The First Thanksgiving A Teaching Unit for Kindergarten Students Prepared by: Samantha Smith Url: http://slsmit.wmwikis.net/ Submitted as Partial Requirement for ED 405 Elementary and Middle Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction Professor Gail McEachron The College of William and Mary Spring 2009 Contents: • Historical Narrative • Map/Globe Skills Lesson: Use maps to show location of Plymouth Rock • Critical Thinking and the Arts: The First Thanksgiving by Jeanne Browncombe • Civic Engagement: Biography of Sarah Morton • Global Inquiry: Foods of the First Thanksgiving • Assessments • Bibliography • Appendix: National and State Standards • Expenses Historical Narrative: The First Thanksgiving Introduction: The First Thanksgiving occurred in 1621 between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. The first Thanksgiving was held to celebrate the harvest and the Wampanoags who were instrumental in the survival of the Pilgrims. It is important to study about this feast and the circumstances that lead up to it. It not only teaches students about the origin of our current Thanksgiving holiday, but also teaches the valuable lesson of sharing and taking care of other people even if they are different. Studying the first Thanksgiving satisfies NCSS standards 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, and 1.9. (See attached sheet for specifics on the standards) Several of the Virginia Standards of Learning are also met by studying the first Thanksgiving. These standards are K.1, K.2, K.4, and K.8. (See attached sheet for specifics on the standards) Key Ideas and Events: The journey of the Pilgrims to America began in England during the Protestant Reformation. A group of Christians decided to separate from the Church of England and found their own church, the Separatist Church, in 1602. In 1607 this group of followers decided to go the Holland in hopes of having religious freedom and ending their persecution. The Separatists stayed in Holland until 1620 when they returned to London to board the Mayflower and the Speedwell in order to sail for America. The Mayflower was the larger of the two ships (Dalgliesh, 1954). The two ships left England on August 15, 1620 but after a short while the Speedwell began to leak and both ships returned to shore (Atwood, 1940). After some repairs were made to the Speedwell, they tried again only to have the ship leak again (Atwood, 1940). The Speedwell was finally abandoned and the Mayflower took over its passengers. The Mayflower then left Plymouth harbor on September 16, 1620 with one hundred and two passengers (Atwood, 1940). The Pilgrims were among these passengers but did not make up the entire population of the ship (Dalgliesh, 1954). Once arriving at Plymouth Rock, the Pilgrim men signed an agreement, the Mayflower Compact. Those who signed the agreement pledged to do all things “for the general Good of the Colony” (Mayflower Compact, 1909). Forty- three men signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620. Once the Mayflower Compact was signed the passengers could begin to set up their colony. On November 25th, under the command of Captain Myles Standish, sixteen men went looking for a site for a permanent settlement (Atwood, 1940). It was not until December that a permanent site was found and it was not until January that the Pilgrims began to build (Atwood, 1940). The Pilgrims endured great losses their first winter because of disease and lack of supplies (Atwood, 1940). Men, Women, Youth, and Children: There were many different types of people, including servants, adventurers, women, and children (Dalgliesh, 1954). During their journey, which took over two months, many of the passengers became ill (Dalgliesh, 1954). This was because of the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables (Dalgliesh, 1954). When the Mayflower finally landed at the shore, it was where they had planned. They had originally planned to land in Virginia, but instead they had landed in New England (Dalgliesh, 1954). The journey of the Mayflower from England to America could be an excellent chance for kindergarten students to learn about continents and oceans. This could also be an excellent opportunity to teach students about the differences in terrain and climate between Virginia and Massachusetts. Also many of the passengers aboard the Mayflower were children; students could discuss how they would feel if they were a passenger on the Mayflower. The passengers that did not survive the first winter were all of different classes, genders, and ages. Edward Thompson a servant died on December 4th, two days later a young boy named Jasper More also died aboard the Mayflower (Heaton, 1980). Even the wife of William Bradford, who would become governor of the colony, died during this winter when she fell from the ship and drowned (Heaton, 1980). Before March 1621, the only contact that the Pilgrims had with the Native Americans was seeing them from a distance (Atwood, 1940). On March 26th, a Native American named Samoset entered the settlement and greeted the Pilgrims in English (Atwood, 1940). Samoset had learned his broken English from English traders in Maine (Noble, 1907). Samoset stayed overnight with the Pilgrims and was given many gifts (Dexter, 1894). The next day, Samoset returned to the settlement with five other Native Americans, they stayed in the settlement for three days (Dexter, 1894). On April 1st, Samoset returned to the settlement with another Native American, Tisquantum (Squanto) (Atwood, 1940). Squanto had been captured by Thomas Hunt and taken to Spain in 1614; he then escaped to England where he learned to speak English (Johnson, 2009). His language skills allowed him to converse easily with the Pilgrims. After Squanto met the Pilgrims, the Wampanoag chief Massasoit came to visit the settlement (Bradford, 1959). The Pilgrims and the Wampanoags made peace and signed a treaty (Bradford, 1959). This treaty stated that neither side would harm the other, would take from the other, or would do unjustly war against the other (Bradford, 1959). This treaty between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags lasted for over fifty years (Treaty, 2008). Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to plant Indian corn and use fish to fertilize it (Hilton, 2005). He also caught eels for the Pilgrims to eat (Hilton, 2005) Squanto was indispensable as a guide to planting and as an interpreter (Hilton, 2005) Learning about the characteristics of the Native Americans and the Pilgrims could be used to compare the two in a classroom. The students could compare the customs and dress of these two groups. The first Thanksgiving probably took place in late September or early October, after the crops had been harvested (Philbrick, 2006). The concept of a Thanksgiving feast was not a new one; many Native American tribes had annual feasts to give thanks for their harvests (Curtin, 2008a). This time of the year saw an abundance of crops and game to be eaten for the feast. (Atwood, 1940) The fifty-one remaining Pilgrims, half of which were children, attended this harvest feast (Dalgliesh, 1954). They were joined by ninety Wampanoag Indians (Dalgliesh, 1954). The Wampanoags brought five deer to the first Thanksgiving (Atwood, 1940). Other foods that were probably on the menu for the feast included water fowl, Indian corn, peas, beans, plums, and walnuts (Curtin, 2008b). It is possible that wild turkey was eaten at the first Thanksgiving but historians are not sure (Curtin, 2008b). Forks were not used at the first Thanksgiving; the Pilgrims used spoons, knives, and their fingers to eat their meal (Curtin, 2008a). The meal was centered around the different meat dishes because meat was more plentiful than vegetables (Curtin, 2008a). The Pilgrims also did not have any sweets at their Thanksgiving because, although they had brought sugar with them from England, by the time of the first Thanksgiving their supply had dwindled (Curtin, 2008a) At the first Thanksgiving Chief Massasoit and Governor Bradford sat at the same table and the minister said a prayer to give thanks (Dalgliesh, 1954). As was customary for the Pilgrims the adults ate first while the servants and children waited on them (Curtin, 2008a). After the feast was over, the settlers played games and the Native Americans danced (Dalgliesh, 1954). Captain Myles Standish also brought out the soldier and drilled them while the Native Americans watched (Dalgliesh, 1954). This celebration continued for three days (Dalgliesh, 1954). Today Thanksgiving is a national holiday that is celebrated all over the United States, but it was not always this way. While George Washington did set aside days for the celebration of Thanksgiving, it was not until 1863 that it was a national holiday (Loewen, 2007). On October 3, 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared that the fourth Thursday of the month of November would be a national holiday to celebrate Thanksgiving. (National Archives, 2008) This was done to try and bring the country together, at least for a day, despite the bloody Civil War that was raging (National Archives, 2008). President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving in 1939 to the third Thursday in November in order to extend the Christmas shopping season in an effort to boost the American economy which was in the middle of the Great Depression (National Archives, 2008). This caused quite an uproar from the American people and because of it in 1941 Congress passed a law that established Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in the month of November (National Archive, 2008). Closing and Legacy: The first Thanksgiving is an excellent lesson to teach to young students. The first Thanksgiving is an example of good relations between the settlers and the Native Americans. While this is an example it was definitely not the norm. The settlers did not usually treat the Native Americans well and as time went on the treatment got worse and worse.