Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hi, I’m Stuart Shepard. This is Stoplight!
Word Association: I say “Thanksgiving” – you say: Mayflower! Pilgrims! Turkeys!
Thankfulness!
Squanto!
Think of the kids you know. What do they learn about Thanksgiving in school?
If you look online, you can find lots of lesson plans that teachers are using. They mostly
have kids think about what the Pilgrims did.
They got on a boat. They missed their friends. They ran low on food. They landed at Plymouth
Rock. They lost a lot of family members that first winter.
They met some Indians… They learned to plant fish with corn and they had a big meal that
we call “Thanksgiving.”
I like pumpkin cookies.
You remember, right? But what are they learning about what the Pilgrims stood for? What motivated
them to go through all that?
They….. wanted to be Red Sox fans?
This is William Bradford’s hand written recollection of the “Mayflower Compact.”
The agreement the Pilgrims signed to work together to survive.
Listen to the very first words. Before they say anything else, before they ever get to
that working together part. “In the name of God, Amen.”
What does that tell you about the Pilgrims and what motivated them??
And here, listen to the part that explains why they did what they did.
“Having undertaken for the glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith and
honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts
of Virginia.”
Of course they ended up in Massachusetts.
They really needed a government.
Here’s the point! Are young people learning that the Pilgrims did what they did for the
glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith?
Well maybe your kids are blessed with a teacher who does share that part, but if not, you
know who could teach them that part?
(Stuart pointing to you.)
Word Association: “Pilgrims.” Christian! Faithful! People who give thanks to God!