Thematic Lists

What do you know about the thanksgiving feast at Plimoth? What if you lived in a different time and place? What would you wear? What would you eat? How would your daily life be different? What if you lived when the English colonists and the Wampanoag people shared a feast at Plimoth? What would you have worn? What would you have eaten? What was the true story of the feast that we now know as the first Thanksgiving and how did it become a national holiday? Chris Newell answers all these questions and more in this comprehensive dive into the feast at Plimoth and the history leading up to it. Carefully crafted to explore both sides of this historical event, this book is a great choice for Thanksgiving units, and for teaching children about this popular holiday.

In 1620, the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock and made friends with Wampanoag people who gave them corn. RIGHT? WRONG! It was months before the Pilgrims met any Wampanoag people, and nobody gave anybody corn that day. Did you know that the pilgrims didn't go straight from England to Plymouth? No, they made a stop along the way--and almost stayed forever! Did you know there was a second ship, called the Speedwell, that was too leaky to make the trip? No joke. And just wait until you learn the truth about Plymouth Rock. Through illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, sidebars, and more, acclaimed author Kate Messner smashes history by exploring the little-known details behind the legends of the Mayflower and the first Thanksgiving.

At a young age, John Howland learned what it meant to take advantage of an opportunity. Leaving the docks of London on the Mayflower as an indentured servant to Pilgrim John Carver, John Howland little knew that he was embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. By his great good fortune, John survived falling overboard on the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean, and he earned his keep ashore by helping to scout a safe harbor and landing site for his bedraggled and ill shipmates. Would his luck continue to hold amid the dangers and adversity of the Pilgrims' lives in New England? John Howland's tale is masterfully told in his own voice, bringing an immediacy and young perspective to the oft-told Pilgrims' story.

The three-thousand-mile trip was crowded and dangerous, and there was trouble when the passengers settled in Plymouth for a bitter, cold winter. However, their determination was ultimately rewarded; the Pilgrims adjusted to the New England climate thanks to help from local Native Americans and soon celebrated their first harvest in the New World.

Pete the Cat participates in a school play about the first Thanksgiving. He makes new friends and learns a lot about what it was like to be a Pilgrim and live off the land, as well as to be thankful for everything. Lift the flaps to see what other adventures and facts came about during the play

Substitute middle-school history teacher Rush Revere takes his students back in time to experience American history as it happens aboard the Mayflower and on Plymouth Plantation

Twelve-year-old Remember Patience Whipple ("Mem" for short) has just arrived in the New World with her parents after a grueling 65-day journey on the Mayflower. Mem has an irrepressible spirit, and leaps headfirst into life in her new home. Despite harsh conditions, Mem is fearless. She helps to care for the sick and wants more than anything to meet and befriend a Native American.

Every year on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate with a Thanksgiving meal. But what is the origin of this tradition? Did it really begin when the Pilgrims and Native Americans got together in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts? In her signature narrative nonfiction style, Penny Colman paints a fascinating picture of this cherished American holiday. She examines numerous Thanksgiving claims which were antecedents to the national holiday we celebrate today, raises the turkey question--does everyone eat turkey on Thanksgiving?--and shows Sarah Josepha Hale's instrumental role in establishing the holiday. Get ready to delve into the rich past of Thanksgiving in an enlightening history that uncovers the true story.

Told in a conversational tone, the narrative draws readers into the realities of the Pilgrims' arduous but monumental voyage. Students witness illnesses, storms at sea, and the unknown wilderness of the settlers' new home. Sprinkled with lighthearted but important advice, this book portrays the significant implications of the Pilgrims' landing in America. The author also provides the necessary historical background, explaining why they left their homeland. A diagram of the ship's layout provides perspective and small, illustrated maps are also an aid.

A collection of short, illustrated biographies of sixteen influential Native Americans, from Tisquantum, who helped the Pilgrims survive the winter of 1622, to Sherman Alexie, a contemporary poet, novelist, and screenwriter

Who were the Pilgrims? This handsome photo essay examines the daily life of one family in a Pilgrim settlement in 1636 in the context of the workings of the entire colony. Readers will meet the members of Prentiss family, who live and work in the Plymouth Colony. Each one--including the children--has an important role to play. The routines of the household, food, dress, labor, leisure time, religion and government, health and medicine, and special occasions such as the First Thanksgiving are among the many topics examined. Also highlighted are the circumstances that led to the Pilgrims voyage to the New World, what they found, their relations with the Indians who were already living there, and how they set about building and maintaining their settlement. This large-format book features clear text and informative sidebars packed with authentic details. Full-color photographs that show actual sites and artifacts and provide an accurate pictorial account of the Pilgrims life more than 300 years ago.

A fourteen-year-old indentured servant keeps a journal of his experiences on the Mayflower and during the building of Plymouth Plantation in 1620 and 1621.

In 1620 an English ship called the Mayflower landed on the shores inhabited by the Pokanoket people, and it was Squanto who welcomed the newcomers and taught them how to survive in the rugged land they called Plymouth. He showed them how to plant corn, beans, and squash, and how to hunt and fish. And when a good harvest was gathered in the fall, the two peoples feasted together in the spirit of peace and brotherhood. Almost four hundred years later, the tradition continues. . . .

Describes how Squanto played an important role in making peace between his fellow Native Americans and the settlers at Plymouth, so that they could share the first feast of Thanksgiving.

A twelve-year-old apprentice and a seven-year-old passenger experience the first voyage of the Mayflower

Discusses the eating habits, customs, and manners of the Pilgrims in the colony of New Plymouth.

Text and photographs follow a six-year-old Pilgrim boy through a busy day during the spring harvest in 1627: doing chores, getting to know his Wampanoag Indian neighbors, and spending time with his family.

Text and photographs of Plimouth Plantation follow a pilgrim girl through a typical day as she milks the goats, cooks and serves meals, learns her letters, and adjusts to her new stepfather

There had never before been a murder in Plymouth colony. In a community founded on such high ideals and strong principles, the very idea was unthinkable, but the facts were undeniable: John Newcomen had been shot and killed by someone. But by whom? When Governor William Bradford voices his suspicion of John Billington, somewhat of an outsider whose penchant for public drunkenness makes him an easy scapegoat, his own son rushes to the man's defense. Twelve-year-old John Bradford understands what it's like to live outside of his father's good graces. It seems to him that every little mistake earns a harsh reprimand, but nothing he could ever do would win his father's approval. This historical novel brings together the drama of a murder mystery and the complexities of the relationship between a father and his son to provide a glimpse of what life might have been like growing up in the young colony as it too struggled to determine its course and its identity.

A boy and his family endure a difficult nine-week journey across the ocean and survive the first winter at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts.

Everybody knows about the Pilgrims' pious, sober voyagers who sought new lives in the New World. But two very bad Pilgrims have been largely forgotten by history, and they're ready to tell their story! Real-life boys Francis and Johnny Billington nearly blew up the Mayflower, got kidnapped by Indians, and wreaked havoc wherever they went. Award-winning author Kathryn Lasky and illustrator John Manders reveal the lives of America's first troublemakers, as well as tons of fascinating Pilgrim facts, with kid-friendly humor and energetic comic book style art in this irreverent book that is part history, part parody, and all comedy.

With more than 80 activities in each book, these valuable resources will enrich your curriculum. For each activity, literature links promote reading, while Internet links encourage the best use of technology. Individual and team projects for K-5 classrooms, connected to NCTE standards.
Includes an activity related to the Mayflower

This book is designed to foster independent study, research, writing, and oral presentation skills for students in grades two and three. The lessons, which integrate several content areas, can be used for enrichment or extension in the classroom or as a homework assignment. The forty lessons, four for each of ten months, September through June, are connected to a famous person or event associated with that month. An index indicates the content areas and skills taught in each lesson.
Includes an activity related to the Mayflower

This book is designed to foster independent study, research, writing, and oral presentation skills in students in grades four through six. The lessons, which integrate several content areas, can be used for enrichment or extension in the classroom or as a homework assignment. The forty lessons, four for each of ten months, September through June, are connected to a famous person or event associated with that month. An index indicates the content areas and skills taught in each lesson.
Includes an activity related to the Mayflower Compact

Building on the success and maintaining the 99 Jumpstarts format of the two previous books, 99 Jumpstarts for Kids' Social Studies Reports is divided into broad topical sections. Each topic is arranged in alphabetical order under its section. Topics are all new to this title and include the Ancient World, Historic World Events, State and Local History, US History, Government and Citizenship, Sociology, Culture and Economics. The book includes the following sections in each Jumpstart: A cited quote about the topic, Related Jumpstarts, New Words, You are There, Topics to Consider, Books, Internet, For the Teacher, and a relevant activity. Each Jumpstart provides a helpful pathfinder that enables students to efficiently access information and learn new information literacy skills as they research topics of personal interest or gather information for school reports. Grades 3-8.
Includes an activity related to the Pilgrims

The striking contrast between the Pilgrim’s story as taught in schools and the true-life adventure of persecution, a harrowing voyage, and a desperate struggle to survive will capture your students interest. An Admiralty appraisal of the ship, Mayflower, a suggested list of provisions for the would-be-settlers to bring from England, and a contemporary account of the landing in New England provide vivid details.
Adapted from "The Mayflower & the Pilgrim Fathers"

The striking contrast between the Pilgrim’s story as taught in schools and the true-life adventure of persecution, a harrowing voyage, and a desperate struggle to survive will capture your students interest. An Admiralty appraisal of the ship, Mayflower, a suggested list of provisions for the would-be-settlers to bring from England, and a contemporary account of the landing in New England provide vivid details.

Includes a section on the Pilgrims