• Role play land taking

The class can read Metacom's speech , which expresses his grievances with the English, and debate whether he should go to war.

Another classroom activity to help clarify the issue of Land Taking is to act out the following scenario: Have one person, playing the role of a Wampanoag person, mark off an area. Explain that this is his/her home and that his/her family has lived here for many generations. Next, have another person, playing the role of an English settler, arrive and ask for a piece of that land. When this exchange is agreed upon, the settler should announce that a new group of settlers has arrived and would also like a share of the Wampanoag land. As this is repeated over and over, the person playing the Wampanoag will be left with a very small portion of the original space he or she had. The class can then discuss the following:

• How would you feel if most of your land was taken away?
• What if even more settlers arrived - where would you go?
• Would you keep on generously giving land to the settlers?
• How would you survive if you could no longer get to your fishing and hunting places?
• How would you fight to keep your land?
• Would you go to war?

Some teachers have also used the following role play to present the Land Taking concept. Fence off an area of the class while the students are out of the room. When the students return to the class, the teacher announced they could no longer use that area of the room, as it had been "discovered" by the teacher and thus claimed as his/her own. Again the questions listed above could be discussed regarding this scenario. The class can also discuss what it means to discover" and lay claim to another person's home? What about this?

These role plays can also be used to address the stereotype of Native people as unjustly aggressive warriors.

• Compare 1600's map of Wampanoag territory with contemporary map.

• Start with what you learned about the First Thanksgiving or look at storybooks that show the Pilgrim's and Indians celebrating together.

• Make a list of what is included in these storybooks

• Read Bradford's perspective on the 'First Thanksgiving' and make a list of what he describes:

Bradford, who evidently proclaimed the celebration, does not specifically mention the feast in Of Plimoth Plantation, his history of Plymouth Colony. Of the Pilgrim's first harvest and their food he wrote: "They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit their house and dwelling against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty... Besides waterfowl there was great store of turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc.. Besides they had about a peck (or eight quarts) meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion."

• Read Toby's quote about Thanksgiving and make a list of what Toby explains.

• Read Jessie's quote about Thanksgiving.

• Compare these accounts to the myth portrayed in the storybooks. Compare pictures from storybooks with descriptions Toby and Jessie offer. Where did all the other parts of the story come from? Compare these accounts to what you thought you knew about the First Thanksgiving.

• Draw a plate of Wampanoag foods that Americans now eat at Thanksgiving

• Prepare a Wampanoag thanksgiving using key cookbooks (see Books and Video).

• Read Ramona's quote

• Read Strawberry Thanksgiving (see Books and Video) Prepare the suggested Strawberry Recipe.

• Discuss: What harvest festival does your culture observe?

• Discuss and Draw or Color the Four Thanksgivings diagram.

• Explanation of Thanksgiving
• Explanation of Metacom and the land sales
• Summary Activities
• Glossary
• Return to Wampanoag Life After 1620