What was the Mayflower Compact? Watch a video that explains the purpose of coming to New England on the Mayflower and the social compact that bound the Pilgrims to the government and laws that would be created in the new land.

Strange but true. The demand for beaver hats saved the Pilgrims. Find out how with a resource that includes a background essay about the First Thanksgiving and a video about the Pilgrim business model.

Before the Pilgrims' arrival to New England, a vicious plague swept across New England and wiped out over 50% of the Native American people from Maine to Massachusetts. Watch a video that examines this devastation and the role it played...

After over 66 days of sailing across the Atlantic on the Mayflower, the Pilgrims met their worst enemy: winter. Watch a video that discusses the difficulties and deaths the passengers faced once they arrived to Plymouth during the winter...

Why did the Separatists want to leave the Church of England? A short video introduces viewers to some of the tenets of this religious movement that led the Pilgrims to America.

The fabulous book, Molly's Pilgrim is the centerpiece of this sociology lesson plan. Third graders will explore how pilgrims from the past are alike and different from pilgrims of today. After hearing the book read to them, small groups...

With graphic organizers galore, learners will follow the changes of church and state in early colonial America. They look at the differences between the pilgrims and the puritans in terms of beliefs and life ways. Myths and...

What did some Pilgrims wear on top of their heads? Individuals graph sets of ordered pairs, and connect the points to create a mystery Thanksgiving picture.

The journey aboard the Mayflower in 1620 was long and arduous for the Pilgrims set for the New World. Learn about the difficulties of the expedition, including the extended timeframe and cramped quarters, with an informative reading...

Is the story of the First Thanksgiving actually all it's said to have been? Watch a video that sheds light on the event, who Samoset and Massasoit were, and what the First Thanksgiving was really all about.

Students explore immigrants and immigration to the United States. They define and explain their definition of the term pilgrim. Students evaluate the goals of their ancestors as they arrived in America. Students research and design a...

Students complete a graphic organizer comparing differing views.  In this compare and contrast lesson, students work in groups and read about the differing views of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians.  Students use a graphic...

It's not often that you come across lessons designed for kindergartners about Christopher Columbus and the pilgrims. Here's just such a series of lessons. By listening to stories, making illustrations, dramatizing plays, and reciting...

An informative video sets the context for a lesson that asks young historians to consider how cultural values influence perspective. Groups compare the attitudes reflected in a journal entry of a member of the Plymouth Colony to those of...

As a young boy, William Bradford was drawn to the Separatist idea that Christ could be with a person through prayer and worship. But soon after the Separatists arrived to Plymouth, the experiment in the New England had failed. Watch a...

The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...

Teach kindergartners about the First Thanksgiving with a series of lessons about the Pilgrims' journey to the New World. As they practice handwriting, CVC words, reading comprehension, and fun Thanksgiving songs, they learn about what...

A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...

In this pilgrims worksheet, students read facts about the history of the Pilgrims beginning during the early 1600's and ending with the first Thanksgiving. Students answer thirteen short answer questions.

Finally! Here are some new and fresh ideas, across the curicullum, that can be used around the Thanksgiving holiday. The lesson is divided up into two sections: Beyond Turkey - Activities for Younger Students and, Beyond Turkey -...

Colored squares with numbers 1 through 5 reveal a mystery picture. The featured picture is a Pilgrim—perfect for practicing number identification during the days leading up to Thanksgiving.

What was life like for the Pilgrims traveling on the Mayflower? Elementary historians explore the Pilgrims' experience on the Mayflower before creating a map of the journey a drawing of the ship.

Students explore Pilgrims. In this Pilgrims lesson, students discuss the lives of Pilgrims and how they survived coming to the new world. Students write a letter to a friend as if they were a Pilgrim in the new world. Students draw  a...