#52 - Pirate Jam by Jo Brown

Summary: Fredbeard and Little Jim  are kicked out of pirate school. They find shivering their timbers a bit of a bore, hold treasure maps upside down and they always get seasick. When a crate washes up on shore filled with some very un-piratey sugar and yarn they decide to change careers. Fredbeard and Little Jim hone their very unexpected talents of knitting sweaters and making jam. 

Suggested Activity:  Discovery Sand Jars

Put a big spoonful of mixed grains of sand into a large jar of water. Screw on the lid. Let a child shake up the contents. Then set the jar on the table so everyone can watch what happens. Ask: “Why do the biggest pieces of sand go to the bottom of the jar first?” (They are the heaviest, so they fall to the bottom the fastest.) “Why do some pieces of sand fl oat?” (They are probably little bits of wood or plants or sand that have little air holes.) 

Notice how as the water clears, the last sand sorts itself out by size: The heaviest sediment falls first and tinier pieces of sand—the silt—finally float down to rest on the
very top of the sand.

Curriculum Area: Learning and Problem Solving (observes objects and events with curiosity, explores cause and effect)

Appropriate Age Group: 4 and up