The First Thanksgiving Lesson

The First Thanksgiving Lesson is an 8 page PDF digital file intended for printing for the 8 to 10 year old student.

It is a lesson on the Pilgrims. The first thing to do is to read the short history that begins with the group of people who found problems with the Church of England and then separated themselves, calling themselves the Separatists. The story briefly explains that they were persecuted in England because of their religion, so they moved to Holland. It continues to explain why they left Holland and why they decided to move together to Jamestown. It briefly recaps their trip across the Atlantic Ocean, their landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the first winter, and then the first Thanksgiving. The story describes foods that the pilgrims would have made and how they would have cooked it and why.

The lesson then asks a series of open-ended questions about the story, and then asks the student to list foods at their Thanksgiving dinner and things that they are thankful for. The final assignment is to draw a picture of food that the Pilgrims may have eaten.

This lesson is appropriate for students who can read a story and think critically about it and to write and answer questions. The purpose of this lesson is to teach the history of the Pilgrims, touch on the importance of religious freedom, hard work, and a love for God and family. This lesson also gives a historically accurate view of what the first Thanksgiving would be like and why the Pilgrims would be so Thankful.