Teacher Calendar
Pilgrim Facts – November

November 1
Before the Pilgrims hired her, the Mayflower was used to transport wine and fish. (4)

November 2
The same number of passengers who departed from Plymouth, England on the Mayflower arrived in America. (5)

November 3
The colonists began their trip with two ships: the Mayflower and the Speedwell; but the Speedwell leaked so badly that the ship was left behind in England. (1)

November 6
The first baby was born during the journey and was named Oceanus. The second baby born was named Peregrine. (5)

November 7
The Mayflower’s crossing took 66 days. During the storm-filled voyage, one sailor and one passenger died. (5)

November 8
The Mayflower landed on November 11, 1620, at the tip of Cape Cod. (5)

November 9
Only half of the Pilgrims survived the first winter. (5)

November 10
Pilgrim children’s chores included fetching water, gathering firewood, herding animals, and helping cook, clean, farm, and care for younger children. (2)

November 13
Although Pilgrim children worked hard, they still had time to play. They probably played marbles, ball games, board games, and running games. (2)

November 14
The turkey, native to America, was common in England by 1620; it had been brought to Europe a century earlier by the Spanish. (4)

November 15
The Pilgrim men signed the Mayflower Compact (http://teachervision.com/page/3261.html), which was an agreement on how the colony would be governed.

November 16
Children were expected to be courteous to adults, including their parents, by bowing and curtseying to them. (2)

November 17
The Pilgrims did not eat cranberry sauce and creamed onions at the first Thanksgiving. They did eat wild fowl, venison, and cooked corn meal. (4)

November 20
Pilgrims didn’t eat in courses as we know them. All the foods were placed on the table at one time, including dessert, and people ate in any order they chose. (4)

November 21
Children served meals to their parents. Children ate only after their parents were served, often on stools near the hearth. (3)

November 22
The Pilgrims didn’t use forks. They used a knife, a spoon, a large napkin, and their fingers, and might share plates and drinking vessels. (5)

November 23
Happy Turkey Day!

November 24
Sometimes there were two courses per meal but each course might include salad (any vegetables), fish, fowl, meat, pudding, and sweets. (4)

November 27
Both boys and girls in 1600s England and New England wore gowns (dresses) until they were about seven years old. (2)

November 28
There was no school in the early years in New Plymouth. Parents taught their own children, or had their neighbors teach them. (2)

November 29
Pilgrims probably only took baths a few times a year. They thought bathing was unhealthy. (2)

November 30
William Bradford wrote a history of the early years, called Of Plimoth Plantation (http://teachervision.com/page/3345.html). The original manuscript is in the Massachusetts state archives. (5)

Sources:

Related Resources

Student activities

Thanksgiving http://teachervision.com/page/3367.html