The First Thanksgiving

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Info-packed, interactive look at pilgrim life.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this history-centric site is designed to be used in classrooms or at home as a way for kids to learn about the first Thanksgiving and the customs and issues that surrounded that time period. Because kids can't IM, email, or otherwise contact each other on the site, they can learn about pilgrim life and the first Thanksgiving safely. The site occasionally hosts live video webcasts and live chats, which are archived on the site and remain on topic and focused on learning. The site also contains quizzes, an interactive look at the Mayflower, and other elements to make learning fun.

  • The site aims to make history and learning fun -- and emphasizes the achievements that America's early settlers made and the help they received from Native Americans.
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  • The site is sponsored by and features ads from Scholastic.
  • Kids aren't asked to submit personal information to read the site content, but they can submit an email address to receive letters from fictional Thanksgiving characters.

Is it any good?

 

THE FIRST THANKSGIVING offers teachers and students an in-depth look at the pilgrims' journey to America and subsequent lifestyle -- and, of course, there's plenty of information about the first Thanksgiving feast. Younger kids will enjoy the site because a narrator supplies much of the background about the ship, daily life for both the pilgrims and the Native Americans who they met, and the feast.

However, older kids can also access written content, including user-submitted questions about pilgrim life that have been answered by a member of the Wampanoag tribe. To keep kids interested, the site also contains some interactive elements -- including quizzes and a short script they can perform.

Online interaction: Occasionally the site hosts web chats, where students (with teachers' help) can submit questions for fictional historical characters to learn more about early settlers and Native Americans. Teachers and students can sign up to receive letters from Thanksgiving characters by providing an email address.


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What families can talk about

  • Why did the pilgrims initially come to America? What principles was the country founded on?

  • Why was the first Thanksgiving meal and meeting so significant? How did the groups work together to ensure that the pilgrims survived once they'd arrived in America?

  • The site contains a look at how housing and other things differed for the pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. What are some major ways that both groups' lives were different? How are cooking, daily chores, and other things different for us today?


This review was written by Erin Brereton
Educator
September 11, 2010
 
Very good tool to use aroung Thanksgiving Holiday

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This review was written by Erin Brereton
Genre:Educational

This review was written by Erin Brereton

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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