Thursday, November 26, 2009

Thanksgiving 2009 Lesson Plan

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, presently celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863. Thanksgiving was historically a religious observation to give thanks to God, but was established as a secular federal holiday in 1941.

The first Thanksgiving was celebrated, in 1621, to give thanks to God for helping the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony (today Plymouth, Massachusetts) survive the brutal winter. The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Native Americans. The feast consisted of fowl, venison, fish, lobster, clams, berries, fruit, pumpkin, and squash. William Bradford's (Plymouth governor) note that, "besides waterfowl, there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many," probably gave rise to the American tradition of turkey at Thanksgiving.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: What happend at the "First Thanksgiving"?
Objectives:To understand:
- the facts and myths that surround the First Thanksgiving in 1621 at Plimoth Colony.
- historical research methods
Concepts: Thanksgiving, colony, Pilgrims, Plimoth, Plymouth, Wampanoag
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subject: U.S. History / Holidays
Materials: Access to the Internet.
Handouts: "Investigating the First Thanksgiving" Quiz
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: EducationWorld.com, Submitted by Gary Hopkins
Link: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/dailylp/dailylp/dailylp029.shtml

 

Sunday, November 22, 2009

John F. Kennedy was Assassinated - November 22, 1963

Lesson Plan Information
Title: The life and times of president John F. Kennedy
Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will:
- Understand the values that Joseph and Rose Kennedy instilled in their children.
- Identify reasons why we remember JFK today.
- Consider the effects of family culture, environment and community on personality.
Grade Level: 6-12
Subject: US history 20th Century
Handouts: Map of John F. Kennedy National Historic Site in Brookline, Massachusetts; readings; photographs; health document.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: U.S. National Park Service
Link: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/33jfk/33jfk.htm

Friday, November 6, 2009

Abraham Lincoln Was Elected President of the United States - November 6, 1860

Abraham Lincoln successfully led his country through its greatest internal crisis, the American Civil War, preserving the Union and ending slavery.

- Wikipedia

Lesson Plan Information
Title: Abraham Lincoln on Slavery and Race
Objectives: Students will:
- examine letters and speeches of Abraham Lincoln in order to understand Lincoln’s position on slavery.
- understand the connection between the historical context and Lincoln’s views.
- understand the influence of race on politics in the antebellum era.
Grade Level: High School, Grades 10-12
Subject: American History / Social Sciences
Materials: Access to the Internet.
Time Needed: Two 50-minute class periods
Provided by: History Now (Author: Roberta McCutcheon)
Link: http://www.historynow.org/12_2005/lp1.html