Lianna Zolkower-Kutz

November 15, 2014

EDUC 523
Term III Social Studies Lesson: The First Thanksgiving and Historical Interpretation
What
My goal is to help this group of second-grade students critically examine the idea of the
first Thanksgiving. Representations of this historical event, especially visual representations,
have perpetuated a number of myths around Thanksgiving. By critically examining visual and
written depictions of Thanksgiving, I want students to begin to identify these misconceptions and
start to question them. I want them to ask, what was the first Thanksgiving really like? By doing
so, my goal is to introduce to students the idea that history is always an interpretation of the past,
and that some interpretations are better than others. I also want them to start learning to ask
important questions as a mode of historical inquiry. By examining multiple representation of the
first Thanksgiving, I want them to start to ask important questions, such as what really happened
at the first Thanksgiving, who was there, why was it held, and what did they eat? I will present
several images and written accounts, the latter of which I will modify for their reading level.
The students may have some idea that there is a gap between the events of the first
Thanksgiving and popular representations of the holiday from previous instruction and
background knowledge from outside of school. The group I have chosen, Maia, Ben, Nestor,
Dahlia, Natalie, and Jamie, culturally diverse, but I am expecting that all of them are familiar
with Thanksgiving traditions, even if just from school.
How
The primary mode by which I plan to engage students is through discussion. I will
present to documents to students and ask guiding questions. Initially, these will be questions to
guide their observations, such as, who do you see in the image, or, what does this author say they
ate? With each subsequent document, I hope to raise more and more questions about what is
accurate. I will drive this inquiry by asking more purposeful questions, asking students to
compare representations and to speculate at the motivations of the documents' creators. By
asking purposeful questions, I hope to model for students to start asking such questions
themselves. In addition, by making this a group activity, I hope to introduce to idea of a
"community of historical inquiry" proposed by Levstik and Barton (2011) in which students
learn history through meaningful discussion.
As an assessment activity, I will have students break into pairs and try this kind of
questioning on their own with further documents. The paired nature of the activity will allow
them to practice discussing historical sources with peers. As a final assessment activity, I will
ask students to write one thing that they learned from this lesson and one thing they still wish to
know.
Why
I chose to focus on images for two reasons. First of all, I know that visual documents can
be an effective way of introducing the ideas of interpretation and sourcing to elementary students
without requiring them to wade through large amounts of text. This lesson takes its inspiration

from a similar lesson conducted by Dr. Abby Reisman on the Battle of Lexington Green, in
which a series of paintings and written accounts provided multiple interpretations of these
events. I am also inspired by the worked of Jerome Bruner, who stated that one can introduce
any concept to a student at any age, provided that one presents it in a developmentally
appropriate way. My own experiences with young students have confirmed their ability to reason
and ask substantive questions. In this class in particular, students feel comfortable asking
questions, which is why I believe this activity has a good chance of being successful.
Secondly, many popular myths about Thanksgiving have been perpetuated through
images. I want students to begin to examine these images critically. I chose to focus on
Thanksgiving as a subject precisely because these misconceptions make it a topic ripe for
inquiry. In addition, it is something that all of the students will be familiar with in some way.
Finally, their teacher is conducting a series of lessons examining Thanksgiving from the
Pilgrims' perspective and the Wampanoag Indians'. I mean for this lesson to be a supplement to
her instruction as a more pointedly grounded in inquiry.
Goals/Objectives
This group will consist of six students, all second graders.
Students will begin to understand that history is an interpretation of the past.
Students will practice examining the credibility of sources.
Students will question what they know about the first Thanksgiving.
Standards: Common Core Standards for English &Language Arts
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8 Writing: Recall information from experiences or gather information

from provided sources to answer a question.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Speaking and Listening: Participate in collaborative conversations

with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger
groups. a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways,
listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
b. Build on others talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. c.
Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under
discussion.
Materials and Preparation
Six copies each of Documents #1-3
Three copies of Document #4 (for partnered document analysis)
Document Analysis Worksheet (for partnered document analysis)
Pencils
Chart paper
Markers
Clipboards/oversized books to serve as writing surfaces (if students choose)
Six exit slips
Learning Environment and Management Issues

I will conduct this activity with six students in a small classroom down the hall. I chose this
location over the pod area outside the second-grade classrooms to minimize disruptions. There is
also a table that students may use for the two writing tasks, although they will have the option of
sitting on the floor or in chairs elsewhere in the room. The idea here is to give them a chance to
move around. During the group discussion, the students will be seated in a semicircle on the
floor in front of a wall on which I will post chart paper, in lieu of a whiteboard. This arrangement
approximates the environment for group discussion in the classroom, which takes place on a
carpeted area. The students are aware of the norms for this setup (raising hands to speak, giving
their classmates personal space), which will help the lesson to run smoothly, although I will
remind them of these norms at the beginning. Our close proximity will hopefully create a
conversational atmosphere and will also allow me to act quickly on distracted or disruptive
behavior.
Challenges I expect to encounter include distraction during the group discussion and
difficulty cooperating during the partnered activity. The students have participated in both of
these activities before, but they sometimes become distracted during whole-class discussions are
still learning to work cooperatively (which can be difficult at any age). I will attempt to hold
their interest by referring to their prior knowledge, gathered during the hook exercise, and using
talk moves that encourage students to respond to each other, asking them to agree, disagree, or
add on. During the partnered activity, I will give students the option of moving around so that
they will not have to sit in one place for more than twenty minutes.
Plan
Initial steps: reinforce norms: hand-raising, one person speaks at a time, listening to classmates
responses, asking yourself if you agree, disagree, have something to add (3 min.)
1) Hook: (5 min.)
I ask students, what do you do know about Thanksgiving? I will keep track on chart paper.
Most of us learn about the first Thanksgiving through books, other writing. Who has read such
a book?
Who has seen paintings or drawings of the first Thanksgiving?
When we learn about history, we call these things sources. They are ways of getting
information.
We are going to be looking at a few sources. I want you to ask yourself, "What is this
picture/writing telling me about the first Thanksgiving? How do I know?"
I also want you to think about where this source came from.
Most important, I want you to think about how these sources are different.
2) Body
A. Part I: Examining the Documents (15 min.)
1) Document #1: Image from Thanksgiving Picture Book (see end of lesson for
documents)
I will ask questions to direct students' attention to certain details.
Who is there? How many Pilgrims? How many Indians?

Where are they?

What are they eating?

What are the Pilgrims doing? The Indians?

How do you think the Pilgrims and the Indians feel about each other?

Who created this source? Where do you think they got their information?

On chart paper, I will keep track on a pre-drawn chart of students' ideas about the
document. I will be clear that I am taking notes, so I will not be using complete
sentences and that this note-taking is an acceptable way of writing for this task.
2) Document #2: The First Thanksgiving, 1621
Who is there? How many Pilgrims? How many Indians?

Where are they?

What are they eating?

What are the Pilgrims doing? The Indians?

What are the Pilgrims wearing? The Indians?

How do you think the Pilgrims and the Indians feel about each other?

Why do you think they are having this meal?

Who created this source? Where do you think they got their information?

How is this same as/different from the first source?

3) Document #3: Letter by Edward Winslow

I will briefly define a primary source for them as a source that was created by
someone who was there to witness as event. I will explain that Winslow was a Pilgrim
who wrote this in a letter to a friend. I will also explain that I have modified this
source to make it easier to read. I will read the source out loud, clarifying terms such
as fowl and recreations as necessary.
Who was there? How many Pilgrims? How many Indians?

Where were they?

What did they eat?

How long did it last?

Why do you think did the Indians came to the Pilgrims feast?

Why do you think Edward Winslow wrote this letter?

How is this the same as/different from the previous sources?

Do you think this is a better source than the others? Why or why not?

I will conclude by saying, we have three different stories of the first Thanksgiving from three
different sources. These different stories are sometimes called interpretations. In history, an
interpretation is one version or telling of an event.
B) Part II: Examining a source with a partner - Document #4 National Geographic
Kids (10 min.)
I will say, now you are going to have a chance to try this on your own. You will work with
a partner. One person will be the reader and the other person will be the writer. The
reader will read the document out loud, but quietly, to their partner. Together, you will
try to find the answers to the questions on the worksheet. The writer will write your
answers down. Because we dont have lots of time, complete sentences are not required
for this task (this is a special situation).

I will put the students in pairs myself: Dahlia and Maia, Ben and Nestor, Jamie
and Natalie. I will give the worksheet to each pair.

Students can sit at the table or on the floor, whichever they prefer.

Students will read the document in pairs. I will circulate to help pairs with reading
and writing as necessary.
I am expecting that the students will not be able to answer all of the questions in the time
allotted, and that I will have to stop them. If one group does finish early, I will provide a few

picture books on Thanksgiving with good historical information and interesting pictures for them
to look through to supplement their information.
3) Wrap Up

Group Share: (7 min.)

o One by one, I will ask each pair to share something they learned from the
document
o As they do so, I will jot down their ideas on the chart paper
o We will focus on how this documents story is different from the others

Final Questions/Conclusions (5 min.)

o I will reiterate that these sources tell different stories. They are
interpretations.
o Which story/interpretation do you think is the most accurate? Why?
o How can we discover what really happened? My point here is that when we
study history, we can never truly know. I will make this point explicit students
do not come to this conclusion on their own.
o Finally, what is the best way of trying to find out what happened? Which
sources are the best? These questions I will but pose leave unanswered in
order to give students something to think about.

Exit Slip (3 min.)

Pass out exit slips

I will ask them to write one complete sentence for each question:
o What is one thing you learned today?
o What is one thing you still want to know?
To clean up, I will ask them to place their worksheets and exit slips in one pile, their pencils in
another, and to line up at the door to prepare to go back to class. Students who are done earlier
I will ask start helping me to clean up.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Assessment of Goals/Objectives
I plan to use a number of sources for assessment. First of all, I will pay close attention to
students responses during the group discussion of the first three documents, looking for
increasing attention to details in each source that depict the event (where the attendees sat, what
they ate) and differences between the sources. I am looking for verbal evidence that students are
starting to think critically about what the sources are telling them and that the sources offer
different interpretations of the same event. The partnered activity will give students a chance to
try this kind of analysis themselves. The worksheets and final discussion with provide both
verbal and written evidence of their learning. Finally, the exit slip will provide a brief snapshot
of what they learned, what they found interesting about the lesson, and whether or not I
succeeded in sparking their interest to learn more.
Anticipating Students' Responses and My Possible Responses
I am assuming that students will have typical background knowledge of Thanksgiving,
such as that Pilgrims and Indians came together in friendship for a feast, celebrated a good
harvest, and ate dishes such as turkey and sweet potatoes. All of the students have been at Penn
Alexander for over a year and have spent most, if not all of their lives, in the United States. Some

students might have learned about certain Thanksgiving myths already: if there is disagreement,
then I will acknowledge that, saying, This sometimes happens in history. In fact, I hope this
happens because it will help me make my point about the interpretive nature of history. In the
end, I want to complicate the mainstream story of Thanksgiving by building on what students
already know.
I believe that all of these students will be able to answer the more straightforward
questions that I pose, such as How many Indians and Pilgrims are there and What are they
eating? Questions that require more analysis or interpretation might be more difficult. My plan
is to use sufficient wait time to allow them to ponder these questions. I might have to use more
questions to scaffold their thinking. For instance, to answer the question, Why did the Indians
come to the Pilgrims feast based on the Edward Winslows letter, I might have to ask, What
have you learned in the past about why them came and Does Edward Winslow talk about these
things at all? I want students to continually compare the different interpretations of
Thanksgiving, and I expect that I will have to refer back to specific details from the previous
documents to guide their thinking. To the question of accuracy, I am hoping that at least one
student will note that as a primary source, Winslows account is likely to be the most accurate. I
will acknowledge this point, but then follow up by comparing it to the account from National
Geographic Kids, which contains additional information. If no one brings up the idea of a firsthand account, I will ask a question such as, Who do you think is the best kind of person to
describe an event, someone who is there or someone who was not there? and then go on to
complicate this idea.
Accommodations
I have purposefully chosen a group of students who I believe will work well in pairs and
support each other. Maia, Ben and Jamie are all strong writers, so I will give them the job of
writing during the partnered activity, and will support the other three students, Dahlia, Nestor,
and Ruben, who work more slowly on writing activities. Most of these students are fluent
readers, and some of them are even more advanced, so I do not expect them to have trouble with
the text; the only exception is Ruben, who I am not sure about, but I believe that partnering him
with someone like Jamie, a stronger reader, will enable him to participate. Most of these students
do not hesitate to participate during whole-class discussions. Dahlia, however, is often more
reserved, but I believe that my relationship with her (she was the subject of my Portrait of a
Learner) will make her feel comfortable. I expect to have to define certain terms in the Winslow
document during the discussion, and I plan to circulate during the partnered activity in order to
help students with reading or spelling certain words. For students who finish the activity early, I
will provide books to look through that talk about Thanksgiving in more depth and contain a lot
of interesting pictures.

Document #1:

Document #2: The First Thanksgiving 1621 by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1899).


Document #3: Edward Winslows Letter (modified)

"When our harvest was in, our governor sent four men to hunt
fowl, so that we could celebrate together, after we had
gathered the fruits of our labors. The four of them in one day
killed enough fowl to, along with a few other things, feed all of
us for almost a week, at which time among other Recreations,
we shot our guns. Many of the Indians came, including their
greatest king Massasoit, with about ninety men, whom for
three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and
killed five Deer, which they brought to the Plantation and gave
to our Governor and Captain and others. And although it is not
always so good, as it was at this time with us, yet by the
goodness of God, we have so much, that we often wish you
could enjoy what we have, too."

NAMES:

The First Thanksgiving: Whats the Story Here?

DATE:

Examine the document below, a description of the first Thanksgiving from another source. After
you read the document, think about and try to answer the questions below based on what you
have read.

Document #4: From National Geographic Kids (a website)

One day that fall, four settlers were sent to hunt for food for a harvest celebration. The
Wampanoag heard gunshots and alerted their leader, Massasoit, who thought the English
might be preparing for war. Massasoit visited the English settlement with 90 of his men to
see if the war rumor was true.

Soon after their visit, the Native Americans realized that the English were only hunting for the
harvest celebration. Massasoit sent some of his own men to hunt deer for the feast and for
three days, the English and native men, women, and children ate together. The meal
consisted of deer, corn, shellfish, and roasted meat, far from today's traditional Thanksgiving
feast.

They played ball games, sang, and danced. Much of what most modern Americans eat on
Thanksgiving was not available in 1621.

Questions:
Who was there? How many Pilgrims? How many Indians?

Why did they have this meal?

What did they eat?

How long did it last?

How do you think the Indians and the Pilgrims felt about each other?

How is this source different from the others? How it the same?


Where do you think this information came from?

NAME:







DATE:


Final Questions

1) Based on what you learned today, WHY do you think the Pilgrims and the Indians had the
first Thanksgiving? What do you think their reasons were?






2) What is one thing you are still wondering about the first Thanksgiving? Where do you think
you could find this information?

NAME:

Final Questions

DATE:

3) Based on what you learned today, why do you think the Pilgrims and the Indians sat down
together for the first Thanksgiving?






4) What is one thing you are still wondering about the first Thanksgiving? Where do you think
you could find this information?