Categories
Characters History History Adventures Learning Materials

Fascinating Depiction of Pirates in Visual Media: Making Learning Fun

Image from Pinterest

If there’s one thing the majority of people would agree on, it’s that pirates are one of the coolest bunch of people to have ever lived on planet Earth.

Some might refer to pirates as evil because they kill and steal. But don’t they look fascinating while doing so? And that is precisely why these bewitching people have gained so much popularity and have become an important part of pop culture. Pirates started making appearances in movies, books, and other visual media in the late 18th century.

This blog post sheds light on the depiction and accuracy of pirates in visual media such as movies, comics, books, and video games. Happy reading!

Pirates in Movies

From Treasure Island and Black Bear Ghost to Pirates of the Caribbean and Muppet Treasure Island, the movies created on pirates are nothing short of brilliant entertainment. Seeing these fascinating characters fighting hard and showing their skills with ropes to attack the ships is truly an incredible experience.

As extraordinary as these fictional characters in the movies are, are they accurate? Let’s look at one example of a famous character and its historical accuracy.

Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean Movies

Image released by Disney

Played by Johnny Depp, Captain Jack Sparrow is a lovable character who ends up on the side of the good people. Jack Sparrow is smart and can charm his way out of troubles that present themselves to him.

It wouldn’t be unfair to call the depiction of pirates in this movie inaccurate. Jack was a leading member of the Brethren Court, representing the Brethren of the Coast in the late 17th century. In reality, these weren’t pirates but buccaneers and privateers. Moreover, Jack preferred to use his intelligence instead of force and power: a preference that most pirates stayed away from. Other depictions of his characters like turning undead as part of an Aztec curse are inaccurate too.

Pirates in Comics

How to make pirates more interesting? By making them a part of comics, of course. Pirates in comics have grabbed the attention of many kids and adults, sparking an interest in them to learn more about their exciting history.

These fictional characters go on exciting missions to steal and showcase their extraordinary skills. Of course, not all of these fictional characters are evil; some are on the side of the good too. But is that what real pirates are known for? Let’s have a look at an example.

Image by Den of Geek

Captain Harlock played a space pirate in the manga series “Space pirate Captain Harlock.” He is known as a fair and deeply moral man. Even though he is a pirate, he doesn’t do much stealing. In fact, he is even good to his enemies, something the real pirates are not known for.

When talking about piracy, most people picture pirates stealing and fighting on the seas. But that’s not accurate, at least not anymore. Being a pirate is a profession, and now, pirates definitely do not shy away from showcasing their skills in space too.

Pirates in Books

Image by Goodreads

Perhaps the most accurate medium about pirates depiction in visual media and their thriller lifestyles is books. One such book is Blackbeard: The Birth of America, written by Samuel Marquis. This book dug deep into the naval lifestyle of the famous golden age of piracy in the 17th century.

An illustration of Blackbeard, the famed pirate (North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy Stock Photo)

The writer focuses on the life and death of Edward Teach, playing the character Blackbeard in his book. Edward had an impact on early American history as well. He was one of the earliest revolutionaries who made a difference in the American Revolutionary war that was faced by North America about 50 years after his death.

Pirates in Video Games

When talking about pirates depiction in visual media, one can’t ignore video games. Perhaps children’s favorite! We don’t get to see a lot of games that adopt an accurate setting of the Golden Age of Piracy, but the famous game, “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” comes the closest. This game portrays a Caribbean setting of the 18th century into fictionalized storylines.

Image by Wallpaper Cave

Black Flag introduced the concept of sea travel, making the game even more interesting to play. Players can travel across the Caribbean and visit cities such as Kingston and Havana. Spanish, English, and Pirates are the three main factions present in these areas. Players have the option to either fight or trade with them.

Famous pirates like Blackbeard, Thatch, Calico, Mary Read, and Stede Bonnet cross paths in the game with captain Kenway, the main character in the game.

Categories
History Adventures Presentations Spencer Striker PhD

5 Reasons To Download History Adventures

Watch out people, there is a new kid on the block and it’s revolutionizing the way you learn history: introducing History Adventures

History Adventures is a series of next-generation digital books developed by Dr. Spencer Striker. History Adventures blends the latest innovations in mobile entertainment design and technology – including animation, music, motion, and sound effects, with the powerful storytelling method of narrativizing the life stories of peoples who lived in past centuries, in different ages and locations around the world, with the innovative, cross-disciplinary curricula.

The first book, History Adventures, World of Characters, (1750-1900), presents a fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

What’s History Adventures’ secret? Amazingly, it simply lets you relive history by reading the stories of multiple characters who used to live during a certain period in world history with a click of a finger. 

If you are getting ready for the AP World History Exam, just download History Adventures. Getting ready for the college, voila – History Adventures. Or maybe you are no longer studying, but just want to improve your general knowledge of history, or relax and enjoy a fascinating and engaging book while distracting yourself after a long day – then History Adventures will come in hand too. 

With our streamlined book application, anyone can have a great audiovisual experience at the click of a button! To celebrate our launch, we’ve put together this list of even more reasons why you should download History Adventures.

By the way, you can download History Adventures: World of Characters, (1750-1900) here.

  1. Engaging Learning Experience



    Learning history has never been more exciting! History Adventures provides users with an interactive history learning experience that will enhance and broaden their comprehension of the complex world around them.

    When you first open the book application on your device, make sure you go through the ‘How To Use This Book’ guide since History Adventures is filled with different types of interactive content and you can launch different features at your own comfort by clicking certain icons – additional information, 3D experience, tags (mainly to help you memorize certain definitions), audio comments of the historian related to the featured topic, and much more!

  2. History Has Never Been So… Unboring!
    Innovative applied interaction design research shows how data visualization, musical scoring, interactive maps of time, and documentary-inspired visualizations can bring the pages of history to life, which makes the learning experience incredibly engaging and fascinating.

    We promise, after you start reading, you just won’t be able to stop!

  3. Get Ready To Ace The AP World History Exam (Applicable To Some Other Exams Too)



    We’ve created the History Adventures keeping the AP World History Program curriculum in mind. Therefore, in the actual book, you will be able to see which AP World History: Modern topics exactly are covered in the upcoming pages.

    The best part – you will also be able to test your knowledge about the relevant topic or story with different types of questions.

    Moreover, the book can also be used when preparing for other types of World History exams.

  4. Pure Readaxation
    According to the University of Sussex research, reading for just 6 minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by 68%. Our book will not only help you reduce stress, but you’ll also be able to switch your mind off from your work and daily routine and go on a breathtaking historical journey to the age of Revolutions and Industrialization.

    By the way, you can learn more about the power of reading for pleasure here.

  5. History Adventures is free



    Yes, you read that right! History Adventures is absolutely free to download for everyone.

    We’re available on Apple Books, so just download it now to your iOS device and enjoy the most captivating history book ever.

So why wait? Download History Adventures now!

Categories
Big History Characters History Adventures News

Our official launch trailer!

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3, (1750-1900).

A fresh approach to history education, designed for today’s digital generation.

This interactive, multimodal learning experience combines the latest in mobile entertainment with the power of narrative design—bringing the pages of history to life.

History Adventures foregrounds the power of story, narrativizing the experiences of people who lived in past centuries—in different epochs and locations around the globe. Students will witness the very real moments these very real people lived through, as if they were there. And via the empathy inspired by quality storytelling, students will feel the life or death stakes of decisions made in the moment.

The January 2020 release of History Adventures covers the Period from 1750-1900 through the lens of 5 amazing people living through complex flash-points in time.

Book 3 Features

  1. Agent 355, (a slave… and an American Revolutionary War spy)
  2. Jiemba, (an indigenous Australian at Botany Bay when the British convict ships arrived)
  3. Fei Hong, (a Chinese family man, surviving the Opium Wars)
  4. Khari, (a native rebel resisting Belgian oppression during the (so-called) Congo Free State)
  5. Thomas Brown, (a muckraking reporter, working to expose the malpractice of the Chicago Meatpacking Industry).

History Adventures, World of Characters, Book 3 (1750-1900), will go live on iTunes, January of 2020, available for download around the world!

History Adventures: The Stories of People in Time, Connected by Eternity..

Created by Spencer Striker, PhD

#history #digitallearning #historyeducation #digitaldesign #learningdesign #illustration #americanrevolution #congofreestate #peopleshistory #bighistory #mobilelearning #multimodality #interactivelearning #powerofstory #narrativedesign #historicalfiction #characterdesign #washingtonsspies #opiumwars #revolution #rebellion #Imperialism #exploration #clashofcivilizations #muckrakers #botanybay #gunboatdiplomacy #indigenous #chicagomeatpackers #historyadventures