Thanksgiving
A Celebration of
Gratitude
The purpose of this
site is to assist educators and parents in teaching their
children gratitude - and how to be thankful for what we
have. This is done by teaching lessons centered around
the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. A few lessons and
ideas are posted here that come from a unit for 1st and
2nd graders that was prepared by Amy Christensen
and Amanda Wilkinson, completed as part of the
requirements for ELED 4050 Fall Semester, 1999, Jay
Monson, course instructor, USU.
Contents
Lesson Plans:
Background
Information
In the early 1600's, a
group known as the Separatists lived in England. They
were people who wanted to worship God, study the Bible
and pray, but the English laws did not allow the
Separatists to worship as they desired. They were to
follow the laws or be silent.
Secretly they
worshiped, despite English laws. They were hunted
down, tormented, and locked up for many months because
they continued to worship as they chose.
Eventually, they
heard about freedom of religion in Holland, and
planned to escape. After much hardship, England
decided to let them leave.
Now called
Pilgrims, they lived in Holland for 12 years, but left
because they couldn't stand the hard life, and
couldn't work their own trades. They wanted to find a
Kingdom of God for their posterity to practice
religion freely.
They had had
enough, so they hired the Speedwell and the Mayflower
to carry them across the Atlantic to a new land in
America.
The Speedwell had
many leaks and had to turn back. The Mayflower took in
their passengers, making their total passenger list
over 100. The Mayflower was only 90 feet long and had
three levels. They sailed a total of two months and
three days, cramped and hungry.
On November 11,
1620 the Mayflower spotted land. They landed in
Province town, Massachusetts. For over a month, they
sent crew of men to find the perfect place for them to
build their colony. When they finally found a place,
they called it Plymouth.
Right away they
started building homes and a Common house to meet in,
knowing that winter was near.
Unfortunately, a
violent storm hit when the houses were not yet
finished. The Pilgrims were forced to stay on the
cramped Mayflower for their first winter in the new
world. After this winter was over, over half of them
had died.
The Pilgrims
eventually made a good friend who helped them. His
name was Squanto. He showed them where fish swam, how
to hunt deer, and showed them how to plant corn.
Squanto lived with the Pilgrims for the rest of his
life.
Squanto was a
Native American from the Wampanoag tribe. He was
kidnaped earlier in his life and taken to England.
This is why he was able to communicate with the
Pilgrims. His friend Samoset also spoke
English.
Translating for
Massasoit, the Wampanoag chief, and other tribe
members, a peace treaty was made between the Pilgrims
and the Native Americans that lasted for fifty
years.
With the help of
the Native Americans, there was plenty for everyone to
eat that first summer, and there was also plenty to
last for the next winter.
The Pilgrims had
so much to be thankful for. They gave thanks for good
friends, new homes, freedom of religion, and plenty of
food in a three day celebration with their Native
American friends.
Today we continue the celebration
of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, and call it
Thanksgiving.
The
Mayflower Passengers
Objectives:
The student will
be able to understand the reasons why the Pilgrims and
other passengers came to America.
The student will
be introduced to the Mayflower and what the Pilgrims
went through in order to come to America.
Materials:
Lesson:
1. Ask the children to
explain the word "Pilgrim." List their ideas on chart
paper for later discussion. Have the children tell what
they know about the Pilgrims. Then read them a story
about why the Pilgrims wanted to come to the new world.
Three good sources are: A Day of Thanksgiving, by Ruth
Roquitte, The Thanksgiving Story, by Alice Dalgliesh, or
The First Thanksgiving, by Linda Hayward.
2. After reading the
story, have the children list the reasons why the people
on the Mayflower came to America (religious freedom, a
better life, etc.). Explain to the children that a
Pilgrim is a person who travels to a far off place
because of their religion. (Stress that not all of the
passengers were Pilgrims)
3. Have the children
talk about the hardships the passengers endured on the
long voyage to America. Have them talk about what the
children on board the Mayflower did to pass the time.
Have them brainstorm some suggestions of what these
children could have done, remembering the period in time
and conditions of travel.
4. Have the children
write in their journals about what they know of the
Mayflower and what a pilgrim is. Also have them list
things they would like to learn more about.
Assessment:
Check for understanding
while you are discussing with the children. Incorporate
words such as Mayflower, Pilgrim, voyage, etc. in your
spelling words for this week. Also, check their journals
for understanding, and to determine what things to teach
from this point on after reading and learning what they
already know.
The
Wampanoag Indians Helped the Pilgrims
(part one of a
continuing lesson)
Objectives:
The student will
be able to recognize the hardships the Pilgrims faced
when trying to adjust to a new and different
environment and lifestyle.
The student will
be able to describe some of the natural resources the
Wampanoag Indians showed to the Plymouth
settlers.
Materials:
Chart
paper
Squanto and the
First Thanksgiving by Teresa Celsi
Picture books
showing the way the Pilgrims lived
If possible,
various vegetables, seeds, tools, etc. for the
children to explore
Lesson:
1. Discuss with the
children what life was like for the Pilgrims that first
year when they arrived in Plymouth. On chart paper list
their responses. Ask guiding questions when necessary to
help children think about shelter, food, clothing,
feelings, health, etc.
2. Remind the children
that the Pilgrims had been living in cities in London
where there were shops, doctors, and other goods and
services.
3. Read the book Squanto
and the First Thanksgiving. On the same chart listing the
hardships the Pilgrims faced, record the children's
responses to the question, "What did the Wampanoag
Indians teach the Pilgrims?"
4. Use pictures from
resource books to show children what the various
vegetables, fish, seafood, animals, and homes looked
like.
5. If possible, let the
children explore vegetables, seeds, tools and utensils
that the Pilgrims may have used.
Assessment:
Check for their
understanding by listening closely to their answers to
your questions. The main point of this lesson is to help
them understand the hardships the Pilgrims faced and how
the Wampanoag Indians helped the them. If possible, have
them write in their journals what they learned about the
lesson - then check these for understanding.
Showing
Gratitude for the Wampanoag Indians
(part 2 of the previous
lesson)
Objectives:
The student will
be able to recognize the hardships the Pilgrims faced
when trying to adjust to a new and different
environment and lifestyle.
The student will
be able to describe some of the natural resources the
Wampanoag Indians showed to the Plymouth
settlers.
Materials:
Lesson:
1. Have the children
work in groups to create murals showing the Wampanoag
Indians teaching the Pilgrims ways of using natural
resources.
2. Help the children
with examples if they need it: hunting, fishing,
gathering clams and mussels, planting corn, etc.
3. When the groups are
done, have each one of them dictate a description of
their mural.
4. Write their
descriptions on chart paper, and display them with the
murals.
5. Have each group show
the rest of the class what they drew and wrote
down.
6. Close the lesson by
summarizing what each of the groups came up with, and
remind the children that they need to be thankful for
what they have.
Assessment:
During the activity,
walk around the classroom and notice what the children
are drawing. If they are drawing pictures that have to do
with the above examples, then they are understanding.
This is also a good time to notice how others are working
together in a group setting.
Five
Kernels of Corn
During that very hard
winter before the first Thanksgiving, it is recorded that
food became so scare in some settlements that the daily
ration of food per person per day was five kernels or
corn. In order to remember those harsh times and maintain
their gratitude for the plenty they now enjoyed, some New
Englanders started the custom of putting five kernels of
corn on each plate at their feast
I Am Most Grateful For
These Five Blessings
Special thanks to Diane
Schaelling for providing this resource
Five Kernels
of Corn
Objectives:
The students will
understand how the Pilgrims had to suffer through a
long hard winter.
The students will
learn about being grateful for what they
have.
Materials:
Lesson:
1. Arrange with the
cooks to have the children come to the lunch room
early.
2. Give the cooks the
cooked corn and paper plates.
3. Line the children up
and have the cooks pass out only 5 kernels of corn
each.
4. Once they have all
sat down, explain to them that this is all they get for
the entire day, so they may want to save some of
it.
5. After a few minutes,
tell the children that they really will get their regular
lunch, but you wanted them to experience what it was like
for the pilgrims.
6. Summarize the story
of the five kernels of corn by explaining to the students
how at one time this was all the Pilgrims had to eat -
per person - per day.
7. Talk to them about
being grateful for what we have.
8. After their regular
lunch, have the children fill out the worksheet about
their five blessings.
9. Tell them to remember
how the Pilgrims suffered, and that they had the first
Thanksgiving after their first successful harvest - to
show gratitude for what they had been given.
Assessment:
Go over their worksheets
to see what kinds of things they are thankful for. If
they have put things like toys, sports, money, etc. then
they haven't gotten the point! Make sure to discuss what
kinds of things the Pilgrims were grateful for, like
food, clothing, homes, etc.
Special thanks to Diane
Schaelling for providing resources for this lesson
The
First Thanksgiving
Objectives:
The student will
review prior information on the first Thanksgiving,
and will learn more information about it.
The student will
explore and understand what the first Thanksgiving was
like in 1621.
Materials:
Lesson: (This lesson
could be taught over several days)
1. Have the children
review the stories they know about the first
Thanksgiving. Read stories to them describing how the
Wampanoag Indians helped the Pilgrims. Another good
source would be Squanto and the First Thanksgiving, by
Joyce Kessel and Lisa Donze.
2. Have the children
make a list on the board of how the Native Americans
helped the Pilgrim settlers that first year, and then
have them each draw a picture depicting something the
Pilgrims were taught by the Wampanoag's (display on a
bulletin board).
3. Talk about the
Thanksgiving celebrated by the Pilgrims and their Native
American friends. Discuss WHY it was celebrated.
4. Talk about what the
first thanksgiving feast was like, and have them make a
chart comparing Thanksgiving then and now (guests, menus,
entertainment, cooking methods, sources of food,
preparation, etc.). A good source to read could be Oh,
What a Thanksgiving, by Steven Knoll.
5. Have the children
decide and prepare (in cooperative learning groups) some
of the recipes that may have been used at the first
Thanksgiving, such as pumpkins, beans, corn, etc. (See
activity section)
6. Using the recipes,
have a tasters table where everybody gets to sample
something that everyone had made.
7. As a closing
activity, have the students discuss things that they are
thankful for that the Pilgrims perhaps did not
have.
Assessment:
Check for assessment at
each level of activity, by checking for understanding
during your discussions. Go over the pictures and foods
prepared to determine if the children understand what the
first Thanksgiving was really like.
"Gratitude
Learning Centers"
This lesson should be
taught in three separate centers, each lasting between
15-20 minutes. Have aids or parents help with the
centers. Have the children assigned in groups that will
rotate around the centers when the time is finished. The
idea of the activities is to help the children feel
gratitude for what they have.
(These are a brief
description of each activity, with the full descriptions
following.)
Center #1
=
The students will learn
about many of the different things the pilgrims had to do
that were a hardship for them, but that come very easily
for us today. After reading a story and discussion, the
students will experience making butter by shaking cream
in little jars. After they have made their butter they
can taste it on crackers. The focus will be placed on the
difficulty of having to make their food from scratch,
compared to being able to 'buy' it from a store.
Center #2=
This center will have
numerous books (about gratitude) placed for the children
to explore. After sufficient time to read, the students
will be given paper on which to draw something they found
in the books that the pilgrims or Native Americans were
thankful for. On the other side they will draw something
they are thankful for. Later, their pictures could be
bound and made into a class book.
Center #3=
At this center, the
students would have the opportunity to do a role play
that had to do with a story about the pilgrims and Native
Americans. Then they would be able to compose a peace
treaty on weathered parchment paper (for authenticity).
They would discuss the importance of peace treaties, and
how we should be grateful for the country in which we
live (no wars, etc.)
Gratitude
Center # 1
Making
Butter
Opening:
Ask the children what
kinds of things they are grateful for. Then ask them what
kinds of things they think the pilgrim children were
grateful for. When the discussion leads to 'food' ask
them how they get their food. Discuss how easy it is to
just go to the store and buy what you need. Talk to them
about how the pilgrims had to get their food (by making
it). Them discuss how hard they think it would be to make
and prepare all of your food. Go into detail about the
basics, like flour, butter, cheese, and anything else
they wanted to eat.
After you have had
enough time to talk about the hardships the pilgrims had
in preparing their own food, let the kids know that today
they are going to experience how to make their own
butter. Also, explain to them that they need to follow
your directions carefully in order to make their own
butter.
Activity:
1. Fill baby food jars
(or small prescription bottles) half full of whipping
cream and screw the lids on tightly.
2. Show them how to
shake the bottles in order to whip the cream.
3. After about five
minutes the cream will be whipped, and after another
couple of minutes, lumps of yellow butter will form.
Continue shaking until most of the cream has formed into
a ball.
4. Rinse off the liquid
whey and add a little salt, if desired. Then spread the
butter on crackers for tasting.
Conclusion:
Let each child keep
their butter and container to bring home. If time allows,
read a Thanksgiving book to them while they are shaking
their butter - or after they are done. Make sure to focus
on the idea that the pilgrims had to work hard for what
we get easily, and that we should be thankful for what we
have. Close with discussing how thankful we should all be
for the things that the pilgrims had to work so hard
at.
Gratitude
Center # 2
"Showing
Gratitude"
Opening:
Sit with the children in
a half circle and discuss with them the different
things that they are
grateful for. Then lead the discussion into the things
they thought the pilgrims might have been thankful for,
and why they were thankful for them.
Activity:
1. Hand each of the
children (or pairs) a couple of books describing the
first Thanksgiving, the pilgrims and the Wampanoag
Indians.
2. Tell the children to
find their own personal space (give them boundaries) and
read through the books to find out exactly what the
pilgrims were grateful for.
3. After sufficient
time, have them come back and discuss what they
found.
4. After discussion,
give the children each a large piece of paper and
crayons.
5. Explain to the
students to fold their paper in half, on one side they
will draw what they are thankful for, then on the other
side they will draw what the pilgrims or Indians were
thankful for.
6. After their pictures
have been completed, you may want to bind them into a
class book to keep in the library.
Conclusion:
Close with a discussion
about the various things that they drew - and why.
Stress to the children
that we all need to be thankful for what we have, and we
should not take for granted what we have. Focus on what
the pilgrims and Indians had to do in order to survive,
and then discuss how those things come easily for
us.
Gratitude
Center # 3
Peace Treaty Role
Play
Opening:
Tell the students that
they are going to role play a peace treaty that may have
been signed between the Wampanoag Indians and the
Pilgrims. Assign them the various parts, then give each
student a copy of the play.
Activity:
Narrator
(Teacher or proficient reader): One day an Indian
walked straight into Plymouth. He went right up the
street to the common house. The astonished Pilgrims
ran out.
Samoset: Welcome!
Pilgrims: He speaks
English!
Samoset: Yes, my name is
Samoset. I learned some English words from English
fishermen. I am from the north. The Indians who used
to live in this place were almost all killed a few
years ago by a terrible sickness. Tomorrow I will
return to trade with you.
Narrator: When Samoset left, the
Pilgrims gave him a knife, a ring, and a bracelet.
Samoset liked the presents. The next day, he returned
with five tall Indians carrying beaver skins to trade
with the Pilgrims. Soon, Samoset came again with an
Indian named Squanto. Squanto spoke even better
English than Samoset.
Squanto: I speak English well
because I learned it when I was in England.
Narrator: Just then, the
Pilgrims looked up and saw an astonishing sight. A
warrior chief was standing on a hill across the river.
Behind him were sixty brightly painted Indians.
Pilgrim 1: Is this a war
party?
Narrator: The Pilgrims were
greatly outnumbered.
Edward Winslow: Come! We will
give our gifts to these people!
Narrator: Edward bowed to the
chief and gave him many gifts.
Edward Winslow: King James of
England wishes to salute you with love and peace. I
hope we will be friends. Will you please come meet our
governor and make peace with him?
Massasoit: I will meet your
leader, but only if you stay here with my people while
I am gone.
Edward Winslow: I will
stay.
Narrator: Twenty men went with
Massasoit to Plymouth. Captain Miles Standish met them
on the shore. A group of men carrying guns stood
behind him. They took Massasoit to a half finished
house up the street. Governor Carter came in, and the
two men kissed each others hands. They arranged the
treaty.
Governor Carter: We agree to
live in peace with Massasoit and his people, the
Wampanoag Indians. When we come to visit each other,
we will always come without weapons. Any Pilgrim who
harms a Wampanoag Indian will be
punished.
Massasoit: Any Wampanoag who
harms a Pilgrim will be punished.
Governor Carter and Massasoit:
If any outsiders harm each other, we will defend each
other.
Narrator: This was a wonderful
treaty. The friendship between the Pilgrims and the
Indians lasted for more than 50 years. The Indians
taught the Pilgrims how to survive in this lands, they
helped them to plant and hunt.
Conclusion:
Ask the children why
they think Squanto knew English (he was kidnaped as a
child and taken to England). Do you think Squanto had
reasons to be thankful? What do you think he was thankful
for? What did the Pilgrims have to be grateful for
because of their peace treaty with the Indians? What is
different about the way that we show our gratitude today?
What are you grateful for in your own life? Did the
Pilgrims have these things? If possible, have the
children write their own peace treaty on parchment
paper.
Gratitude
Learning Centers (part 2)
These centers are a
continuation of the previous days activities, set up in
the same way. Children will be assigned to 3 different
groups, and will rotate around the different centers.
Allow between 15-20 minutes for each center.
Center #1=
This center will open
with a discussion about the different things children
like to do in their free time. Then they will talk about
what they think the pilgrim children did when they
weren't working or being schooled (books could be read at
this point). Then the students will make a toy (ring on a
stick) from scratch that the pilgrims made. While making
the toy, the discussion will focus on how the pilgrims
had to make their things, while today they can just be
'bought' at a store. They will be able to experience
first hand how the pilgrims had to work for what they
wanted and needed.
Center #2=
This center will be
arranged so the children can play a board game called
"Colors of the Wind." The cards pertain to being thankful
and grateful for what our earth gives us, and requires
the children to think about what they are grateful for.
As an optional activity with this game, a short 3 minute
clip could be watched showing the song "Colors of the
Wind" with Disney's "Pocahontas." The song describes how
we should be thankful for - and take care of - our earth.
A discussion could be centered around the words of the
song and what they mean.
Center #3=
This center will have
the children sit around a circle and read a book about
cranberries. Then they will experience how to make
cranberry sauce, and get to take some of it with them to
taste. The focus will be on preparing food from scratch,
such as the pilgrims and Indians had to.
Gratitude
Center # 1
Pilgrim
Toys
Opening:
Talk to the kids about
what kind of toys they like to play with, (don't let it
get out of hand!). Then ask them where they get those
toys. Lead the discussion into what kinds of toys they
think the pilgrim and Indian children would have played
with, and talk to them about where they would have gotten
their toys. Let the children know that whatever the
pilgrim and Indian children wanted to play with, had to
be made. Go over the hardships of how they had to make
everything, and now we just have to go to a store to buy
what we need. Explain to them that they are going to make
a toy that the pilgrim or Indian children may have played
with when they were done with their chores and
schooling.
Activity:
Materials needed for
each student:
1. Let the children
decorate their cardboard tube with crayons or cut-out
paper.
2. Tie one end of the
string to the cardboard tube (make a hole with a
puncher).
3. Tie the other end of
the string to one end of the pencil or stick.
4. Cover the tube with
contact paper, if desired.
5. To play, hold the
stick vertically in one hand.
6. Gently swing the ring
up over the end of the stick and try to catch it.
7. The object of the
game is to catch the ring on the stick.
Conclusion:
While making the toy,
talk to the children about what kinds of materials they
think the pilgrim and Indian children would have used to
make this toy. After their toy has been made, discuss
with the children the hardships the pilgrim and Indian
children had to face. Make sure they get the idea that
they need to be grateful for the things they have, and
how easy it is for them to get the things they need.
Focus on how the pilgrim and Indian children had to work
hard for the things they had, and how they had to work
with the materials around them in order to have things
they needed.
Gratitude
Center # 2
"Colors of the Wind"
Game
Opening:
Talk to the children
about the earth and the different things it provides
for
us (food, water,
clothing, beauty, etc.). Discuss with them how the
Indians protected and preserved the earth and everything
around them. Help them understand that the earth will
take care of us by giving us the things we need - if we
take care of the earth in return. Tell them they are
going to play a game that will help them be grateful for
the things around them.
Activity:
1. Get out the
"Pocahontas" game by Disney (adapted to center around
gratitude).
2. Team the students up,
so each player has a marker.
3. Play the game by
spinning the spinner and doing what the spaces
say.
4. The cards have been
adjusted to go along with 'gratitude.'
5. The game is over when
every child has made it to the finish.
Conclusion:
After the game is done,
play the "Pocahontas" video clip of "Colors of the Wind"
by Disney (about 3-5 minutes). Tell the children to
listen closely to the words of the song. After it has
been played, talk to them about what they felt the song
was saying. The discussion should be led to the idea that
the earth needs to be taken care of, and we need to be
thankful for what it gives us - just as the Indians are.
Close with talking to the kids what they learned about
being grateful about the earth - and have them come up
with ideas that they could do to help protect the earth,
and how we could show our gratitude. If time permits, let
them write down what they come up with - or draw
pictures.
Gratitude
Center #3
Cranberries
Opening:
Read to the children
different books about cranberries. Have them sitting in a
semi-circle around you. Then explain to them that they
are going to get to see how cranberry sauce is
made.
Activity:
1. During the reading of
the book, have a burner set up with a saucepan.
2. Put in cranberries
and a little bit of water.
3. Add a small amount of
sugar to sweeten.
4. By the time the book
is read, the cranberries should be on a low boil.
5. If the sauce does not
finish cooking by the first group, explain to the
children that they will get some after all of the centers
have been finished.
6. After the sauce has
thickened and most of the cranberries are dissolved,
scoop some into small cups with a spoon for the children
to taste.
Conclusion:
The main focus of this
center is to show the children that many things can be
made from scratch, just as the Pilgrims had to make their
things from scratch. Talk to them about how we should be
grateful for the things we have - and that we can just go
to a store to buy what we need - instead of making
it.
Sources
Big Holidays
Celebration, by E. McKinnon
Molly's Pilgrim, by
Barbara Cohen
Oh, What a Thanksgiving,
by Steven Kroll
Pilgrim Courage, by E.
Brooks Smith
Sarah Morton's Day, by
Kate Waters
Thanksgiving, by Miriam
Nerlove
The Coming of the
Pilgrims, by E. Brooks Smith
The Pilgrims First
Thanksgiving, by Ann McGovern
The Plymouth
Thanksgiving, by Leonard Weisgard
The Thanksgiving Book,
by S.O. Higgans
Special thanks to Diane
Schaelling of Edith Bowen Laboratory School for providing
assistance and resources in compiling this unit.