PILGRIMS

Cooperative skills are emphasized as student teams tackle the tasks of crossing the Atlantic, drafting a governing compact for their colony, building houses, planting and harvesting crops, and making peace treaties and trading with the Indians. Each team’s fate depends both upon answering true/false questions about Pilgrim life, and upon the quality of journal entries kept by individual team members. As they move through the simulation, students can compare their progress to that of the original Mayflower settlers. After a cumulative final examination, the class celebrates by re-creating the first Thanksgiving feast. Four different time schedules are outlined ranging from 3 classes to nine weeks.