Unit Plan
Ancestry

The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620

For Students 9th - 10th
Study guide with loads of information about the pilgrims. Details everything from the religious beliefs of the pilgrims to what the Mayflower looked like, to the dogs on the ship, furniture, clothing, descriptions of medical practices on...
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: American Government the Mayflower Compact

For Teachers 4th
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Mayflower Compact, why it was written, and how it paved the way for democracy. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Article
A&E Television

History.com: Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty With the Mayflower Pilgrims

For Students 9th - 10th
The peace accord, which would be honored on both sides for the next half-century, was the first official treaty between English settlers and Native Americans, and a rare example of cooperation between the two groups. On the orders of...
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: New England Colonies: The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony

For Students 5th - 7th
Read a brief description of the Pilgrims' journey to North America. Find out how many travelers on the Mayflower were actually Pilgrims, and find out why a mistake in navigation led to the first written constitution in the New World.
Primary
Yale University

Avalon Project: Mayflower Compact 1620

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the actual words of these earliest Americans and their attempt at self-government with the writing of the Mayflower Compact. Link directly to other colonial charter pages.
Website
Scholastic

Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This is a site covering every aspect of the first Thanksgiving ever celebrated. There is a picture timeline, an interactive trip on the Mayflower, and wonderful descriptions of what the lives of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians...
Unit Plan
Open Door Team

Open Door Web Site: The Mayflower and the Mayflower Compact

For Students 3rd - 8th
Although brief, this article gives information about the Pilgrims and "strangers,", size of the Mayflower, and the reason for the Mayflower Compact.
Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Settlement of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies

For Teachers 5th
For this lesson, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings on...
Website
University of Illinois

University of Illinois: The Plymouth Colony Archive Project

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource presents a collection of searchable texts, including court records, Colony laws, seminar analysis of various topics, and biographical profiles of selected colonists. It also includes a search engine and images.
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: The Pilgrims

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an illustrated overview of the history of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower voyage.
Activity
Other

Who Were the Pilgrims?

For Students 9th - 10th
A good general overview of who pilgrims were and how they came to America. Includes the journey over on the Mayflower and the Native Americans who helped them.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: The Story of the Pilgrims

For Teachers 2nd
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the colonists' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in Plymouth. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Website
Other

Plimoth Plantation: Mayflower Ii

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource gives a detailed history of both the first Mayflower and the current Mayflower II that sits in the harbor of Plimoth Plantation.
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Us History: Plymouth Colony

For Students 9th - 10th
The story of how Plymouth Colony came to be. Looks at the Puritan movement with its roots in England, the sailing of the Mayflower, and the progress of the settlers in their first years in New England. Describes their first encounters...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Lesson Plan: The First Thanksgiving

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
Teachers deepen students' understanding of the first Thanksgiving as they discuss the Mayflower voyage, life in the colonies, the Wampanoag traditions, and an extensive look into this time period.
Handout
Mayflower History

Mayflower history.com: Tisquantum ("Squanto")

For Students 4th - 8th
A detailed biography of the life of Tisquantum, known as Squanto. Covers some history of the Plymouth Colony and of relations between the colonists and the native peoples.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving

For Students 5th - 8th
Plymouth Colony did not suffer the same problems as the English colony farther south, Jamestown. Read about the leadership of William Bradford, and the relationship between the settlers and the Native Americans who helped those who lived...
Handout
Mayflower History

Mayflower history.com: Modern Plymouth

For Students 4th - 8th
Find out what Plymouth looks like today and what remains of the Plymouth Colony and the Pilgrims.
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Mayflower Compact

For Students 9th - 10th
Detailed facts and an overview of the purpose and signing of the Mayflower Compact.
Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Mayflower Voyage

For Students 9th - 10th
Interesting information about the Mayflower Voyage to the New World and the living conditions of the passengers.
Website
Mayflower History

Mayflower History: The Wampanoag

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Explore the history and culture of the Wampanoag Indians and their relations with the Pilgrims with this resource.
Handout
Mayflower History

Mayflower history.com: Massasoit Ousemequin

For Students 4th - 8th
A biography of the life of Massasoit, the leader of the Wampanoag. It describes his interactions with the Plymouth Colony settlers and treaty negotiations between his tribe and the colony.
Unit Plan
Enchanted Learning

Enchanted Learning: Thanksgiving Crafts, Decorations, and Printouts

For Students Pre-K - 1st
Enchanted Learning provides a wealth of Thanksgiving-related ideas for crafts, decorations, and activity worksheets. Make a turkey from handprints and footprints, create a thankful leaf wreath or a easy-to-make scarecrow, or follow the...
Unit Plan
Other

Pilgrim Hall Museum: History Paintings

For Students 9th - 10th
This website from the Pilgrim Hall Museum contains a collection of various history paintings depicting the pilgrims. Each image is annotated with a brief summary of what event the painting is depicting and general information about the...