FOURTH-GRADE STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN AN ENGAGING “PIRATE DAY” EVENT DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORICAL IMPACT OF PIRACY IN NORTH CAROLINA. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, STUDENTS EXPLORED THE LEGACY OF THE NOTORIOUS PIRATE BLACKBEARD, INTEGRATING HISTORICAL INQUIRY WITH CREATIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES. THE DAY INCLUDED PIRATE-THEMED MATHEMATICS ACTIVITIES THAT REINFORCED MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS. ADDITIONALLY, STUDENTS ENGAGED IN HANDS-ON ENGINEERING CHALLENGES BY CREATING COMPASSES, WHICH INCORPORATED SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES RELATED TO MAGNETISM. THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH NOT ONLY ENRICHED STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE BUT ALSO PROMOTED COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY, AND A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR NORTH CAROLINA’S MARITIME HISTORY.
