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 the Pilgrims experienced in their first year.

Concepts

thanksgiving, the first thanksgiving, turkeys, the mayflower, pilgrims, american democracy, the new world

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Use the attached worksheets and materials in your own Thanksgiving unit
• Divide up the activities into different stations to rotate small groups through
• Invite parents or a partner class to the Thanksgiving feast

Classroom Considerations

• Requires additional materials for the lesson, including Thanksgiving-themed books, a globe, and a box of items that Pilgrims may have brought with them on the Mayflower
• The scripted sections of the lesson focus more on the religious persecution of the Pilgrims, and do not take conflicting accounts of the first Thanksgiving into account
• Culminating activity involves a reenactment of the First Thanksgiving, complete with costumes and Thanksgiving foods

Pros

• Contains a bibliography that could inform the rest of your lesson planning
• Includes rubrics for several activities, including handwriting and comprehension assessments
• Incorporates skill practice with social studies content

Cons

• None