The Real Story

of the

First Thanksgiving

Introduction

• Your generous but wacky parents have invited a foreign exchange student from Japan to spend Thanksgiving break with your family.  Instead of your traditional job of mashing potatoes and opening the cans of jellied cranberry sauce, they have asked you to tell the story of the first Thanksgiving to your new friend. Fortunately, your crazy Uncle Lou shared the secret of his incredible time machine and has invited you to try it out so you can find out the truth.

Task

• To investigate what really happened at the first Thanksgiving, choose Wampanoag Native or English Colonist. Your task is to find out what life was like for your people back then using the key questions provided by your teacher. You will compare and contrast today’s Thanksgiving traditions with what historians know about the events in Plymouth in 1621.

Process

·      Step 1. Choose to investigate either Wampanoag Native or English Colonist. Log on to the Internet and click on the resource which says, “Click here to begin your investigation.

·      Step 2. Watch the introduction video as a class using an overhead projector and the given website. Use the questions posed by the video to begin a KWL chart. The KWL chart headings include spaces for ideas on what we think we know about the first Thanksgiving, What we want to know about the first Thanksgiving, What we have learned about the first Thanksgiving.

·      Step 3. In the computer lab, log on to the resource website provided by your teacher.

·      Step 4. Click “Enter”. Follow the directions given to explore the interactive features of the website and find the facts to answer the following questions.

       What was life like for my people in 1621?

       What foods did my people eat?

       What games and celebrations did my people participate in?

Use the given template to record your discoveries, as you explore the website.

      Step 5. In the classroom, complete the last portion of the KWL chart, “What we have learned about Thanksgiving.

       Step 6. Use your information to write a four paragraph report about the first Thanksgiving. The first paragraph will state which group of people you investigated.

The second paragraph will describe the kinds of food your people ate in 1621. For example, how did your people gather or grow food? How did they store food?

The third paragraph will describe the kinds of games or celebrations your people participated in. The final paragraph should summarize what you learned about the first Thanksgiving. Each paragraph must contain a topic sentence. Two or more sentences should add supporting details.

Resources

·      Click here to begin your investigation

Evaluation

·      Students will be evaluated on class participations in KWL discussions

·      Students will be evaluated on successful navigation of the given website.

·      Students will be evaluated on the completeness of their fact finding template and the incorporation of answers into their report.

Conclusion

·      Upon the completion of this assignment, students will be able to accurately describe life in 1621 for either the Wampanoag people or the English colonists.