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The “First Thanksgiving”: How Can We Tell a Better Story?

This inquiry resource provides Wampanoag perspectives, primary and secondary sources, maps, and images to dispel misconceptions and misunderstandings of the “First Thanksgiving.” How do details, circumstances, choices, and events that include the Wampanoag tell a more complete history of this national story?

Includes the videos: What’s the Story with National Stories? and Cranberry Day: Traditional Harvest Festivals.


How to Use

This resource utilizes the Inquiry Design Model (IDM) for a student-centered inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. In addressing the compelling question, How can we tell a better story?, students work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources to construct an argument supported by evidence.

While this resource is designed to be a cohesive inquiry, teachers may opt to utilize the Lesson Pathways to structure the supporting questions and tasks in ways that best fit the needs of their students and/or time constraints.

For teaching instructions:

2025 Becoming a Native Knowledge 360° Educator | The “First Thanksgiving”: How Can We Tell a Better Story?:


In this Resource

Resources from the National Museum of American Indian

Consider these online resources from the National Museum of the American Indian to enrich your learning experience around this topic:

For related teaching resources, explore these Native Knowledge 360° Resources.

For Classroom Use

Type: Online Resource

Format: Inquiry Design Model (IDM)

Grade: 3, 4, 5

Subject: English Language Arts, History/Social Studies

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