First graders examine the history of the first Thanksgiving and compare the first Thanksgiving with how we celebrate it today. They listen to and discuss the book "The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving," answer discussion questions about the...

Second graders examine the development of the first Thanksgiving. They develop a list of the resources and technologies both the Pilgrims and the Indians shared with each other, listen to the book "The First Thanksgiving," and...

Students explain the origins of Thanksgiving. As a class, they list all the meanings, stories, and images that come into their minds when they hear the word "Thanksgiving." After reading about Thanksgiving, pairs of students create 4...

Students identify the principal physical features the Pilgrims considered when choosing the location of Plymouth. They create a postcard to send to a friend in Europe as if they were a Pilgrim; illustrating one aspect of the settling in...

Learners 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...

Students view pictures of pilgrims and Indians and describe the differences between them after Internet research; students then create a time line representing an event through drawings.

Students study the thirteen colonies: geography, economics, politics, and religious groups. They explore early colonial life, and create a travel brochure, travel guide of the 13 Colonies, and word search.

Students create a Venn diagram to compare the Pilgrim's "First Thanksgiving" with today's Thanksgiving celebration. They use one type of graphic organizer, a Venn diagram, talk and read about the Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 at...

Fifth graders study the story of the voyage of the Mayflower told from the view point of the three Allerton siblings who were on board the ship. The book tells of their voyage across the Atlantic and their first year here on the North...

In this writing worksheet, students study a picture of a Pilgrim boy and a turkey. Students write a story about the picture. There is a word list box provided so that students can create a word bank.

Learners write a timeline showing significant events in the Plymouth Colony that occurred between 1621 and 1628. They define and illustrate key vocabulary words which are imbedded in this lesson plan. This simple activity is designed to...

This extensive biography of William Bradford includes links within the text to related primary and secondary sources. Also includes a timeline of Bradford's life. Some documents require Adobe Reader (PDF).

This website from the Pilgrim Hall Museum contains a collection of various history paintings depicting the pilgrims. Each image is annotated with a brief summary of what event the painting is depicting and general information about the...

As part of a Learning Expedition about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians, 3rd graders in Springfield, Massachusetts created these note cards. They focused on the "real" story of the first Thanksgiving, using multiple perspectives...