Thanksgiving Dinner!

My mom's side of the family is very large, she is one of six children. Many of my mom's brother's live in different states. Two brothers live in Chicago, IL, and one brother lives in Orlando, FL. Because they live so far away, we never get to see them or celebrate the holidays with them. But this year, one of my uncles from Chicago drove in with his family to celebrate Thanksgiving! Having my Uncle Bill and his family here with us for Thanksgiving was great! It made me think about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. They had traveled so far from home, leaving many friends and family behind, I should feel lucky that I am able to spend the holidays with loved ones.

Long ago, in 1620, a group of men and women, called Pilgrims, left England to make a new life in Plymouth, MA. They traveled by ship, and it was a long hard journey. Many of the Pilgrims became sick and died on the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. When they finally landed on Plymouth Rock, they had only a short time before winter set in. Winter was rough on the Pilgrims. They didn't have enough supplies to get them through the harsh cold, so the Wampanoag Indians, a Native American tribe, donated food and other supplies to help them. Winter eventually passed, and the Pilgrims were able to start working on their farms. Their new Native American friends continued to help them. And in 1621, the Pilgrims decided to throw a celebration for a successfull growing season and harvest and to thank the Wampanoag Indians for all the help they gave.

Vocabulary:

Different (adjective) - not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar
Celebrate (verb) - to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities
Think (verb) - to have conscious mind, to some extent of reasoning, remembering experiences, making rational decisions, etc.
Travel (verb) - to go from one place to another, as by car, train, plane, or ship; to take a trip; journey
Pilgrims (noun) - one of the band of Pilgrims who founded the colony of Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620
Journey (noun) - a traveling from one place to another, usually taking a rather long time.
Winter (noun) - the months of December, January, and Febuary in the US and of November, December, and January in Great Britain.
Rough (adjective) - having a coarse or uneven surface, as from projections, irreglularities, or breaks; not smooth
Donate (verb) - to present as a gift, grant, or contribution; makes a donation of, as to a fund or cause

Grammar Point:

Past tense verbs express an action that has already happened and has a definite start and finish. Example: John and Sheila walked the dog yesterday. The ending -ed almost always signifies the appearance of a past tense action verb. Reread the paragraphs above and find 5 past tense verbs, then create new sentences for each verb you have found.

Links:

A great Brainpop video about the origin of thanksgiving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAgtUd27jls