A Modern-Day Mayflower
The Mayflower was the sailing ship that
transported 102 Pilgrims from England to the New World, landing in Plymouth,
Mass., in November 1620.
Most
everybody knows that. But did you know the Mayflower
was never meant to transport passengers, but usually took goods from England to
France, and wine back to England? Did you know the ship's doctor was Dr. Heale?
What's a fo'c'sle? Did you know a violent mid-ocean storm knocked the ship off
course, and instead of landing in moderate Virginia, the Pilgrims literally
settled for, and settled in, frigid Massachusetts?
You can
learn a lot more about that American epic by browsing through these websites.
Take notes! When you feel you know enough about the Mayflower's voyage, here's an offbeat assignment:
Invent a
New World for the 21st Century - a brand-new continent which
suddenly sprang up out of the ocean. Write down what the land is like, what
animals and plants are there, how people there might get their food and build
their homes, and whether there are humans already living there.
Now come up
with a name for a new Mayflower - a
modern-day ship. Describe the ship. Draw a picture of it.
You get to
send a boatload of Americans to this new land to populate it. Who would you
include in the first 102 people? Write down real names of people, or the types
of jobs or skills they might have. You know: "President Bush," "a farmer," "a
poet," "my soccer coach," and so on. Your list may or may not include your own
family and friends; it's up to you.
Make your
"passenger list" for a modern-day Mayflower, and then write a story about the
journey there, and the settlement's first year.
Here are those Mayflower and First Thanksgiving websites to give you some ideas:
http://www.abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/thanksgiving/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/thanksgiving/index.htm
http://www.mayfloerhistory.com/History/mflower1.php
By Susan Darst Williams • www.GoBigEd.com • After School Treats 042 • © 2006
