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Students will complete the award winning game “A Sailor’s Life for Me.” It is an interactive created by the USS Constitution. Students will complete the daily tasks of sailors on the ship.
Students should create an account using a school or personal email address. This will save the progress. Assessment will be based on completing the assignment and total points earned. Students will start the activity in class. Most students will complete the activity during class time. If the students are absent or need more time, students should complete the assignment on his / her own time.
http://www.asailorslifeforme.org/
Here is the day of a sailor boy. It lets teacher’s understand the organization of the game. (It may be a little disorganized, but it should give a teacher a good idea if this activity is a good fit for a class.)
Boston June 1812: Enlistment
Questions:
- Do you suffer from scurvy, rickets, or gout? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Can you steer a huge ship in the dark? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Can you name all the sails and say what each rope does? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Are you willing to sleep in a hammock next to 200 sailors who badly need baths? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Are you willing to eat biscuits hard as bricks? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Do you have all your fingers and toes? Definitely / Not on Your life
- Would you get dizzy adjust sails 100 feet above the deck? Definitely / Not on Your life
Rank: Boy
Battle Station: Powder Monkey
You are accepted as a “boy,” the lowest rank. What must you do with the advance money Buy clothes with $16 (trousers, shirt, vest, jacket, shoes, & a hat)
Say good-bye and take small boat out to the ship
Meet Lt. Hoffman, learn the different locations on the ship. (find the head, go to bed.)
Directions:
- Schedule for the next 2 years
- Purple dots are your current job or activity
- Status (promotion, health & happiness, promotion)
- Healthier and happier you are, the quicker you will earn promotion points
- Everything you do affects your status
Day #2
Middle Watch: Midnight – 4:00
Sleep
Morning Watch 4:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Day #2 Task: Holystoning: “Good to see you again lad! Ready for more scrubbing?”
Level 2 (2 sections): +6 promotion points, 0 Health & Happiness, 0 popularity
Lt. Hoffman: “There is so much tar on your trousers that we could set them on fire and they’d keep the whole ship warm for a week. Get down to the purser and buy some more.”
Purchase necessary items.
Forenoon Watch 8:00 AM to noon:
Breakfast
Day #2 Directions from shipmate: “Here ‘e is again lads. No chance of running out of powder with this boy fetching it. Go on lad, we need some right now.”
Day #2 (3/3 drills / 8 seconds left): +8 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +2 popularity
Afternoon Watch noon – 4:00
Day #2 Officer’s Servant Duty Directions: “Here he is now, gentleman. We were just talking about you, boy, and up you pop. Here take this chamber pot and empty it in the head. Take care. It is precious cargo you are carrying.”
Level 2: +6 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +1 popularity
1st Dog Watch 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Day #2 Supper
Day #2 Meal Quiz: Choose your meal
Leisure time Options: Begin telling tales (2/5 Tale): 0 promotion points, 0 Health & Happiness, -1 popularity
Lobscouse Ingredients: Potatoes, Biscuits, beef, onions
+4 health & happiness (correctly guessed all ingredients)
“There’s no exact recipe for lobscouse, but it always includes onions, beef, and either biscuits or potatoes, – sometimes broth. Boiled for hours, it gets as thick as porridge. Seamen spoon it up hungrily because it’s warming and gives them plenty of energy.”
Daily Schedule
Day #1
Middle Watch: Midnight – 4:00
Sleep
Morning Watch 4:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Day #1 Task: Holystoning: “A dirty deck is a sign of a good-for-nothing crew. So get down on your knees with others, boy. That block of stone is a “prayer book,” but this is no chapel. You use it to scrub the deck – with the help of some sand and water.”
Level 1: +4 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, -1 popularity
Forenoon Watch 8:00 AM to noon:
Breakfast
Day #1 Directions from shipmate: “Your task, lad is to scurry down to the magazine, two decks below and fetch us some powder, one cartridge at a time. Don’t trip over anything and watch out for stray cannon balls – officers.”
Gun Drill “Powder Monkey’s Gun Drill”: The Constitution’s guns give her awesome power, but they are only as good as the men who fire them. To improve your skills you must practice regularly, rehearsing a strict routine until you can do it blindfolded.”
Day #1: +8 promotion points, +2 Health & Happiness, +1 popularity
Afternoon Watch noon – 4:00
The wardroom: “Here is where the ship’s officers relax, eat, drink, and chat. They expect their meals to be private, and don’t like being interrupted.”
Day #1 Officer’s Servant Duty Directions: “Ah good lad, right on time, and just when we need you. You can empty this chamber pot (portable toilet): it’s full to the brim. Don’t spill it mind, or you’ll put us all off our meal.”
Level 1: +6 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +1 popularity
Day #2 Officer’s Servant Duty Directions: “Here he is now, gentleman. We were just talking about you, boy, and up you pop. Here take this chamber pot and empty it in the head. Take care. It is precious cargo you are carrying.”
Level 2: +6 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +1 popularity
1st Dog Watch 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Day #1 Supper
Day #1 Meal Quiz: Choose your meal
Lobscouse Ingredients: Potatoes, Biscuits, beef, onions
+4 health & happiness (correctly guessed all ingredients)
“There’s no exact recipe for lobscouse, but it always includes onions, beef, and either biscuits or potatoes, – sometimes broth. Boiled for hours, it gets as thick as porridge. Seamen spoon it up hungrily because it’s warming and gives them plenty of energy.”
Your Mess: “Every sailor on the Constitution is part of a 12-strong family called a mess. Messmates are not related, but they are as close as brothers. Each meal time they gather in the same spot on the berth deck, spread out a cloth, and sit around cross-legged to share their food.”
Leisure time Options: Begin telling tales / Begin playing dice / go to purser to buy goods / continue
Dunderfunk: Ingredients: Molasses Biscuits, water, Beef fat “It is the closest thing seaman get to dessert. Collecting the ingredients is difficult, and getting it baked brown is an even tougher challenge. First the ship’s chef must be bribed for space on the stove. Then, unless it is jealously guarded, there is always a chance that someone will steal the dunderfunk when it is baking.”
Last Dog Watch 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Forecastle Leisure Time: “Work fills almost every minute of a sailor’s day, but from time to time, the strict routine slackens a little. The the Constitution’s men relax together on the forecastle. There is a chance to tell a tale tale and throw some dice in a secret (and forbidden) gambling game!”
Day #1 Sailor invites you to play “Going to Boston” “Psst! Sailor! Wanna have some fun? And win some money? We’re playing going to Boston, and you could throw dice, too. Come on! You will pick up the rules in a snap.”
Read the rules
- Click the cup to gather the dice, shake it and release to throw 3 dice.
- Click the die with the highest number to set it aside.
- Throw the other 2 dice and take the highest number, setting it aside that die.
- Throw the last die and take that number.
- Add up the 3 numbers for your throw total.
- Highest score after 3 rounds wins
- Results 11, 18, 9 = 37 Dick: 12, 14, 15 = 41
Another sailor breaks the rules: “One of you seaman was easing himself in the hold, instead of the head. Who is it? I will have you all flogged if I don’t get an answer.” “It was Mister Johnson.” or “I do not know who did such a thing.”
Response: -3 promotion points, -1 Health & Happiness, +4 popularity
Easing in the hold: What is the appropriate punishment for this infraction?
Thrown out of the Navy in disgrace
6 lashes of the cat: “Yes a sailor richly deserves to pay such a price for what he has done.”
A sharp word or scolding
+4 promotion points
Breaking Rules: “Rules is rules on Old Ironsides. Them as cannot obey the rules has to pay the price.”
Leisure Time: “Work fills almost every minute of a sailor’s day, but from time to time, the strict routine slackens a little. The the Constitution’s men relax together on the forecastle. There is a chance to tell a tale tale and throw some dice in a secret (and forbidden) gambling game!
Leisure time Options: Begin telling tales / Begin playing dice / continue
Begin telling tall tales: How tall of a tale you can tell? Choose words for your story and try to impress your messmates.
Who, Where, What, Description, Description, Direction, weather, object, Description, material, Location,
Read the tale (can lose or gain points for popularity and health)
Gamble: Sailor invites you to play “Going to Boston”
Read the rules
- Click the cup to gather the dice, shake it and release to throw 3 dice.
- Click the die with the highest number to set it aside.
- Throw the other 2 dice and take the highest number, setting it aside that die.
- Throw the last die and take that number.
- Add up the 3 numbers for your throw total.
- Highest score after 3 rounds wins.
- Find the terrier
Begin Painting Ditty Bag
1st watch 8:00 PM to Midnight:
“At night, seamen sleep in hammocks between beams, or at least half of them do. The crew is divided into 2 watches (or teams). Shouted orders and pounding feet echo through the ship all night, but the sleeping sailors do not wake.”
Another Month passes, and you earn $8.00 in wages. You now have $8.73 in your savings. Your game progress has been saved.
Another Month has passed you earn $10.00 in wages.
Holystoing (at the waist): “Let’s see if you can get those planks as white as clouds. I like a man who likes a clean deck.”
Get caught gambling and lose grog for 3 weeks, lost 3 popularity points.
Begin powder monkey duty: Complete 3 tasks (Like Donkey Kong)
Daily Schedule
Day #2
Middle Watch: Midnight – 4:00
Sleep
Morning Watch 4:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Day #2 Task: Holystoning: “Good to see you again lad! Ready for more scrubbing?”
Level 2 (2 sections): +6 promotion points, 0 Health & Happiness, 0 popularity
After a month passes you have earned $8 in wages you now have $8.23 in your savings, your game progress has been saved.
Morning Watch Day #3 Task: Holystoning: “I like a sailor who takes pride in his work! Here is the holystone: off you go.”
Good to see you again lad! Ready for more scrubbing?”
Level 3 (2 sections 0:20): +6 promotion points, 0 Health & Happiness, 0 popularity
Lt. Hoffman: “Well done! Not bad for a beginner – that’s it for today – but you’ll be at it again tomorrow.”
Lt. Hoffman: “If there was one more hole in that shirt of yours, you could use it for a fishing net. Git on down to the purser and and git a new one.”
“Purchase item instructed by Lt. Hoffman. Then click your ditty bag to see if anything else needs replacing.” Items bought Flannel Shirt (required) Click ditty bag / seabag to see condition of goods. Replace the ones that are necessary and buy any luxury items you would like.” Duck trousers and glazed hat $0.23 left.
Forenoon watch Gun Drill: “Good lad! Your back to lend a hand with the gun. You know the ropes now, so off with you down to the magazine.”
Level #3 (extremely hard): more people walking and more cannonballs. It can be attempted several times, even if you do not succeed. You can gain popularity for your hard work. (2/3 delivery on time) +8 promotion points, 1 Health & Happiness, 2 popularity
“Good work lad! If every sailor works as hard as you, we shall have nothing to fear from the Royal Navy.”
Day #3 Officer’s Servant Duty Directions: “Here he is now, gentleman. We were just talking about you, boy, and up you pop. Here take this chamber pot and empty it in the head. Take care. It is precious cargo you are carrying.”
Level #3: +6 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +1 popularity
Lt. Hoffman: “There is a ship on the horizon. Prepare for battle.”
Before Battle: “Ship Ahoy!” This cry from the masthead alerts the crew to a distant sail. It is the British frigate Guerriere, Within three hours, the ships are close enough to open fire with their cannons and the battle begins that will make Constitution famous.”
Midst Battle: At first the gunfire has little effect. When an English cannon-ball bounces off the Constitution’s timbers, a seaman cries, “Huzzah her sides are made of iron” … and earns the ship her famous nickname.
Midst Battle: The battle grows fiercer when Captain Hull sails closer to Guerriere. Pounding broadsides from the Constitution’s skilled crews brings down the English ship’s mizzen mass and the two vessels collide. Their rigging tangles and crews clash with musket fire.”
Orders: “The battle is on now! Bring us the powder as quickly as you can.” Additional time is added to the clock after the 2nd delivery.
‘You’ve done your part in battle!”: +8 promotion points, +1 Health & Happiness, +2 popularity
Midst Battle: When the ship separates Guerriere’s, other two masts fall overboard. Crippled and helpless, the English ship fires a single gun to signal defeat.
After Battle: When the battle ends, the two sides count the cost. Because the Constitution’s gunners aimed low, Guerriere is full of holes and sinking. Her captain comes aboard and surrenders. Captain Hull orders the rest of the crew on board his ship, and sets Guerriere on fire.
Promotion 100
Health & Happiness 64
Popularity 45
Cockpit after Battle: As the flames take hold, surgeons from both ships take work side by side on the casualties. The battles has claimed 7 American and 15 British lives. But first aid helps save Constitution’s seven wounded and more than 10 times as many from Guerriere.
“Well-done, lad! Your gun captain tells me you did a magnificent job for one so young and inexperienced. I am more than delighted to promote you to the rank of ordinary seaman. You may want to send a note to friends and family of your achievements aboard Old Ironsides.
Save game and continue to the next level.