In November our studies of colonial America often focus on the voyage of the pilgrims and those first years of adjusting to a whole new world. With these sites you can add a virtual tour as well as other learning activities to your studies.

Virtual Plymouth – At this site from Boise State University there are video tours of locations in Plymouth, Massachusetts with historical significance as well as information and links to pages on other sites for the Mayflower, the Wampanoag Indians, Plimoth Plantation, and Pilgrim Hall.

Virtual Tour of 5 Houses in Plimoth Plantation 1627 – These photo tours have accompanying text that appears to be geared for younger students and some include questions to get the kids looking for specific items in the pictures. Because the images are very nicely taken, older students may also enjoy this tour.

Plimoth Plantation – This website has several learning activities that should be of interest to kids:

Virtual Field Trip – Kids can watch 2 video presentations that show the 17th-Century Village and Wampanoag Homesite and teach about life in those locations during that time. Each tour lasts about 18 minutes.

Thanksgiving Interactive: You are the Historian – In this interactive online activity kids can uncover what really happened at the first Thanksgiving and learn about the colonists and the Wampanoag. There is also a teacher's guide with lesson ideas and downloaded printables to use with the activity.

Make it at Home – Children will enjoy making their own versions of the Wampanoag Toss and Catch Game and the Pilgrim Fox and Geese Game while learning about the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people.

Coloring Pictures – Download and print pictures of the Mayflower, the Pilgrim village, a Wetu (a Native American house) and more.

There are other great educational resources available at the site including "Talk Like a Pilgrim," "Homework Help," "Recipes," "Stories" and more.

Scholastic Teacher's Activity Guide: The First Thanksgiving – This is a favorite resource for Thanksgiving studies. It includes:

Virtual Field Trips – Take video tours of the Mayflower, a Pilgrim Village, a Wampanoag Homesite, and Plimoth Plantation. (Please note that these tours are from Plimoth Plantation and may be similar to what they have on their site above so there may be some overlap of information.) You will also find a slideshow presentation of Plimoth Plantation as well as 10 more educational videos about life as a Pilgrim.

Voyage on the Mayflower – Discover the path the Pilgrims took with a narrated interactive recreation of their journey, tour the Mayflower with images and audio and explore the Pilgrim Timeline.

Daily Life – Kids can compare and contrast the housing, clothing, food, chores, school and games of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag.

Thanksgiving Slideshow – In this slideshow students learn about the what the harvest feast may have been like through images, text and available audio.

Historical Letters – Learn about Pilgrim and Wampanoag life with these examples of letters that could have been written during the time. There are also dramatic audio readings of the letters that add interest.

Teaching Resources - Find grade leveled lesson plans that include printables and additional resources to use in your studies.

Caleb Johnsons' Mayflower History – Author and historian, Caleb Johnson, created this wonderful resource that includes a Mayflower passenger list that provides biographical information about that passenger. You will also find historic information about the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony, the Wampanoag as well as links to primary resources, Google Books, Archive.org, genealogy resources and so much more.