The voyage from England to what became Plymouth, Massachusetts was long, difficult, and posed many challenges. It is hard to believe that out of the 102 travelers and over 30 crew members, only 2 people did not make the grueling journey. In this activity, students will choose three significant challenges that the pilgrims faced on their voyage, and use a 3 cell spider map to illustrate and describe them.
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a 3 cell spider map illustrating and describing challenges that the Mayflower faced during its voyage to the New World.
Student Instructions
Begin by explaining the concept of storytelling as a way to understand history. Emphasize the power of narratives to convey historical events and emotions. Introduce the challenges faced by the Pilgrims during their Mayflower voyage and their significance.
Provide a list of Mayflower challenges to your students and ask them to choose three that intrigue them the most. Instruct students to create a short story or narrative that includes the chosen challenges. Encourage them to incorporate historical accuracy, vivid descriptions, and the emotions the Pilgrims might have felt.
Allocate time for students to illustrate their stories with artwork or drawings. They can create visuals that complement their narratives and enhance the storytelling experience.
Have students share their stories with the class, either through oral storytelling or by presenting their written narratives and accompanying artwork. Facilitate a class discussion that focuses on the storytelling process, the challenges the Pilgrims faced, and the effectiveness of using narratives to convey historical information and emotions. Encourage students to reflect on what they've learned through this storytelling activity.
Students should focus on illustrating key challenges such as adverse weather conditions, cramped living quarters, food shortages, disease outbreaks, and the psychological and physical toll on passengers.
Students can incorporate creativity through illustrations, captions, and narratives while ensuring that historical facts and context are accurately represented, striking a balance between creativity and accuracy.
Worksheets like timelines, journal entries, and narrative descriptions are effective for helping students explore and understand the challenges of the Mayflower journey, allowing them to reflect on the historical context.