Read Works
Plymouth Colony
Read about the tumultuous beginning to the United States with an informational text passage about Colonial America. As young researchers peruse an article about the arrival of the Mayflower, the settlers' relationship to the neighboring...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on the Mayflower, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag
Fifth graders write journal entries and a story based on the Mayflower era. They identify the roles of both the Pilgrims and Wampanoags in their writings.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving
First graders summarize similarities and differences of life in England and America for the Pilgrims by reading a mini-book. Then, they write a journal entry in first person on what it is like to be a pilgrim in England and in America....
Curated OER
Thanksgiving: The Mayflower
Learners examine the characteristics of a pilgrim. They discover what it was like traveling on the Mayflower as well. They create their own Mayflowers and share them with the class.
Teacher Vision
The Wampanoag Indians: A Thanksgiving Lesson
Spark some lively conversation about American holiday traditions and debunk accepted notions about the first Thanksgiving at the same time. After reviewing the mainstream version of the Thanksgiving story with your class, offer some...
Curated OER
The Mayflower Compact: Freedom Contract
Students read historical documents. In this freedom instructional activity, students discuss the freedoms they have, such as whom to play with at recess, and how the pilgrims must have felt when they landed in America. Students read The...
Macmillan Education
Webquest: Thanksgiving
Class members use the Internet to research the history of Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, as well as the traditions surrounding the Thanksgiving-style celebrations of the Hebrews, the Chinese, and in Ancient Greece and Rome.
Plimoth Plantation
History In A New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth
Sixty-seven pages take scholars on a digital tour through the exhibit, History in a New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth. Crystal clear pictures accompanied by text offer a deep understanding of the...
Curated OER
The Mayflower Story Up-Close and Personal
Students gain a deeper understanding of what the early colonists experienced in search of a new life in America while giving them a taste of historical methodology. This is an engaging way to assess what your students know about the...
Curated OER
Tracing Our Own Family Pilgrimages
The Pilgrims may have arrived in North America by way of the Mayflower, but chances are, your class members' ancestors came to the United States in another way. Guide them through an exploration of their own heritage, countries of...
Education World
You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
Students examine the facts and myths that surround the "First Thanksgiving" (the harvest celebration of 1621) at Plimoth Colony. They study the role that historians play in the collection and dissemination of history and use their...
Curated OER
Using Math to Draw the Mayflower
Third graders access information from a website about the Pilgrims trip on the Mayflower and discuss the number of people on the ship and the time they spent on the ship. They draw, label and measure the Mayflower to perspective.
Utah State University
Thanksgiving: A Celebration of Gratitude
Learn about the first Thanksgiving with a unit centered around the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. First graders read and discuss books, create a mural, complete a worksheet about five blessings in their life, prepare...
Curated OER
Pilgrim's Progress- Get on the Boat
Students investigate the Pilgrims and their journey. In this history lesson, students role play the journey of the Pilgrims and discuss the conditions of the Mayflower. Students record their feelings about the "journey" in a journal.
Curated OER
The 13 Originals: Exploring the Who, When, Where, and Why Behind the 13 Original Colonies of Early America
Discover the stories behind each of the thirteen stripes on the American flag with this straightforward presentation. Complete with learning objectives, discussion questions, and solid information about each of the original thirteen...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving
Random facts about Thanksgiving are noted in this PowerPoint. Tip: Assign a research project to your own class, where students create a slideshow about Thanksgiving--its history, as well as how their family celebrates the holiday.
Curated OER
The First Thanksgiving: The Pilgrim’s Journey
Students discuss history. In this pilgrims lesson, students discover what life was like for people coming over to the New World on the Mayflower. They participate in class discussions as the teacher navigates through a Scholastic website...
Curated OER
Mayflower and Speedweel Trip To The New World
In this lesson, 4th graders explore the trip of the Mayflower. Students listen to the story about the Mayflower and the Speedweel. Students use the classroom to imagine the size of the ships by taping a portion of the actual size. ...
Curated OER
Planning for the Voyage - Pilgrim Study Unit
Students locate Plymouth, MA, Hudson River, Cape Cod, Holland and England on a map. They identify the reasons the Pilgrims came to the New World and explain how the investors and the colonists would each benefit from a new colony. After...
Do2Learn
Thanksgiving Picture Cards
As Thanksgiving arrives, help individuals learn key symbols that represent the celebration. Picture cards include words and pictures of pumpkins, pilgrims, turkey, acorn, and more.
Curated OER
The Arrival
Students construct classroom rules. In this philanthropy lesson, students investigate The Mayflower Compact made by the Pilgrims and use it as a guide to form their own classroom rules. Students work in small groups.
Hubbard's Cupboard
The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving
Students explore holidays by participating in class singing activities. In this Thanksgiving history lesson, students discuss the importance of Thanksgiving Day and read several poems which discuss the history of Thanksgiving. Students...
Scholastic
Thanksgiving Lessons Grades PreK-2
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...
Curated OER
Mayflower
In this Mayflower worksheet, students color a large picture of the Mayflower. Students then do research and find out what supplies the Pilgrims brought with them, and write these on the sails.