Project Overview

This book was created by 2^nd grade students from the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. As part of a larger Learning Expedition on sailing, students researched the tools sailors use, such as navigation equipment, the Beaufort Scale, knots, and the signal system of flags used on the high seas. As part of an expedition that included fieldwork with local experts and actual experience sailing, students created a handbook of sailing for young readers.

Ahoy, Mate! has several parts, each of which covers the above topics and varyingly includes hand-drawn illustrations, digital photographs and student-written text. The book begins with an in-depth look at navigational tools used by sailors: each entry contains a colored-pencil illustration with accompanying text. The second section shows student learning about wind tools – different means for measuring wind speed – and also includes writing and drawings about each item. Students explain the Beaufort Scale next. In the final sections students, though a combination of drawings, writing and digital photographs, students describe knots and knot tying and the international system of flag signaling used by sailors.

During this project, students also learned how to tie knots related to sailing; the digital photographs show students from this class demonstrating their ability to tie these knots.