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
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.
Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: Settlement of the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay Colonies

For Teachers 5th
In 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 the...
Article
Ducksters

Ducksters: Colonial America the Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony

For Students 6th - 8th
Learn about the Eurpoean colonization of America.
Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Pilgrim John Howland

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Fictional interview with John Howland, a farmer in Plimoth Village in 1621. He describes what pilgrim life might have been like from the viewpoint of a farmer and a man.
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.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: The Pilgrims' Path

For Teachers K
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Pilgrims sailing from England to Massachusetts. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Puritan New England: Plymouth

For Students 9th - 10th
An overview of the Puritans who facing religious persecution in England set sail for the New World establishing the colony at Plymouth.
Website
Scholastic

Scholastic: Pilgrim Elder William Brewster

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A brief biography of William Brewster, one of the original Pilgrims to come over on the Mayflower.
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...
Unit Plan
Other

Pilgrim Hall Museum: William Bradford

For Students 9th - 10th
This extensive biography of William Bradford includes links within the text to related primary and secondary sources. Also includes a timeline of Bradford's life. Some documents require Adobe Reader (PDF).
Interactive
New York Times

New York Times: Crossword Puzzle: The Pilgrims

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The New York Times Learning Network presents a variety of interactive and printable crossword puzzles. This one is about The Pilgrims.
Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: The Pilgrims

For Teachers 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart contains lessons about the Pilgrims geared toward 8th grade students in Tennessee studying American History. It contains a lot of pictures, a link to a website outlining the layout 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.
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.
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...
Website
A&E Television

History.com: Thanksgiving

For Students 3rd - 8th
A detailed overview of the first Thanksgiving and the menu that the Pilgrims served which was quite different than the modern Thanksgiving meal. Features videos, a photo gallery, and links to many related articles and topics.
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Maps Etc: Plymouth Harbor, 1620

For Students 9th - 10th
A map of Plymouth Harbor showing the landing site of the Mayflower, the Plymouth Rock, and the earl settlement site of the Pilgrims.
Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Maps Etc: Plymouth, 1620

For Students 9th - 10th
A sketch map of Massachusetts Bay showing the area of the Pilgrim landing on Cape Cod, settlement of Plymouth, and relative proximity to Boston Harbor.
Interactive
Other

Plimoth Plantation: You Are the Historian

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
What really happened at the first Thanksgiving? Students will explore different aspects of the harvest celebration in 1621 through an interactive program provided by an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institute.
Primary
Library of Congress

Loc: Learning Page: Primary Source Set: Thanksgiving

For Students 9th - 10th
A set of primary documents that reflect the Mayflower, Plymouth, Puritans, the first Thanksgiving, and legislation for the holiday.
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...
Primary
This Nation

This nation.com: Mayflower Compact

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides the full text of the agreement between the settlers at New Plymouth, 1620.
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.

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