Read, Write Think
Lesson Plan Review
Robin Clark
The lesson plan that I found was one, designed for kindergarten, that discussed the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I, like many other teachers, am always looking for new ideas. This lesson was called “Packing the Pilgrim’s Trunk: Personalizing History in the Elementary Classroom” and was submitted by Devon Hamner of Grand Island, Nebraska. The lesson is designed for kindergarten, but can be adapted for 1st or 2nd grades.
The title of the lesson caught my attention. Many times, children learn best by doing. If they can personalize the information, they do remember it better. “Packing a Pilgrim’s Trunk”, I thought sounded fun.
Because kindergarteners have no prior knowledge about Plymouth; Pilgrims; or the Mayflower, the teacher has to provide that knowledge as the lesson begins.
This lesson outline did not list any specific types of books, just books in general about the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving. I would have preferred to read about some books that this teacher had tried; liked; or disliked. Sometimes choosing a book to introduce a new subject can be trial and error. Some children accept the new stories easily with a book, some do not. Rather than me search for appropriate books, I would have liked to review a list of books that she had used and liked.
I really do like the overall message of this lesson. I am even thinking about using it for my students this year. In this lesson, children are introduced to the Pilgrims through their moving experience from England into America. Ms. Hamner stated that she likes to compare what the children know with moving to a new place with the Pilgrim’s and their move. We can create a comparison chart for future reference. She then allows the children to list what was needed for the voyage across the ocean. Children can help to pack an imaginary trunk and compare the trunk with bags that we carry today. Children can compare the differences between travel; clothing; and food of those days with today’s luxuries.
Ms. Hamner states that she uses her lesson to also discuss the differences between the life of the pilgrim child and today’s child. For example, many of our children do not know how to farm as a means of survival. They can learn how the Pilgrims depended on the Native Americans for help in planting and growing their own foods. She uses this topic as an introduction to the Thanksgiving feast and the reason there was to celebrate. As an ending to the lesson, which spans 9 days, Ms. Hamner makes foods that were eaten during that first Thanksgiving and the children celebrate together.