Teacher's Guide

                                                     Created by  Laura Alexander

                                                            Project Web Coordinator  Patti Greenleaf

This lesson plan was developed as part of the Amphitheater School District Technology Literacy Challenge Fund grant.  The purpose of the program is to provide teachers with a way of learning about technology and in turn provide students with the best teaching practices and curriculum through technology.  This lesson plan was developed as part of the program's TLCF Social Studies Guides, which are a series of web based lessons designed by teachers to provide students with on-line educational opportunities in the area of Social Studies.

Disclaimer:  While every precaution was taken to insure the integrity of the sites included in this lesson plan, with the dynamic nature of the World Wide Web sites can constantly change.  Teachers are advised to view the sites before conducting a lesson with their students.

This lesson provides students with the opportunity to learn about Thanksgiving including: the history of the Pilgrims, their voyage on the Mayflower, modern day traditions, and a traditional cranberry recipe.  The four activities each deal with a specific topic of Thanksgiving and additional sites are provided for students to research related Thanksgiving sites.

Lesson Objectives

• Students will examine the history of Thanksgiving and test their knowledge.
• Students will compose a journal entry describing life in the time of the Pilgrims.
• Students will compare and contrast the first Thanksgiving with modern day Thanksgiving.
• Students will prepare cranberry nut muffins.

Standard One: History

• (F2, PO4)  Students know and are able to describe everyday life in the past and recognize that some aspects change and others stay the same cultural exchanges influence present day life, including food, art, shelter, and language.

• (F2, PO2)  Students identify and describe the symbols, icons, songs, and traditions of the United States that exemplify cherished ideals and provide continuity and sense of community across time, with emphasis on the significance of the national holidays, including Thanksgiving, Presidents Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and the Fourth of July.

• (F2, PO4)  Students identify natural and human characteristics of places and how people interact with, and modify, their environment, with emphasis on how people depend on the physical environment and its natural resources to satisfy their basic needs.

• Averkeys or some other projection device
• Computer Lab
• Pencil and paper
• Internet for each computer
• A copy of the Venn Diagram (see student activity three)
• Muffin ingredients (see student activity four)

Students will examine the history of Thanksgiving and test their knowledge with a short multiple choice quiz.

• URL Address:  http://wilstar.com/holidays/thankstr.htm
• Description of Site:  This site contains a short passage describing the history of Thanksgiving.
• URL Address:  http://wilstar.com/holidays/thanksqz.htm
• Description of Site:  A multiple choice quiz is provided to pre and/or post test the students' knowledge of the history of  Thanksgiving based on the above passage.

Students will read about the Pilgrims' voyage on the Mayflower and their first year in a new world.  They will demonstrate their knowledge of the Pilgrims by composing a journal entry from the view point of a Pilgrim during this time period.

• URL Address: /www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/thanks/mayflower.html
• Description of Site:  This site contains a detailed description of the history and events of the Pilgrims' voyage on the Mayflower.
• URL Address:  ://www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/thanks/pilgrim.html
• Description of Site:  This site contains a detailed description of the Pilgrims' experiences and hardships during their first year in a new land.
• URL Address:  /www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/thanks/clothes.html
• Description of Site:  This site describes the type of clothing that the Pilgrims made and wore.

Students will compare and contrast the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving with modern Thanksgiving traditions that they practice with their families.

• URL Address:  http://www.holidays.net/thanksgiving/pilgrims.htm
• Description of Site:  This passage provides detailed information regarding the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving.
• Link to the Venn Diagram.
• Description of Site:  This site is the scanned image of a Venn Diagram.

Students will review the history of the cranberry and prepare their own cranberry nut muffins.

• URL Address:  www.bconnex.net/~mbuchana/realms/thanks/cranbery.html
• Description of Site:  This site provides information about the history of the cranberry and a variety of ways that they were used by the Pilgrims.
• Link to the Recipe.
• Description of Site:  This site is the scanned image of a recipe which allows each student to make his own muffin.  Students can apply measurement skills to measure the correct amount of ingredients for their traditional cranberry nut muffins. Note:  You will need to download  Adobe Acrobat reader to access the recipe if it's not currently on your computer.  URL Address: http://www.adobe.com

Grading Standards will be found at each student activity.

 The American Thanksgiving Tradition
 An American Thanksgiving
 
 

Return to  TLCF Social Studies Guides
Clip Art courtesy of  kids domain