TeachLivE Mini-Lesson Template SPED 326, Fall 2015

Unit Title
Subject Area
Lesson Title
Objective(s)

Pilgrim Unit
American History
The First Thanksgiving

Students will be able to explain the origins of Thanksgiving.

1. Write the word Thanksgiving on the board.

# of
minutes
:30 sec
-1
minute

Lesson Activities
1. Ask each student to give two examples about what
comes to mind when they think of Thanksgiving
2. Create a Venn Diagram, with a partner, comparing old
Thanksgiving to new Thanksgiving
3. Ask each student one thing that both old and new
Thanksgiving have in common that they thought of while in
their groups. (As a teacher, we will comment on answers)
4. Ask for any last questions before the class is over.

# of
minutes
:

Closure

# of
minutes
:4 min

Procedures
(10 total
minutes)

Assessment

Materials/
resources
needed

Standards/
benchmarks
addressed

4-5 min

Sum up lesson and allow each student to say one thing they learned
about the origin of Thanksgiving.
Going through each student in the class and retrieving what they may know
about the old Thanksgiving. Then letting students get together and brainstorm.
At the end, bringing the class back and assessing if they learned something
new from classmates and answering any other questions they may have about
Thanksgiving.

Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness (pgs. 17-24)

Pilgrim Fact Card 8 (Will provide)
Piece of Paper
Pencil or Pen
Imagination

Colonization & Settlement, 1585-1763

Over the course of three lessons the students will analyze
sources about the voyage of the Pilgrims to America aboard the
Mayflower, the writing of the Mayflower Compact, and the origin of
Thanksgiving

Teach LivE Mini-Lesson Template

TeachLivE Mini-Lesson Template SPED 326, Fall 2015

Teach LivE Classroom Management Strategies

Description of
students

Classroom
Management
Strategy 1

Classroom
Management
Strategy 2

Perceived Strengths
CJ: Is very good at making
connections between the lesson and
her everyday life
Ed: Is able to engage in the
conversational topic that is at hand
intellectually and has no problem
keeping a conversation.
Maria: Very intelligent
Kevin: Knowledgeable, more so street
smart than school smart but is still
willing to try.
Sean: Very engaged in lesson and
quick to participate

Perceived Challenges
CJ: Getting CJ prepared for the lesson
prior to class
Ed: Normally will not engage until
called upon.
Maria: Shy and will not always speak
up in class.
Kevin: Is distracted easily and does
not always pay attention
Sean: Sometimes can try to take too
much attention away from his peers

Description of Strategy:
Walk into the classroom and greet the
students as you would a normal day.
Remind students to take out a pencil
and paper and get ready for some
fun learning! for the day. Remind
students to not have phones out
during class as the Cell Phone was
not invented by this era, if the
Pilgrims survived years without them
we should challenge ourselves in the
same sense for a class period. Also,
students must raise their hands to
speak during class and blurt outs will
not be properly acknowledged.

How do you think this strategy will

support this particular group of
students?
The students may react in a positive
way to this because it is slipped into
the classroom in a language that they
are used to. Keeping the language
more generation friendly could earn
some respect as well. They may also
listen to the request because it is
strictly being forced on them.

Description of Strategy:
Start the beginning of class going
over the classroom rules as daily
reminder to the classroom rules. Also,
students must raise their hands to
speak during class and blurt outs will
not be properly acknowledged.

How do you think this strategy will

support this particular group of
students?
If this is done daily, it can be a
reminder of what the rules are. Since
it is a daily routine it would not be
something unusual and because of
the repetition students may be more
likely to listen to the rules.

TeachLivE Mini-Lesson Template SPED 326, Fall 2015

Classroom
Management
Strategy 3

Description of Strategy: Class point

system. At the start of the lesson
challenge the students to get at least
10 class points - these are points
they get when they are on track,
follow the set rules and expectations.
Students will earn points throughout
the lesson and it can be used as a
reminder when students are off topic.
Challenge students to get more
points than the teacher, which the
teacher will get when following rules
and expectations.

How do you think this strategy will

support this particular group of
students?
It will encourage students to work
together as a team, this way they will
also be accountable for their actions
and accountable for the actions of
their peers this system will not only
keep students on track but help them
keep their peers on track. By
challenging them to beat the teacher,
students will have some motivation
outside of simply achieving the goal
points set at the start of class.

Extra outside knowledge for class/outside expectation:

Students will already have a background
knowledge of Old Thanksgiving after reading through,
(pgs. 17-24).
Students will be provided with Pilgrim Fact
Card 8 from the following website,
https://www.teachervision.com/discovery/americancolonies/785.html. (They should have this at their desks
in the beginning of class if possible!)
Students should have a pencil or pen and a
piece of paper on their desk at the start of class to
prepare for the group work activity.
As Teachers, we will need a chalk or white board or a writing board
of sorts if it is possible to be provided. Thank you!
Pilgrim Fact Card 8

THANKSGIVING, 1621
In October 1621 the Pilgrims had a three-day celebration
to give thanks for their first harvest.
There were games, singing, and plenty of food.
Massasoit and 90 other Wampanoag attended the
celebration.
The Wampanoag brought much of the food.
This celebration eventually became the holiday we know
as Thanksgiving.

TeachLivE Mini-Lesson Template SPED 326, Fall 2015

Foods Available to the Pilgrims for 1621

Thanksgiving
FISH: cod, bass, herring, shad, bluefish, and lots of eel.
SEAFOOD: clams, lobsters, mussels, and very small
quantities of oysters.
BIRDS: wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge,
and other miscellaneous waterfowl.
OTHER MEAT: venison (deer), possibly some salt pork or
chicken.
GRAIN: small quantity of wheat flour (from England),
Indian corn and corn meal, barley (mainly for beer making).
FRUITS: raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums,
cherries, blueberries, gooseberries (these would have been
dried, as none would have been in season).
VEGETABLES: small quantity of peas, squashes (including
pumpkins), beans.
NUTS: walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, ground
nuts.
DRINKS: beer (the primary drinking beverage for
everyone), possibly grape wine, hard liquor similar to whiskey
or brandy, and springhead water.
OTHER: maple syrup, honey, small quantities of butter,
Holland cheese, and eggs.