Thanksgiving reading comprehension worksheets

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5th grade Thanksgiving reading comprehension passage with questions and an answer key · 2 pages + answer key

NameDateGrade 5 readingThe Harvest Feast of 1621Read the article. Then answer the questions. Fill in the bubble or write your answer.Informational text · 5th grade · 331 wordsMany Americans picture the first Thanksgiving as a turkey dinner with pumpkin pie. The1real story of the harvest feast of 1621 is a little different, and in some ways moreinteresting.In 1620, a ship called the Mayflower carried about 100 passengers from England to the2coast of what is now Massachusetts. They built a settlement called Plymouth on land thatwas the homeland of the Wampanoag people, who had lived there for thousands of years.The first winter was brutal. About half of the English colonists died from illness and cold.In the spring, the colonists met Tisquantum, often called Squanto, a Patuxet man who3spoke English. Years earlier, he had been kidnapped by an English ship captain and taken toEurope before finding his way home. Tisquantum showed the colonists how to plant cornand where to fish. The colonists also made an agreement with Ousamequin, theWampanoag leader the English called Massasoit, to protect each other.In the fall of 1621, after a successful harvest, the colonists held a celebration. About 904Wampanoag men, led by Ousamequin, joined roughly 50 colonists, and the event lastedabout three days. According to a letter written by colonist Edward Winslow, theWampanoag brought five deer. The meal also likely included wildfowl such as ducks orgeese, along with corn and seafood. There was probably no pumpkin pie, because thecolonists had little sugar and no ovens for baking.The people at the feast did not call it Thanksgiving, and it did not become a yearly holiday5right away. A magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale wrote letters to presidents forabout 17 years asking for a national holiday. In 1863, during the Civil War, PresidentAbraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving.Today, many Wampanoag people view the holiday differently, as a reminder of the losses6their people suffered after the colonists arrived. Learning the fuller story helps usunderstand the people on both sides of that famous meal.edulist.com/worksheets/reading-comprehension/thanksgivingPage 1 of 2

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Thanksgiving reading comprehension in three levels. Kindergarten and 1st grade read "Thank You Day," a short story about a family meal. 2nd and 3rd grade read "The Thankful Jar," about a boy who thinks he'll run out of things to be thankful for by Tuesday. 4th and 5th grade read "The Harvest Feast of 1621," a history article about the Plymouth colonists, the Wampanoag, Tisquantum, the three-day celebration and why Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863.

The history passage is written to be accurate and fair: it notes what Edward Winslow's letter recorded (the Wampanoag brought five deer), why there was probably no pumpkin pie, and why many Wampanoag people view the holiday differently today. This version opens on the 5th grade article. Add Thanksgiving writing prompts and the Thanksgiving worksheet pack.

Tips for using it

  • After the history passage, discuss what's different from the version kids may have heard.
  • Start a real thankful jar at home after reading the 2nd–3rd grade story.
  • Have younger kids draw what they're thankful for under the story.

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Questions

What really happened at the first Thanksgiving?

In fall 1621, about 50 Plymouth colonists and about 90 Wampanoag men led by Ousamequin (Massasoit) shared a harvest celebration that lasted about three days. Colonist Edward Winslow wrote that the Wampanoag brought five deer.

When did Thanksgiving become a national holiday?

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving in 1863, after years of letters from magazine editor Sarah Josepha Hale.

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