The remarkable resource above was created by the staff of Plimoth
Plantation. Students step into the shoes of Dancing Shoes, a modern-day descendent of the Wampanoag Indians, and
Sara, a descendent of Remember Allerton, one of the original colonists who landed at Plimoth aboard the Mayflower.
We recommend walking students through this Web presentation. To do that, you can project the Web site on a screen
for all to see. (If you do not have access to a projector attached to your Internet connection, perhaps you can present
this Web site in your school's computer lab.) Together, you and your students can explore these sections of the site:
Fact or Myth? -- Is what you think about the 1621 harvest celebration really true?
The Evidence -- This actual letter a colonist wrote about the 1621 celebration stands as primary-source
evidence of what happened.
The Wampanoag People -- Learn how the Wampanoag of 1621 lived and gave thanks through the four seasons.
The English Colonists -- Visit a colonist's home to learn how the family prepared for the 1621 celebration.
The Path to 1621 -- Learn about events that led up to the celebration of 1621.
Share What You Have Discovered -- Students use what they have learned to create their own museum exhibit
with captions.
Be sure to refer to the "Becoming
a Historian" Teacher's Guide. This teacher's guide suggests ways to use each of the above sections of the Web
site to teach important lessons about the harvest celebration of 1621 and the role of historians.
Follow-Up
Once you have explored the site in detail as a class, you might let students explore at their own pace (in the classroom
computer center or the school computer lab). Let them us the Web site as a resource as they complete the "Investigating
the First Thanksgiving" Quiz. Students might work with a partner to do this activity. The answers to this quiz
appear in the Assessment section below.
Assessment
Answers to the "Investigating the First Thanksgiving" Quiz Fact or Myth? 1.F, 2.F, 3.T, 4.F. The Evidence. 5. Edward Winslow; 6. f; 7. five. The Wampanoag People. 8. bark; 9. spring; 10. fish; 11. get away from ocean winds. The English Colonists. 12.F, 13.T, 14.F, 15.T, 16.F, 17.F. The Path to 1621. 18. women and children; 19. protect themselves from enemies. The "First Thanksgiving" Glossary. 20.e, 21.h, 22.a, 23.g, 24.k, 25.j, 26.i, 27.c, 28.b, 29.d, 30.f.
SOCIAL SCIENCES: U.S. History GRADES K - 4 NSS-USH.K-4.1 Living and Working together in Families
and Communities, Now and Long Ago GRADES 5 - 12 NSS-USH.5-12.1 Era 1: Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings
to 1620) NSS-USH.5-12.2 Era 2: Colonization and Settlement
(1585-1763)
TECHNOLOGY GRADES K - 12 NT.K-12.1 Basic Operations and Concepts NT.K-12.4 Technology Communications Tools NT.K-12.5 Technology Research Tools
See more Lesson Plans of the Day in our Lesson Plan of the Day Archive.
(There you can search for lessons by subject too.)
For additional history lesson plans, see these Education World resources:
You Are the Historian: