Thanksgiving
Grade Level: 7 - 12
Subject/Content: Social Studies/History
Summary of Lesson: Students will compare their own ideas about Thanksgiving with the experiences of Squanto
Focus Question: How does the early history of our nation differ from our myths?
Resource(s): Student Resource Center
Procedures by Teacher:
- Arrange for student access to Student Resource Center
- Define Myth and ideal for students
- Lead class discussion
Steps/Activities by Student(s):
- Take part in a group pair share describing our idea of Thanksgiving and what it symbolizes
- Read the article “Squanto” from Student Resource Center
- Discuss / write a paragraph answering the following question: “ How does the story of Squanto realte to Thanksgiving? How does it challenge our traditional idea of Thanksgiving and it’s meaning? Use specific details from your reading to explain”
- Students will use the Student Resource Center to research other myths of American History and write a paragraph explaining how the information they found supports or contradicts the myth. Some example topics may include Manifest Destiny, Home of the Free, Arsenal of Democracy, Defender/Promoter of Democracy
Outcome: Students will evaluate the accuracy of our idea of Thanksgiving in terms of actual life in the early colonies
Related Activities: Students may do further research into the relationship between the American colonists and the Native Americans, looking for both positive and negative interactions
Standard Date: July 5, 2007
Content Standard(s):
- Compare and analyze societal patterns for preserving and transmitting culture while adapting to environmental or social change
- Interpret patterns of behavior reflecting values and attitudes that contribute or pose obstacles to cross-cultural understanding
- Demonstrate that historical knowledge and the concept of time are socially influenced constructions that lead historians to be selective in the questions they seek to answer and the evidence they use
Performance Indicators:
- At Level 1, the student is able to:
- Identify the role of Squanto in American history
- At Level 2, the student is able to:
- Evaluate the Treatment of Squanto in comparison to Native Americans as a whole
- At Level 3, the student is able to:
- Analyze the differences between myth and actual history
Computer Literacy and Usage Standards 9-12:
- The student will develop skills using a variety of computer resources to increase productivity, support creativity, conduct and evaluate research and improve communications
- The student will use technology resources to improve problem solving and decision-making skills and apply these skills to real world situations
ISTE NETS for Students
- Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media
- Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
- Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures
- Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
- Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
Information Power; Information Literacy Standards 1-4:
- Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively
- Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently
- Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively