This year we spent the whole month of November immersing ourselves in the history of the first Thanksgiving. It was somewhat familiar to Ian because we did touch on it last year, but this year I wanted him to be able to connect more with the story of the Pilgrims who were willing to sacrifice so much for the opportunity to follow their hearts in worshiping God. We got off to a strong start, but then our house got hit with sickness so things didn’t go exactly the way I had planned. I do think we accomplished my objective, however, so I’m not too upset.
We read lots of “living books” and watched several videos throughout the month. My plan was to spend each week focusing on a different part of the story, and although that got a bit disrupted by illness, for the most part it’s what we did. So here’s what we did week-by-week:
Week 1 – Setting out for the New World
Week 2 – The First Year/Squanto
Week 3 – Colonial Life
Two other books we enjoyed this year were This First Thanksgiving Day by Laura Krauss Melmed and Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness.
We also created a Thanksgiving notebook over the course of the month that included Ian’s copywork from the hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth,” some writing prompts, coloring pages, and a printed copy of Psalm 100 (which we read each day and worked on memorizing all month). And we culminated our Thanksgiving study by feasting at the park with some homeschool friends (complete with homemade costumes)!
For more Thanksgiving ideas check out my Cranberry Thanksgiving post and Thanksgiving Devotional from last year.
UPDATE FROM A FEW YEARS LATER:
I still love and use the books listed above with my younger kids, but as everyone has gotten older, we’ve added a few longer books that I’ve enjoyed. (I’m a descendant of Mary Chilton and her parents who came over on the Mayflower, and my husband is a descendant of and Stephen Hopkins and his daughter Constance, which is why some of these may seem redundant.
Almost Home by Wendy Lawton (my personal favorite)
Mary of the Mayflower by Diane Stevenson Stone
Mary Chilton Winslow: Survivor of the Mayflower Voyage by Joyce A. Prince
Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth by Patricia Clapp
Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert Bulla
This week we gathered with our homeschool support group for a Thanksgiving celebration, and I was overwhelmed by the richness of the place to which the Lord has brought us in this season. As the kids delighted in relay races and fun crafts, I soaked in the joy of living life with an amazing group of friends. My cup truly overflows.
