Thanksgiving is the perfect time to teach our children about their heritage. Whether or not you descend from those who stepped off of the Mayflower, this is part of our country’s beginnings. Why not make it fun and hands on for our children? Here are a few ideas on what you you could study for a Thanksgiving Unit Study:
- Who were the Pilgrims?
- What is their history prior to sailing to America?
- Why did the Separatists come to America?
- What was their journey on the Mayflower like? What did they do to prepare for such a journey?
- How many people were on board? How many were women? Men? Children? Were there any births during the voyage?
- How did the sailors and captain treat their passengers? Did they get along?
- What time of year did they land in Plymouth? What was the weather like?
- What were the first things they did after arriving to the New World?
- Why did the Pilgrims write the Mayflower Compact?
- What difficulties did they face their first year in North America?
- How did they build their homes? What materials did they use?
- What food did they eat? Did they grow gardens? How did they preserve their meat?
- How did they meet the Indians? What were the names of the Indians and what tribes did they come from?
- Why did the Pilgrims make a day of Thanksgiving?
- What was the original Thanksgiving day like? How long did it take to cook the food? What food did they serve? Who did they invite? What other activities did they have beside a feast. Did they songs?
Recommended Activities:
Lapbooks are ways to put together in one folder all that you have learned during your unit study. A great example of a Thanksgiving lapbook can be seen
Resources:
Thanksgiving Lapbook for purchase
Another Thanksgiving Lapbook for purchase
Plimoth Plantation – This is an excellent and well done site on the what Plymouth looked like when the Pilgrims were there.
*NEW* Thanksgiving Unit Plans for Preschoolers
Obviously these links are just a small sampling of what can be found on the Internet. This is just to get you started!
Activities to include in your Unit Studies:
Hold a recreation with another family of the original Thanksgiving. Dress up in original Pilgrim garb and have fun speaking Old English.
Write a Thanksgiving play.
Make at least one dish that the Pilgrims served at the original Thanksgiving.
Visit Plimoth Plantation for a family trip.
Make sure to include Thanksgiving hymns in your holiday activities. These will help remind you why we celebrate this special day.
I hope this has helped spur you on towards creating your own Thanksgiving Unit Studies. You will have just as much fun and learn quite a bit along with your children. Feel free to share with me any ideas I know I have missed.
Photo credits: romulusnr