An adventure in God s Word for your Family Scripture Adventures Give Thanks! A Study of Gratitude and Thankfulness www.scriptureadventures.com Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 1
Give Thanks! To the parents: Purchase of Give Thanks! gives you license to copy the stories, poems, crafts, and recipes for your own immediate family. Please honor our copyright by not allowing this product to be used outside your family. Included in Give Thanks! are journaling pages, the history of Thanksgiving in the U.S., Thanksgiving recipes, poems and hymns of gratitude, and memory verses of praise and thankfulness. Enjoy reading through Give Thanks! and choose the crafts and activities that suit the interests and abilities of your children. The recipes will need adult supervision! Throughout the book, you will see symbols like these for different activities: Thanksgiving History or Stories and Scriptures Thanksgiving Crafts or Projects Thanksgiving Recipes Gratitude Journal or Writing Project Thanksgiving Traditions Thanksgiving Hymns Visit our website to view photos of the craft projects in this book! www.scriptureadventures.com Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 2
Contents THE HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING....PAGE 5 A New World Pilgrim Math Pilgrim Children The Plymouth Colony Growing Corn Indian Pudding A Thankful Heart Friendship with the Indians An Indian Village Giving Thanks to God The Story of the Pilgrims Booklet Thanksgiving Feast Pilgrim Crafts Pilgrim and Indian Paper Dolls Other Thanksgivings A Presidential Proclamation An Official Holiday for the U.S. THANKSGIVING POEMS AND THOUGHTS.PAGE 34 Give Thanks! Thanksgiving ~ Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer A Thanksgiving Poem We Thank Thee ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson We Thank Thee Booklet Over the River ~Linda Maria Child A Thanksgiving Memory THANKSGIVING HYMNS..PAGE 48 We Gather Together Come, Ye Thankful People, Come Count Your Many Blessings Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow For the Beauty of the Earth Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 3
Contents THANKSGIVING MEMORY VERSES.PAGE 68 THANKSGIVING RECIPES AND ACTIVITIES...PAGE 73 Pilgrim and Indian Napkin Rings Thanksgiving Dinner Place Cards Thanksgiving Recipes for Kids Easy-to-make Pumpkin Bars Easy-to-make Pumpkin Pancakes Easy-to-make Pumpkin Pie Easy-to-make Pumpkin Cheesecake Pumpkin Cookies Yummy Pumpkin Dip Mulled Cider Toasted Treats Frontier Fudge Crockpot Carmel Apples Harvest Popcorn Holiday Spice Potpourrie Maple Acorn Squash Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes Layered Orange Sweet Potatoes Apple Candle Holder Thanksgiving Corn Husk Dolls Mr. Turkey Thanksgiving Words Thanksgiving Bingo Gratitude Journaling Pages The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life ~Robert Louis Stevenson Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 4
The History of Thanksgiving The Pilgrims learned to gather shellfish and catch eels and lobster in the bay. In this section, you ll read about the history of Thanksgiving in the United States, learn the traditional story of the first Thanksgiving in the Plymouth colony, explore a map of the early settlement, and read about other special days of Thanksgiving that were celebrated before the Pilgrims even arrived in America. Be sure to try the recipe for Indian Pudding! Yum! Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 5
A New World JOURNEY TO A NEW WORLD In the fall of 1621, a small group of 50 immigrants to America had much to give thanks for. They had survived a long, hard winter in a new world, planted crops in the spring, and at last, had a successful harvest. They praised God for their blessings and held a celebration to show their thanks... 1. The Pilgrims left England to find religious freedom. They sailed first to Holland in 1609, and later to America, in September 1620. 2. The Pilgrims landed near Cape Cod (Massachusetts) after 66 long days of sailing across the Atlantic in the Mayflower. The Pilgrims were a group of people who were looking for a place where they could have the freedom to worship God the way they thought was right. They left England and went to Holland because of religious persecution. Later, they had to leave Holland, too. They journeyed back to England and took a ship, the Mayflower, to the New World. The ship also carried other passengers who wanted to go to the New World to find land or adventure. When the Pilgrims first landed in America, it was late in the year. The weather was already getting cold. They explored the area and found a place where they wanted to build their settlement. They quickly set to work on a Common House for storage and shelter. Then family homes were built. On Sundays, the Pilgrims sang Psalms and listened to sermons by their religious leader, William Brewster. Sunday was the only day that the Pilgrims did not work. They even worked on Christmas! Most of the Pilgrims slept aboard the ship that first winter while the houses were being built. It was a long and difficult time. There was not enough food. Nearly everyone was very sick. By spring, over half of the Pilgrims had died. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 6
PILGRIM MATH Pilgrim Math 1. The Pilgrims sailed for 66 days to reach Massachusetts Bay. If they left England on September 6, 1620, when did they arrive in the New World? 2. Look at the chart on the right. How many children sailed on the Mayflower? 3. How many adults and servants were aboard the ship? Who sailed on the Mayflower? 43 men 21 women 22 boys 8 girls 8 servants 4. Use the chart above to add up the number of Pilgrims (and their friends) who sailed on the Mayflower. Add in 23 crew members. How many people were on the ship all together? 5. Challenge Question: The Pilgrims set sail from England on September 6, 1620 and sailed for 66 days before landing in America. Then they lived on board the ship for about another 120 days before moving ashore to build houses. In what month did they move off of the Mayflower? Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 7
Pilgrim Children Have you ever wondered about Pilgrim children who came across on the Mayflower? Most families didn t bring their children, especially girls, because they thought that pioneering life was too difficult. But the children on the Mayflower were actually healthier than the adults, with almost all of them living through the first long winter when 50% of the Pilgrims died. There were 22 boys and 8 girls on the Mayflower. One baby, Oceanus, was born on the journey across the ocean. Here are the stories of four of the Pilgrim children. Henry Samson was 17 when he crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower. He was travelling with his aunt and uncle, Edward and Ann Tilley. Edward s brother, John had brought his wife Joan and a 13-year-old daughter, Elizabeth on the journey, too. Unfortunately, Edward, Ann, John and Joan all died during the first winter, leaving Henry alone. Henry later married and became a tax collector and constable. Elizabeth Tilley had just had her 13th birthday when she left England on the Mayflower. She and her parents, John and Joan, hoped that they would find a prosperous new life in America. Elizabeth was overjoyed to reach land at last! But during the first long winter, both of Elizabeth s parents died, along with her aunt and uncle. Elizabeth survived and later married John Howland, who was 21 when he boarded the Mayflower. They had several children and even some famous descendants: President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President George W. Bush, and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson (read his poem We Thank Thee in the Thanksgiving poems section of this book). Mary Chilton was 13 years old when she sailed to America with her parents. Since there were only 8 girls on board the ship, she and Elizabeth Tilley must have been friends. They must have enjoyed each other s company during the long months crossing the ocean. Mary was the first female to step off the ship onto New England soil! She would have been so excited about this new land she would soon call home. But Mary s joy didn t last. Her father was one of the first people who died after the ship had landed. Her mother also died later that winter. When she was older, she married John Winslow, and they had ten children. Bartholomew Allerton and his sisters, Remember and Mary, boarded the Mayflower when Bartholomew was only eight years old. His mother was pregnant and gave birth on board the ship in Plymouth Harbor in December 1620. The baby was still born, and his mother died a few weeks later. Bartholomew must have been sad to lose his mother, but his father and sisters survived the winter, so he had more family than most children. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 8
The Plymouth Colony PLYMOUTH WORDS. How many new words can you make from the letters in: Plymouth Colony 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. MAP OF PLYMOUTH. The Pilgrims sailed for 66 days from Plymouth, England to reach their new home in America. They landed much farther north than they had planned, just near Cape Cod, in what is now Massachusetts. They called their new colony Plymouth, after the place they had departed from England. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 9
The Plymouth Colony (continued) A NEW VILLAGE IN PLYMOUTH In March 1621, the Pilgrims moved to shore and continued work on their new little village, which would be called Plymouth, named after the city in England where they had set sail. John Carver and William Bradford, leaders of the little group, helped organize the work of building homes and planting crops. In March, the Pilgrims were surprised when a native American Indian walked into their village. He spoke English! Welcome Englishman! Samoset proclaimed. He had learned to speak a little English from European fisherman. Later he brought a friend, Squanto, to meet the Pilgrims. Squanto was an Indian from the Patuxet tribe, who had once lived on the site where the Pilgrims were now building their new village. Years before, Squanto had been kidnapped by an Englishman, who then tried to sell him into slavery in Spain. With the help of some friars, Squanto escaped and made his way to London, where he worked for a ship builder. In 1619, Squanto finally returned home. But he did not find his people there. Most of them had died from a terrible disease. Their village was empty. Squanto was alone. Squanto quickly befriended the new settlers. He taught them how to catch fish and hunt. He taught them about the wild plants that were safe to eat and use as medicines. He showed them how to plant corn and fertilize it with fish. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 10
Growing Corn SQUANTO S CORN GROWING GUIDE The Pilgrims owe a lot to their friend Squanto and other Native Americans that they met. Squanto was kind to them. He showed them how to survive in their new land. He taught them the Native American way of planting and growing corn. How to grow a good crop of corn in America: 1. Gather dried corn seeds for planting (the Pilgrims didn t have corn they planted Indian corn from North America). 2. Loosen the soil and dig a shallow hole. 3. Put five small fish in the bottom of the hole and put five corn seeds on top. This will fertilize the seeds as it grows. 4. Mound a little earth on top of the corn seeds. 5. Make sure the new plants get plenty of water and watch them grow! 6. Dry the ears of corn to use in the winter. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to grow corn in the New World. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 11
Growing Corn (continued) One of the favorite dishes in England, where the Pilgrims had come from, was hasty pudding. Hasty pudding is a sweetened porridge that is made with wheat or oatmeal. But the Pilgrims didn t have oatmeal, and they had trouble growing wheat, so they substituted corn meal! The result Indian Pudding. INDIAN PUDDING Here s a recipe for Indian Pudding that you can make at home. The Pilgrims cooked their pudding in a big pot over the fire. They let it slowly cook all day while they did other chores. Their pudding likely had very little sugar, but this tasty version uses cinnamon and maple syrup for sweetness. 4 cups milk ½ cups cornmeal ½ teaspoon salt 3 eggs ½ cup maple syrup (add more to make it sweeter) 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground ginger ⅛ teaspoon cloves and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional) 2 small apples, peeled and chopped Bring milk, cornmeal and salt to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes. Then cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Combine the other ingredients in a large bowl and gradually mix or whisk them into the cornmeal mixture. Stir or beat until smooth. Pour everything into a lightly greased slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hrs, or on low for 6-8 hrs. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Yum! Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more, - a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. ~George Herbert Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 12
Read and learn the words below and then write them on the lines. A Thankful Heart Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more, - a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. ~George Herbert Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 13
Read and learn the words below and then write them on the lines. A Thankful Heart Thou hast given so much to me, give one thing more, - a grateful heart; Not thankful when it pleaseth me, as if Thy blessings had spare days, But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise. ~George Herbert Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 14
Friendship with the Indians A TREATY OF PEACE The Pilgrims also met Indians from the nearby Wampanoag tribe. Their chief, Massasoit, came to meet with John Carver, who had been elected governor of the Plymouth colony. Governor Carver and Massasoit made an important peace treaty. The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag would be friends. Through the spring and summer, the Pilgrims worked. They planted and watered. They gathered berries and food from the forest. They fished and hunted. They built their homes. Children worked hard too, helping their parents. Soon it was harvest time. There was food to eat! The Pilgrims were overjoyed. They knew they could make it through another long winter because their crops had grown. GIVING THANKS FOR THE HARVEST To celebrate the good harvest and their friendship with the Indians, the Pilgrims invited the Wampanoag to a feast. The Pilgrim men went to the forest to hunt for birds. The Indians brought five deer. The women busied themselves cooking stews and soups over the fire. And then they feasted. Governor Carver and Massasoit made an important peace treaty. For three days they ate, played games, and enjoyed the celebration. They men and boys tested their shooting skills and ran races. They all gave thanks for the blessings God had sent them. They were thankful for their friendship with the Indians. They were glad to be alive and grateful for the good harvest. Give Thanks! 2010 www.scriptureadventures.com Page 15