Our kids are learning about Thanksgiving customs and traditions and we’ve REALLY gotten into learning all about the pilgrims. The kids are FASCINATED!! They just can’t imagine that little pilgrim boys and girls didn’t have DSI’s & American Girl dolls 😉 We started learning about pilgrims reading a few realistic fiction & non-fiction books from our library.
We really LOVE this one!!! It’s super informational and it’s got lots of great facts about the Mayflower, pilgrims, and the first Thanksgiving! We learned that life was different for pilgrim boys than girls. We learned a lot of neat facts about little pilgrim boys & girls. The kids were most amazed that only pilgrim boys were allowed to go to school. We did a little Venn diagram to compare & contrast pilgrim boys & girls. After we compared boys & girls, I had the kids start a little project. I modeled how to draw both a pilgrim boy & girl in KidPix and then had each of the kids draw themselves as pilgrims on the computer. They also had to choose one fact that we learned and complete the writing prompt, “If I were a pilgrim boy/girl, I would…”
I LOVE how different they all turned out!! We also learned that pilgrims could only take one trunk full of their belongings on the Mayflower. Most pilgrims only packed clothes, tools, and their Bibles. I made little suitcases for the kids and inside they had to write a list of things they would take with them if they were traveling on the Mayflower…ANYTHING they wanted 🙂 They absolutely LOVED this!! We also compared boys & girls today to boys & girls from long ago. They had A LOT to say about this one! After completing our Venn diagram, the kids had a choice between two different writing prompts, I can__________, but a pilgrim could not. OR I have ___________, but a pilgrim did not. Then they got to make their own little pilgrim boys and girls to go with their writing.
If you’re interested in adding a few more related activities to your instruction, check out the resources below to see what teachers are saying about using these in their classrooms.
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Kara says
Such great activities! What wonderful writers you have and their pilgrim self-portraits are adorable!
Mrs. Pedersen says
Love, love, love!! 🙂
flaca33143 says
This is so beautiful! I have done a few of these ideas but they do not look like this. You are very creative and artsy! I wish I had that trait. How do you get those hand drawn venn diagrams so perfect?
nankshade says
Team Carroll did it again! Nice job! Love your ideas for Thanksgiving!
Penny says
I love the suitcases. What a great idea!
Mari says
Mrs. Carrol those are very nice, greata activites.
Rachelle and Brian says
This is so inspiring! You are a very talented teacher and you motivate me!
http://www.whattheteacherwants.blogspot.com
Mrs. J says
You are absolutely incredible!
Thank you so much for posting your fabulous pictures, ideas, and resources for other teachers!
Blessings,
Sheri :o)
Team Carroll says
Thanks for the sweet compliments you guys!! Hope these resources are helpful!!!
Have a great week!!
Jennifer says
What fonts do you use?
Team Carroll says
Jennifer…I used CK Handprint for the suitcases & DJ Doodler and DJ Tipsy for the Venn Diagrams 🙂 They're free downloads…just google them!!!
ME! says
Holy moly! Your blog is so stink'n cute! I teach 5th grade, but I am getting so many great ideas that I want to try to adapt for upper grades.
One question: On your Venn Diagrams… do you type all the things up before? Or do you write down what your students say and then type them up after?
Fabulous First Grade says
I really love your blog. I find sooo many things that would work in my room. thank you!!
Ethan Cremese says
I showed my first grade teacher and she was impressed
JW says
Are these activities part of a unit that you have available? Also, what about the Mayflower activities?