Emily Donahue

Subject: Social Studies

Grade: 2nd

Common Core Standard(s):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4.C
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8
Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a
question.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3
Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or
steps in technical procedures in a text.

Objective(s): At the end of this lesson my students will be able to…

● Use technology tools to access, explore, and synthesize information on the Mayflowerand
Pilgrims
● Develop an understanding of the Pilgrims' experiences in moving to the New World
● Create a timeline
● Read for detail
● Participate in active writing activities
● Demonstrate comprehension through experiential response
● Reflect on what has been learned after reading by formulating ideas, opinions, and
personal responses

Resources/Materials List:
● The First Thanksgiving online activity
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/index.html
○ Voyage on the Mayflower
● Computers for student use
● Pilgrim interviews from the First Thanksgiving Reader's Theater Ideas collection
● Highlighters in multiple colors (for teacher use)
● Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
● If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma
● Basic art supplies (paper, glue, crayons, markers, etc.)

Procedure:
● Tell students that they are going to learn about the Mayflower, its voyage to the New
World, and the Pilgrims who sailed on the ship. Either project the online activity from
your computer or have students explore on their own. The Journey on the Mayflower,
Tour the Ship, and Pilgrim timeline components of the activity are included in this
section.
● If you don't have a projector, have students draw their own versions of the Mayflower and
Pilgrims sailing to America while you work through the activity with small groups. Later,
students can compare their pictures to the images in the activity.
● Write the word “Thanksgiving” on the board or chart paper. Give each student a sheet of
paper. Ask them to draw a picture of what they know about Thanksgiving. Then have
students provide a one-sentence summary about what they know about Thanksgiving.
● They can share their answer aloud or write it underneath their drawing.
● Read aloud from If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma. Focus on the
portions entitled "How It All Began" and "Why Did the Pilgrims Come to America?"
● Point out the four core vocabulary words for this section of the book: Mayflower, Puritan,
survive, worship. Ask students to use the core vocabulary words in sentences with a
partner.
● Ask students to discuss and answer the following questions. Students can answer the
questions in a whole group or as a think-pair-share dialogue.
○ Why did the Pilgrims go to America?
○ What was the name of the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America?
○ In which season did the Pilgrims arrive in America?
○ How would you describe life for the Pilgrims when they first arrived?
● Share and discuss the highlighted portions of the passenger interviews. Then have
students imagine they are Pilgrims traveling to America on the Mayflower.
● Ask the following questions, as well as your own, to help evoke in students the sense of a
personal, first-hand experience:
○ How do you feel about leaving your friends and belongings to move to the New
World?
○ Is traveling on the Mayflower fun? Why or why not?
○ How do the passengers on the ship treat you and each other?
○ What kind of food do you eat? Do you like it?
○ How do you spend your time?
○ What frightens you about the voyage?
○ Have you gotten angry during the voyage? What made you angry?
 ○ Have you had any happy times on the ship? Sad times? What caused these
feelings?
○ What has been the best thing about your voyage? The worst thing?
○ How do you expect to feel when you reach the New World?
○ Ask the students to keep imagining themselves as Pilgrims. Have them make a
drawing of their experience on the Mayflower.
● On the other side of the paper, have students write a message that describes some of their
personal experiences on the voyage.
● Point out that the Journey on the Mayflower activity plots major events of the trip using
pictures and text. Talk about the emotions each of these events might have evoked.
● Ask students to again assume the role of Pilgrims to create personal picture timelines of
their experiences on the Mayflower, starting and ending with the dates of the actual
voyage and filling in plot points in between with their imaginary events. In addition to
labeling their timeline with pictures and brief text, have students add a comment about
their emotional response to each event.

Plans for differentiation:

● For lower level students have them describe their drawings aloud.
● Students will have help with making their timeline to distinguish the timeline of events in
order.

Assessment:
● Students will answer questions on a handout about what they now know about
Thanksgiving, what they still want to know, and what they have learned.
● Students will also be assessed on the accuracy of their timeline.

Plans for accommodation/modification:

● Students will only have to draw pictures on their timelines.

What’s next?
● Draw pictures of favorite Thanksgiving memories.
● Using a calendar, ask students to count the number of days the Pilgrims spent on the
Mayflower. Have them start their count on September 6 — the day the ship set sail — and
end on November 11, the day they landed at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Invite them to
share the longest trip they've ever taken and to compare their travel experiences with that
of the Pilgrims.
● Tell students that after the Pilgrims reached the New World, they wrote and signed the
Mayflower Compact. In this document, they agreed to stay and live together peacefully.
Discuss with students ways in which they can live together in a peaceful classroom
community. Work with them to draw up a set of rules to post in the room.