The History of Thanksgiving (+ Unit Study Ideas)

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The History of Thanksgiving

The history of Thanksgiving has many facets, but is a lesson that never gets old. From the pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a big feast together to finding ways to be thankful, there are many ideas and methods to incorporate this special time into your homeschool. When it comes to Thanksgiving and kids, there is so much to learn about!

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From Plymouth to Massachusetts Bay

In the fall of 1620, a ship called the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth, England and headed to the New World (aka America). This ship carried a little over 100 passengers who were eager to start a new life in a new location that would give them religious and livelihood freedoms as well as prosperity. 

You see, back in Europe, the pilgrims were being persecuted for their religion, and they certainly had no freedoms to make money and enjoy life as they pleased.  They first sought to come to America with the hopes that everybody would be allowed to worship God as they pleased – no matter their religious affiliations.  

The journey was said to have lasted about 66 days, and didn’t come easy. They managed to reach land in a place called Cape Cod, which was further north than originally anticipated. Having landed at the mouth of the Hudson River, the Mayflower eventually crossed the Massachusetts Bay where they would eventually begin building a village.

With the brutality of the first winter in North America, many of the passengers that were part of the “first 102” died due to exposure to contagious diseases. Only about half of the colonists would live to see their first New England spring. 

The First Meeting with a Native American

As spring began to fully set in, the remainder of the settlers finally began making their way to the village. They received a visit from an Abenaki who could speak English. A few days later, he returned with another Native American from the Pawtuxet tribe who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, catch fish in the rivers, draw sap from trees, and identify poisonous plants.

The Native American from the Pawtuxet tribe, known as Squanto, also helped forge an alliance between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. To this day, this tribe shows an example of the harmony created between them and Europeans.

The First Thanksgiving

In November 1621, the Pilgrims had their first officially successful corn harvest, and this called for a celebration! Governor William Bradford would organize a feast for the pilgrims and Native American Wampanoag tribe that would become known as “The First Thanksgiving.”

Although it may not have been called that name at that time, those in attendance would enjoy a celebration that lasted three days. Another mystery is what was on the menu. Without details, it is believed that the feast consisted of a lot of Native American inspired foods.

Given the weather and lack of resources, it is highly doubtful they had many of the desserts we have during Thanksgiving celebrations today. In 1623, they would go on to celebrate another Thanksgiving, and this one was just as special – if not more – than the first.

Having experienced a long drought that would threaten the harvest, Governor Bradford would initially end up calling for a religious fast and another feast. Fast forward over 100 years, George Washington, the first president of The United States, would call for a proclamation that would honor the gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independence, and declare this day a national holiday.

Unit Study Ideas for the History of Thanksgiving

Families all over The United States look spend weeks preparing for Thanksgiving Day, and homeschoolers are no different. While you’re awaiting this day of celebration, perhaps consider incorporating some Thanksgiving Unit Study ideas into your educational days. There is no reason why the learning can’t continue, without the stress of a rigid schedule.  Holiday learning can be fun too!  

There are many resources that can be pulled together to create your own Fall unit study that is customized for your family. Consider incorporating some of the ideas mentioned below.  You can do one or two activities a week throughout the month of November, or you can spend the final days leading up to the fourth Thursday in November doing nothing but Thanksgiving Unit Study ideas.  

Food Ideas for Your Unit Study

Look up some Native American inspired recipes and enjoy a cooking unit in your homeschool.  There is a lot of science and art (not to mention math) that is needed for cooking, plus cooking is a fun way to enjoy some together time!  Littlethings.com has some delicious-looking ideas.  

• Three Sisters Salad or Soup (corn, beans, squash)
• Acorn Bread
• Pemmican
• Roasted Root Vegetables
• Turkey
• Baked Pumpkin (the origins of the first pumpkin pie?)
• Acorn Squash with Walnuts and Cranberry (the inspiration for cranberry sauce?)
• Fry Bread (we love this so much, we eat it all year long!)
• Succotash
• Iroquois Maple Candy

Arts & Crafts to Celebrate The First Thanksgiving

Create a variety of crafts for the Thanksgiving holiday. This is a fun way to get little ones involved in the Harvest Celebration, and a great way to inspire creativity in your kids.  For older kids, consider some Thanksgiving STEM activities.

• Mayflower replica
• Pilgrim hats
• Teepees
• Native American patterned headbands
• Pilgrim bonnets
• Make turkeys out of your hands traced on paper (there are a lot of variations to the activity for varying skill levels)

Thanksgiving-Inspired Books

Tell the story of Thanksgiving with these:

• Thanksgiving in the Woods, by  Phyllis Alsdurf
• The Story of the Pilgrims, by Ross
• The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving, by Ann McGovern
• If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, by Ann McGovern
• The Pilgrims of Plymouth, by Marcia Sewall

Thanksgiving Spelling Words

Include some spelling and language arts in your Thanksgiving Unit Study by going over a list of vocabulary words with your kids. You can even put these words in a word search or crossword puzzle if you want to make language arts even more fun.

Some Thanksgiving spelling word ideas:

• Thanksgiving
• Plymouth
• George Washington
• William Bradford
• Mayflower
• Native American
• American Indian
• Cranberry
• Gratitude
• Acorn
• Pumpkin
• Harvest
• Celebrate
• Family
• History
• Pilgrim
• Freedom

Gratitude Ideas

Help lead your children in understanding being grateful and thankful with all they have. While we should teach our kids to be grateful all year long, it’s not a bad idea to refocus on gratitude during the time leading up to the day of thanksgiving.

• Create a gratitude journal. 
• Write a thankful poem.
• Write a gratitude prayer.
• Draw pictures of things you’re thankful for.
• Make a gratitude jar and add something in it daily.
• Participate in a month-long gratitude challenge.
• Send notes to people you love detailing what about them you are grateful for.

There are many things you can do to celebrate Thanksgiving, and you’ll never go wrong by starting with learning the history of the First Thanksgiving Story! Thanksgiving is a beloved American Holiday for many

Remember, it’s okay to throw traditional school schedules out the window during the holidays and focus on celebratory fun instead – especially when that celebratory fun is also educational.

Related Posts:

Thanksgiving STEM Activities
Thanksgiving and Kids – Playing and Learning All Month Long
Countdown to Christmas Activities

Learning About The First Thanksgiving