This webquest will take you on an information hunt to learn about the people who celebrated the first Thanksgiving in the New World. Unlike the colonists who came to Jamestown in 1607 for wealth, the Plymouth colonists were determined to make this New World their home, and be free to worship God as they pleased. As you progress through this activity you will tour their ship, the Mayflower, spend time at a replica of Plimoth Plantation in 1627, view interviews with historic people, see original documents as well as additional research.As you progress through the different sites, you will answer questions, complete diagrams and charts, and most importantly, you must take notes about important details and interesting facts. These notes will be used to add realism as you write 2 letters home to those left behind in England. The contents of these writings should reflect your knowledge and understanding of the life of a Pilgrim.

 

Task 1 -Who were the Pilgrims?

Before you begin this journey, you need to understand who these courageous people were and why they decided to make a trip to the New World. Read paragraph #1 in this article about the Pilgrims and answer the following question.

For what reasons did the Pilgrims journey to the New World?

Task 2 - The Journey Begins

The Mayflower is where you will spend several months of your life. The Pilgrims had to make their home on the Mayflower for 66 days. Then when they reached land, they continued to use the ship as a home until they could build shelters on land.

As you read the interviews and tour the ship, take notes for details and gather answers to questions.

  1. Take notes of details as you learn about the rigors of life aboard a ship by reading some of the following:
  2. Next, take a tour of your temporary floating home and go aboard the Mayflower.

Task 3 - A Successful Society Needs Rules!

The passengers on the Mayflower were made up of 3 different groups of people with different sets of values. Therefore, when they landed, they created a set of rules that everyone had to agree to follow which would guarantee that everyone would be treated with justice and equality. This agreement was important because it was the first agreement for self-government signed in America.

  • Below the Mayflower Compact, you will find the History Behind the Mayflower. Read ¶2, What was the main reason for creating this document?.
  • Next, read the original Mayflower Compact as well as the clearer one at the bottom of the page.
    • Why do you think it was important that every man on board sign the agreement?

ASSIGNMENT #1: You will pretend that you are a passenger on the Mayflower who has just arrived in the New World.. Write a letter home to your relatives in England telling of your experiences while onboard the Mayflower. This letter should include details from your research about why you left Europe, what the living conditions are and how you spend your time and what the passengers had to sign (and why) before they left the ship.

Task 4 - A Tour of the Pilgrim Village

Visit Plimoth Plantation.

Taking notes for realistic details for your next letter about life in Plimoth Plantation. Click on the houses and streets to see details about each family living in this 1627 Pilgrim Village.

Take notes and gather answers to questions as you visit all of these informative sites.

Task 5 - Cultures in Contact

 

Task 6 - Did Your Ancestors Arrive with the Pilgrims?

Just for fun, read about the passengers on the Mayflower. You might be surprised to find that one of your ancestors arrived on one of those early voyages.

**Optional -Task 7 - How Much Do You Now Know?

Play the Thanksgiving Cyber Challenge.

Credits: Roxanne Forrester

Clip Art: http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/thanks/clipart.html

Clip Art: http://billybear4kids.com/desktop/thanks/icons.htm

CA SS Standards, Grade 5: Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic institutions that evolved in the colonial era, in terms of:

  • the influence of location and physical setting on the founding of the original 13 colonies, their location on a map along with the location of the American Indian nations already inhabiting these areas
  • the major individuals and groups responsible for the founding of the various colonies and the reasons for their founding (e.g., John Smith and Virginia, Roger Williams and Rhode Island, William Penn and Pennsylvania, Lord Baltimore and Maryland, William Bradford and Plymouth, John Winthrop and Massachusetts)

Language Arts Standards Grade 5:

Reading Comprehension: Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material as well as advanced reference material. They recall major points in text and extract appropriate and significant information from text. They ask questions and support answers by connecting prior knowledge with literal and inferential information found in text, [and they] demonstrate comprehension by identifying answers in text.

Writing Strategies: Students write personal...letters...that consider the audience, purpose, and context, address knowledge and interests of the audience...[and] include the date, proper salutation, body, closing and signature. 

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