Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Primary Source Set: Thanksgiving
A set of primary documents that reflect the Mayflower, Plymouth, Puritans, the first Thanksgiving, and legislation for the holiday.
A&E Television
History.com: How the First Thanksgiving College Football Game Kicked Off a Holiday Tradition
How the First Thanksgiving College Football Game Kicked Off a Holiday Tradition. In 1876, Yale beat Princeton before a sparse crowd, but by the mid-1880s, their annual contest was a major social event that attracted thousands of fans in...
EL Education
El Education: First Thanksgiving Cards
As part of a Learning Expedition about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians, 3rd graders in Springfield, Massachusetts created these note cards. They focused on the "real" story of the first Thanksgiving, using multiple perspectives...
Library of Congress
Loc: Sourcing a Document: The First Thanksgiving
In this activity, students discuss the reliability of a painting of the First Thanksgiving to introduce the idea that is crucial to consider a source's date.
A&E Television
History.com: Thanksgiving
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.
National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids: First Thanksgiving
National Geographic recounts the first Thanksgiving and offers related activities, games, and web links.
A&E Television
History.com: Colonists at the First Thanksgiving Were Mostly Men Because Women Had Perished
According to this account (elements of which continue to be debated by historians, especially regarding the presence and role of Native Americans), the historic event didn't happen on the fourth Thursday in November, as it does today,...
A&E Television
History.com: Thanksgiving History Facts and Trivia
What did they eat at the first Thanksgiving? Which president made Thanksgiving a federal holiday? Get Thanksgiving trivia to share around the table. Over the centuries, that briefly-mentioned feast week has taken on a life of its own,...
Mayflower History
Mayflower history.com: Brief History of Thanksgiving
Describes what is known about the history of Thanksgiving and of the first Thanksgiving held by the Pilgrims in 1621.
Other
Plimoth Plantation: You Are the Historian
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.
Open Door Team
Open Door Web Site: The First Thanksgiving
This brief article tells of the help the Indians gave the Pilgrims in learning about the land, resulting in the first Thanksgiving.
Other
Plimouth Plantation: Thanksgiving Interactive: You Are the Historian
This site, developed by Plimoth Plantation, offers visitors the chance to use the skills of historians to peel away the layers of myth and misconception surrounding "The First Thanksgiving" and discover what might really have happened...
Other
20/20 Technologies: Thanksgiving History
This site gives links that give the history and detail the first Thanksgiving in America. Links to primary source material.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] The children will learn about the first Thanksgiving.
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] The students will learn about the first Thanksgiving and how it came to be. There is an assessment at the end of the flipchart.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: New England Colonies: William Bradford; The First Thanksgiving
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...
CommonLit
Common Lit: "The Plymouth Thanksgiving Story" by Chuck Larsen
A learning module that begins with "The Plymouth Thanksgiving Story" by Chuck Larsen, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] In this lesson, students will learn about Pilgrims, the Mayflower Compact and basic facts about this early colony in the New Land. Students will also explore the history of Thanksgiving. A five question...
EL Education
El Education: The Truth About Thanksgiving Coloring Book
In this lesson, students research different aspects of Pilgrim and Wampanoag culture and create a coloring book about the first Thanksgiving with original text and illustrations.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of the American Indian: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth [Pdf]
This study guide gives information about the Native Americans who were living in the area where the Pilgrims landed in 1620 and information about the new settlers too. The myth of the title concerns the friendly meal shared by the...
The History Cat
The History Cat: Us History: Plymouth Colony
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...
Smithsonian Institution
Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Thanksgiving in North America
The Pilgrim's Thanksgiving Feast was not the first Thanksgiving celebration. Discover previous Thanksgiving festivals held in North America.
Curated OER
Smart Exchange: Large Image Preview: First Thanksgiving
Cartoon illustration of Pilgrims on Thanksgiving.
A&E Television
History.com: Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty With the Mayflower Pilgrims
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...
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