OBJECTIVE; To learn about the first Thanksgiving, how it came to be a national holiday, the weather and nutrition which affected the Pilgrims, and the background of the people who celebrated - both Pilgrims and Native Americans. To be able to write a report in story form, depicting the first Thanksgiving. To be able to prepare and serve a true Thanksgiving meal - one that the early settlers really might have eaten.

DUE: Completed Thanksgiving Unit Study will be due the Friday before Thanksgiving week. All written work involved should be kept in a file folder or prong folder, to be turned in. You may use a notebook for keeping track, but will need to use the Word Processor on the computer for the finished work. If you wish, you may set up a folder on the Desktop to store your computer work in until you are ready to print it out. Please don't use WordPad or Notepad, since it will not set up as well as Word Processor.

If you wish, you may also embellish your written work with clip art or photographs you have imported into your files

VOCABULARY:

Write the definitions.

• maize
• Pilgrim
• scurvy
• dysentery
• ship's log
• Native American
• proclamation
• cornucopia
• Separatists
• venison
• watercress
• Puritan
• drought

RESOURCES:

Encyclopedia
Library
Web sites

WEBSITES:

Maps
Nutrition Information
The Holiday Spot
Follow the links for further information
Holidays
Do the online activities listed on the links above.

DAY 1 - 7: Journaling

Each day until Thanksgiving Day, keep a journal of what you do. Include chores, schoolwork, prayer time, running errands, etc. Make a note at the end of the day telling what percentage of time you spent in prayer, thanking God for what you have.

DAY 1: Research the Pilgrims and Puritans. Learn where they came from, who they were, where they traveled, and why the came to this country.

• What were their religious beliefs?
• Who was their leader?
• About how many were there?
• Who was the captain of their ship?
• What was the name of their ship?
• How large was their ship?
• What belongings did they bring with them?
• What foods did they eat?
• How long did it take to get here?

DAY 2: Foods Pilgrims ate.

Look up the following foods to learn the nutritional value of each:

• Pumpkin
• Corn
• Berries
• Turkey (or other fowl)
• Fish
• Watercress
• Make a bar graph for each food, showing its nutritional value.

DAY 3: Weather

Learn about the weather the Pilgrims experienced that first winter. Compare/contrast it to last winter in your area. Write a paragraph about both.

DAY 4: Native people.

• Which tribes of Native Americans lived in the area where the Pilgrims landed?
• How did they greet the Pilgrims?
• What was the relationship between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims during that first year?
• Using a blank outline map, color or label the areas of the various Native American tribes for that time period, as well as labeling where the Pilgrims settled.
• What form of worship did the Native Americans use?
• Did the Pilgrims share God with the Native Americans? Were any of them converted?

DAY 5: The Proclamation

• When was the Proclamation to celebrate Thanksgiving first published?
• Who proclaimed Thanksgiving?
• Is Thanksgiving a fixed holiday, or is it re-proclaimed each year?
• Who gives the proclamation?
• How is it celebrated?
• What is the purpose of Thanksgiving?

DAY 6: Scripture

• Look up verses which contain the word "thanksgiving". Write them on paper.
• Does the Thanksgiving proclamation line up with Scripture?
• Is Thanksgiving still celebrated with the original intent?
• Name ways we can bring Scriptural things back into our Thanksgiving.
• Name some things you are thankful for.
• Memorize Philippians 4:6-7

DAY 7: Write a report about your view of Thanksgiving, and why we should or should not continue to celebrate it. Give facts and data to back up your position. Write this in the form of an editorial or a letter to the editor. (You won't need a bibliography, etc.)

DAY 8: Tell the story of the first Thanksgiving. Maintain the readers' interest. Write it in such a way that a 7 year old child will understand it completely.

DAY 9: Prepare a meal similar to what the Pilgrims might have eaten during the first Thanksgiving. Use what you have learned about the available foods to do this. Serve the meal to your family. Keep it as authentic as possible. When speaking. attempt to speak as they would have spoken to one another.

While serving, sing the traditional Thanksgiving song.

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