Free Plymouth Colony Lesson Plan for 8th Grade Students

Topic: The Pilgrims and the Beginnings of Plymouth Colony

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to explain the reasons why the Pilgrims' left England and their journey to America.
• Students will be able to describe the challenges faced by the Pilgrims during their first years in America and how they were eventually able to establish a successful colony.

Materials

• Map of North America
• Pictures of early 17th century England and America
• Handouts with information about the Pilgrims and their journey
• Pencils and paper for taking notes

Warm-up

• Ask students if they have ever heard of the Pilgrims. Ask them to describe who they were and what they did.
• Give a brief overview of the historical context in which the Pilgrims lived. Briefly explain that in the early 17th century, England had experienced several decades of political and religious turmoil. A group of English Protestants, known as Puritans, wanted to reform the Church of England and rid it of what they viewed as corruption and immorality. Due to their religious beliefs and their desire for social and political change, many Puritans were persecuted and some were even put to death. As a result, a group of Puritans decided to leave England and start a new settlement in America. This group of English settlers came to be known as the Pilgrims.
• Ask students if they can think of any challenges that might have faced the Pilgrims during their journey to America and their first years in the New World.

Direct Instruction

• Review the maps and charts of the voyage and settlement of the Pilgrims, including the events of the Mayflower voyage, the landing at Plymouth, and the first few years in Plymouth colony.
• Introduce the concept of the New England way, which was the set of cultural and religious values that guided the lives of the Puritan settlers in New England.
• Discuss the contributions of the Pilgrims to American society and history, including their role in the development of democratic government, the establishment of the Thanksgiving holiday, and the preservation of Native American culture.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a copy of a Pilgrim diary or memoir.
• Have the groups read their assigned material and summarize the key events and ideas it contains.
• Bring the groups back together and have them share their summaries with the class.
• As a class, discuss the common themes and ideas that emerge from the different Pilgrim memoirs.
• Identify the key characteristics of the New England way and how it shaped the lives and beliefs of the Puritan settlers.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one aspect of Plymouth Colony life to research in detail.
• Encourage students to use primary sources and the skills they have learned to analyze the source critically and draw conclusions about the subject matter.
• Have students create a presentation or report on their chosen topic, and present it to the class.

Closure

• Review the key points of the lesson and have students reflect on what they have learned about Plymouth Colony.
• Ask students to consider what modern day lessons can be drawn from the experiences of the Pilgrims.

Assessment

• Observation of student participation in class discussions and group activities
• Evaluation of student projects-including analysis of their understanding of key points and their ability to draw modern day lessons from the experience of the Pilgrims.