Language Arts Lessons & Activities

Chants & Poems

You may wish to use the following activity while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Two Part Chant: Original TS Kennedy Cadence Chant	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Poem & Activities: Today’s A Foggy, Foggy Day (Prelutsky)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Poem & Activities: Captain Conniption (Prelutsky)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Poem & Activities: I Sailed On Half A Ship (Prelutsky)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Poem & Activities: Fog (Sandburg)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Poem & Activities: It’s Hot! It’s Hot! (Florian)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Cumulative Tale

You may wish to use the following activity while the EM cadets are in Florida.

Activity	Grade
Cumulative Tale: The House The Cadets Built	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Book

You may wish to use the following activity just after the TS Kennedy has departed or just before it returns to Buzzards Bay.

Activity	Grade
Book: The Cape Cod Canal By The Numbers (History &Math)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Book Recommendations

You may wish to use the following activity while the EM cadets are in Florida.

Activity	Grade
Teacher Suggestions: Books Related To Homelessness (MS HS)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Teacher Suggestions: Books Related To Homelessness (ES HS)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Songs to Familiar Tunes

You may wish to use the following activity while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Song With Actions: A Cadet Scans The Sea	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Song With Actions: If You’re A Cadet And You Know It	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Song: A Cadet’s Life Is For Me	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Vocabulary

You may wish to use the following activity while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Ideas For Teachers: Talk Like A Cadet In The Classroom	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
2020 Word Lists: Nautical Terms Of The Week (Weeks 1-7)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Quizzes And Activities: Nautical Terms	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Quizzes And Activities: Nautical Terms Answer Key	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

You may wish to use the following activity while the IMB cadets are in Singapore & South Africa.

Activity	Grade
Word List: Shipping Vocabulary	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Novel Guides and Activities

You may wish to use the following activity while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Novel Guide: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Research Topics: A Storm Too Soon	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Vocabulary: A Storm Too Soon (Three Activities)	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Figurative Language: A Storm Too Soon	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Public Speaking

You may wish to use the following activity while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Speech Selection: In The Words Of John F. Kennedy	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Reader's Theater

You may wish to use the following activity during Sea Term or during any of the winter experiences.

Activity	Grade
Readers Theater: Latitude, Longitude, & MMA Cadets	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Readers Theater: The Atlantic Ocean & Pacific Ocean	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

You may wish to use the following activity while the EM cadets are in Florida.

Activity	Grade
Reader’s Theater: Three Little Pigs And The MMA Cadets	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Topic Quotes

You may wish to use the following activities while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Student Task: Interpreting Quote By Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Interpreting Quote By John F. Kennedy	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Anchor Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Island Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Ocean Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Ship Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Voyage Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

You may wish to use the following activity while the EM cadets are in Florida.

Activity	Grade
Student Task: Home Quotes	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Topic Writing Prompts

You may wish to use the following activities while the TS Kennedy is at sea.

Activity	Grade
Ideas For Teachers: Traits Of A Leader	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS
Student Task: Traits Of A Leader Writing Prompts	PK-1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	HS

Hello, Followers!

Climb aboard the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2021! On behalf of the cadets and crew, I would like to welcome the many elementary school, middle school, and high school students participating in the Follow The Voyage Program. Throughout Sea Term 2021, be sure to log onto my Captain’s Log. I am looking forward to providing you with daily updates and answering as many of your questions as possible.

I am a 1987 graduate of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. In December 2013, I was hired as Second Mate of the TS Kennedy. A year later, I became the Acting Chief Mate. At a Change Of Command Ceremony in August 2016, I became the Master of the TS Kennedy . My position merges my Chief Mate responsibilities with that of captaining the ship. As Chief Mate, I am in charge of implementing safety management for all personnel. I am also responsible for the planned maintenance of the ship’s interior and exterior spaces, including the machinery. It is a demanding job, but I couldn’t be happier.

When I am not on the TS Kennedy, I treasure my time at home with my wife and children in Narragansett, Rhode Island.

I welcome your comments and questions throughout our voyage. Please send them to me via ftv@maritime.edu.

Thanks again for being a part of Sea Term 2021!

Sincerely,
Captain Michael J. Campbell
Master, TS Kennedy

Nautical Terms

Aft - The back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the ship. The aft is also known as the stern.

All Hands - Entire ship’s company, both officers and enlisted personnel.

Aweigh - The position of anchor as it is raised clear of the bottom.

Bow - The front of the ship is called the bow. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms; port (left of the bow) and starboard (right of the bow).

Bridge - A structure above the weather deck, extending the full width of the vessel, which houses a command center, itself called by association, the bridge.

Deck Hand, “Decky” - A person whose job involves aiding the deck supervisor in (un) mooring, anchoring, maintenance, and general evolutions on deck.

Forward - The front of a ship. If something is located forward, it is at the front of the ship. This is also known as the bow.

Knot - A unit of speed: 1 nautical mile (1.8520 km; 1.1508 mi) per hour. Originally speed was measured by paying out a line from the stern of a moving boat. The line had a knot every 47 feet 3 inches (14.40 m) and the number of knots passed out in 30 seconds gave the speed through the water in nautical miles per hour.

Port - Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing terms when used in the open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the ship as it relates to the bow, or front.

Rack - The term to describe a bed aboard a ship.

Starboard - Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in the open waters, starboard is used to define the right-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.