I SPY History: Food and Festivities In 1621
No pumpkin pie? Oh my! In this history game, we examine the types of foods that the Wampanoag people and Plymouth colonists ate in 1621. Which foods may have been served at the harvest celebration (later named the "first" Thanksgiving)?!
Teacher Maddie, MS
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(239)
What's included
1 live meeting
30 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
This is a one-time game in the style of I SPY or Where's Waldo... but set in 1621! Many popular stories speak of a “First Thanksgiving” celebrated between the Wampanoag people and the Plymouth colonists, thus beginning a long tradition of the American Thanksgiving. In truth, the harvest meal later called the “First Thanksgiving” was not celebrated annually until 1863! Many of the ideas about this being the “First Thanksgiving” were introduced centuries later based on a limited understanding the Wampanoag people’s long-established practices of giving thanks, as well as the only primary resource of the event- a single brief letter written by a colonist who attended. To investigate this, we will use our eyes and our stomachs! We will learn about the history of different Thanksgiving foods, some of which could have been served in 1621, and some of which were NOT available to the Wampanoag people and Plymouth colonists. Can you find the venison? What about the corn, the carrots, and the seafood? My I SPY History classes are very interactive, encouraging child input and questions! I prioritize giving everyone a chance to contribute and show off their observation skills. (This game is best played on a full-size laptop, rather than a small screen such as an iPad.)
Learning Goals
Learners will have a better understanding of the origin and timeline of Thanksgiving food traditions.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
The First Thanksgiving has different meanings to many different people. This class focuses on the food sources that can be traced in the historical record to paint a picture of this meal, rather than to interpret its cultural significance.
Supply List
Larger screens work better than small ones for the I SPY game.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
I created this course based upon the information provided by the Smithsonian Magazine's Thanksgiving articles entitled "How an Unremarkable ‘Brunch in the Forest’ Turned Into the Thanksgiving We Know" and "What was on the Menu at the First Thanksgiving", which can be found at the following links: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-was-on-the-menu-at-the-first-thanksgiving-511554/ AND https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-unremarkable-brunch-forest-turned-thanksgiving-we-know-180970811/#:~:text=The%20First%20Thanksgiving%20of%201621,not%20exempt%20from%20history's%20subjectivity.
I also consulted Plymouth Plantation's website https://www.plimoth.org/learn/just-kids/homework-help/growing-food, in addition to the Mashpee Wampanoag's cultural pages on its website: https://mashpeewampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/culture and the National Museum of the American Indian's pamphlet entitled "American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving".
Joined June, 2020
4.9
239reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
With my B.A. in History, I love every chance to introduce young learners to different eras of history. I have enjoyed leading history summer camps and home school classes, in addition to the six years that I spent teaching in nature-based preschools.
My credentials for historical interpretation, including the histories of marginalized people, are as follows:
Guide at Madeline Island Museum (La Pointe, WI, 2008)
Interpretation Intern at Living History Farms (Urbandale, IA 2011)
Guest Services Representative at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education (Portland, OR 2019-2020)
My credentials for working within an anti-bias education framework are as follows:
I wrote my Action Research Paper for my M.S. in Early Childhood Education on anti-bias education in preschool classrooms.
I have attended a number of trainings on the subject, including Threads of Justice: Anti-Bias Early Childhood Education conference (2016 and 2017), Cultural Awareness Training with Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (2016), and the Grand Ronde Cultural Summit (2016).
Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$7
per classMeets once
30 min
Completed by 19 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 4-7
3-6 learners per class
