping and you can start using it instantly. Please read the question following this one about the technical requirements for digital files.
Non-musical plays are available in the form of a printed book or a PDF file.
Q: What are the technical requirements for the digital version?
- You will need to have Adobe Reader (free) or another software application that can open PDF files.
- You will need to be able to open ZIP files. The vast majority of computers should be able to do this without difficulty. If you wish to download the music directly to your phone or tablet, you will need to download an app that will open ZIP files. Many free ones are available.
- You will need to have some kind of audio player (such as iTunes or Windows Media Player) that will play MP3 files.
Advanced technical knowledge is not required; but please note that we do not have the ability to offer technical support for issues related to digital files. If you are unsure, it is probably best to stick with the printed version.
Q: What is your return/exchange policy?
A: Bad Wolf proudly offers a 100% guarantee. You can always exchange a product for another or get a full refund. No time limits, no questions.
Q: Is it OK if I edit the script?
A: Yes! Consider the play to be a jumping-off point. You are always welcome to change or omit anything that doesn't work for your class, administration, or parents. You are welcome to rewrite
lyrics, lines, or jokes -- or add your own! (The kids love doing this, by the way.)
Q: How long does shipping take?
A: We say that you should allow for one week within the U.S., but most orders are shipped the same day and arrive 1-3 days later. International orders usually take around two weeks to arrive.
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A: As long as your admission price is less than $5 per ticket, you never need to pay performance royalties with a Bad Wolf show. If you decide to charge more than $5 a ticket, or if you are using one of our plays for a PAID workshop, camp, assembly, etc., pay only a low 1-2% royalty on gross revenues. See our royalty page to view the rates and pay.