Susan's Homeschool Blog

Homeschooling Reluctant Writers
(A series of 10 fun writing assignments given by a pirate)

Aaaaarggh! This is Dread Pirate Susan Evans, here to give you some tips on homeschooling reluctant writers.

Writing Idea #1: Message in a Bottle

• First get yourself a fort or something similar, where you can stand up on it.
• Next, you write a message on a sheet of paper, roll it up, and put it into a bottle. The bottle should be a plastic bottle and not glass, so that when you throw it overboard, it doesn’t crack on someone’s head and shatter glass everywhere.
• Unbeknownst to you, someone will then find it after it’s been splashed in the water. “Please get me out of this ship. I’m in chains, and a mutiny is happening. Yours truly, Captain Bradwell.”

So you see, you can even throw it off a bunk bed or any other high place and get the same effect. Just make sure you don’t bonk someone on the head as they’re passing by.

Here is another example of a pirate letter Message in a Bottle. It says: “Jimmy, nice try! We won’t give up! We will take the treasure if it’s the last thing we do! …”

This is Dread Pirate Susan Evans, signing off. Aaaaaarrrrggh!

Calling all homeschooled kids! I dare you to make a video response to this pirate video on YouTube:

• Write a full one-page message in a bottle.
• Dress up as a pirate.
• Read your message in a bottle into a video camera and upload it to YouTube.
• Come back here and comment under this blog post, including the link to your video, and I will go watch it and comment!
• After watching it, I will embed it right here on this page!