2nd Grade History & Social Studies — Pilgrims and Patriots — America's Early Days
Students will learn how the Pilgrims built Plymouth Colony and survived their first difficult winter with God's help.
When the Pilgrims landed in America in December 1620, it was cold and snowy. They had to build houses quickly to stay warm. They called their new home Plymouth.
Before they left the ship, the Pilgrim men wrote an important agreement called the Mayflower Compact. They promised to work together and make fair laws. They said their colony was 'for the glory of God.'
The first winter was very hard. Many Pilgrims got sick because they did not have enough food or warm shelter. About half of the Pilgrims did not survive that first winter.
But the Pilgrims did not give up. They prayed and asked God for help. In the spring, a Native American named Squanto came to help them. God used Squanto to teach the Pilgrims how to plant corn, catch fish, and survive in their new land.
Use blocks or craft sticks to build a small Pilgrim house. Think about how hard it would be to build a home in the cold winter without modern tools.