Treasure Map Craft
Did you know most real pirates almost never buried treasure? But one pirate really did! In 1699, a pirate named Captain William Kidd buried gold and jewels on Gardiners Island in New York -- and it's one of the only real pirate treasure maps we know for sure once existed. Today, you get to make your very own treasure map!
What You'll Learn
What symbols show up on a treasure map. What a compass rose is and why sailors used one. How to make your very own pirate-style treasure map.
What's On a Real Map?
Old sailing maps used simple pictures called symbols so anyone could read them fast. A big X often marked a special spot, like treasure. A little drawing with pointy arrows, called a compass rose, showed which way was North, South, East, and West. Wavy lines meant water, and a triangle shape meant a mountain or hill. Pirates and sailors used these same kinds of symbols on their maps hundreds of years ago!
The famous phrase 'X marks the spot' comes from a pirate adventure book called Treasure Island, written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1883 -- and it made treasure maps famous all over the world!
Let's Make Your Own Treasure Map!
Grab a plain piece of paper, a pencil, and crayons or markers. First, gently crumple and flatten your paper to make it look old. Then draw an island shape in the middle. Add a compass rose in a corner, some wavy lines for water around your island, a mountain or two, and a big X somewhere on the island where your treasure is hidden!
Match each map symbol to what it means.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
On a treasure map, what does a big X usually mean?
What is a compass rose used for on a map?
Make Your Own Treasure Map
Using paper, a pencil, and crayons or markers, draw your own treasure map. Include: an island shape, a compass rose, wavy lines for water, at least one mountain symbol, and a big X marking your hidden treasure. Show your finished map to a family member and tell them the story of your treasure!
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