Lesson Plan Title : The Pilgrims and Google Earth

Age Range: Grade 6 through grade 8 (Middle School)

Overview and Purpose: This lesson will take a little bit of investigative work. Students will use satellite images to answer questions about the spot where the Mayflower departed, the place the Pilgrims landed, and the voyage in between.

Objective: The student will be able to follow the route of the Mayflower using Google Earth.

Resources:

Internet access for each student

Teacher created worksheet

Activities:

Ahead of time use Google Earth to create a worksheet for the students to complete. Include questions about what they see at the spot where the Mayflower left England, what the nearest continent is halfway through the voyage, and what town is closest to Plymouth. Explain to the students that they will be using Google Earth to answer the questions on the worksheet. The students can work alone or in pairs to find the information.

Wrap Up:

More advanced students might want to research and map what the night sky would have looked like halfway through the voyage or what the weather was like for the majority of the trip.