Pilgrim Journal ProjectThe students will have their own hand-bound copies of the book to leave in class and to read daily. They can access the digital files here:
Entry # -- Title: Date Subject Literary focus
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Students will assume the role of an actual passenger on the Mayflower. They will research the person using the Internet and primary sources. Each student author will write original stories in a journal seen through the "eyes of their Pilgrim" as he/she journeyed to America. Journals will include details about the trip, what life was like in the new land, and real details about the person they have chosen. They may also include realistic embellishments about the person to fill in the gaps and make the journal interesting. This type of writing is called narrative nonfiction. Students are encouraged to use creativity in making their journals look aged and authentic.
Project Requirements Each day, students read two selections from the book, The Pilgrims at Plymouth by Lucille Recht Penner. From the facts they learn from the sections, students will write two entries into a journal made from colored paper and a laminated brown construction paper cover. Each day, they will also create (at least) one illustration which goes along with either entries. Students should weave the facts they glean from the readings and from teacher background into a first person point-of-view through the eyes of the pilgrim they have chosen. If their character happens to die before the first Thanksgiving (and many do during the Great Sickness) they continue the story from a third person point-of-view. Your entries should cover these time periods (please note that some dates are exact and some are approximate). |
Research LinksChoose a Pilgrim: William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Priscilla Mullins, William Mullins, John Howland, Stephen Hopkins, Elizabeth Hopkins, John Carver, Miles Standish, Susanna White, Elinore Billington, Francis Billington, John Billington, John Goodman, Mary Allerton, Mary Brewster.
Use these links to research for biographies. Pilgrim Biographies Scholastic Pilgrim Website Mayflower Passengers Children of the Mayflower Pilgrim Website Compare and Contrast: Plymouth and Jamestown |
Additional Resources |