What About Squanto?

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SWBAT answer text dependent questions through the third read of the text. SWBAT create a bubble map detailing Squanto.

Big Idea

Working together helps us to achieve more than we can alone!

Prepare the Learner

20 minutes

Activate Prior Knowledge

This is the eighth lesson in a series of fourteen.


We review the "Then and Now sort" and  the pictorial map drawn previously. .  I ask: What do you remember about what we've learned about the Wampanoags and Pilgrims?  What have we learned from our reading?  The pictorial?  The sort?


 I model: I remember that the Pilgrims and Wampanoags had a feast together to celebrate their partnership.  They celebrated working together.



Partner Talk

After I've given students some think time I direct: Turn and talk to your partner about what you remember from all of our learning about the Wampanoags and Pilgrims.  Like I did, you might start your sentence with "I remember..." As student partners share,  I am monitoring the groups and prompting where necessary with guided inquiry.  I might say: Look at our pictorial for some ideas about information you remember.  What do you remember about the Wampanoag?  What do you remember about the Pilgrims?  For students who are really struggling with language, details or both I narrow my guided inquiry: How did the Pilgrims get to America?  What was their ship called?  



Here are some linguistic patterns I stress and model.  I also have these posted so the students can reference them.  I will also reference them as I monitor and assist.


The Pilgrims lived/went                .

Pilgrims wanted                .

The Wampanoag lived   .

Animals in the forest were     _.

Animals in the ocean were                          .



Here is a fun song that the kids enjoy!   5 Little Turkeys

Interact with text/concept

45 minutes

Wampanoag and Pilgrims: Working Together Is Better-3rd Read


We read the big book or PowerPoint of Together They Were Better .

I continue to reinforce previously read vocabulary through questioning.



 Text Dependent Questioning

As I reread the text, I use these questions to assist students in finding the answers within the text and pictures to develop higher level critical thinking skills. Sometimes I need to lead them to the answer through think-alouds and additional scaffolds. I allow wait time for students to think. When appropriate I add connections that the students may make to their own lives (ex: how it feels to meet someone different or new)


Pg. 4  I say: Let’s look at the map. See these houses on the map? Who do you think lived in these houses? (the text says “Wampanoag lived” so the houses must be theirs.)


Pg. 5/6 I ask: Why do you think the Wampanoag had plenty of food? (inferential: they were good farmers: corn, beans, squash, fisherman: fish, and hunters: meat.)


Pg. 8  I ask: Why do you think the Pilgrims were brave?  (In the text: went to a land they had never been to before) Prior knowledge (ABC Book text: dangerous).


Pg. 9  I prompt:  Do you see something in the picture that tells us the Pilgrims were brave? ( people were on a ship and did not know where they were going)


Pg. 11/12 I ask: Why were the Wampanoag and Pilgrims worried about meeting each other? (looked different, different languages, clothes)


Pg. 13 and 14  I wonder:  Why might the Pilgrims feel sad (or be worried) during the winter? (They did not have enough food, clothes or houses).


Pg. 21 I ask:  Why is there a fire under the deer? (In text: to cook the food). Look at the chicken in the picture. Why do you think Pilgrims brought this bird with them on the Mayflower? (inferential: eggs)


Pg. 22 I ask:  Why did the Pilgrims share their seeds with the Wampanoag? (working together – helping each)


Pg. 23 I ask:  From the picture, what do you think trading means?  What did they trade with each other?


Pg. 25 I ask:  How do you know what season this is? (use picture and text)


Pg. 26  I ask:  How do you know they wanted to be friends?


Extend Understanding

15 minutes

Squanto-Draw and Map


Guided Drawing

I say: Today we will draw a detailed face of Squanto. This is called a “portrait.”  This is a guided drawing, so students draw along with me.  

I continue: Who remembers how Squanto helped the Pilgrims? If students cannot recall, we quickly reread the pages focusing on Squanto(pp. 16-18) to extract the information.


I have my paper on the document camera and students are at their seats with theirs.  I draw Squanto slowly.  As I draw small parts (head, face, hair, etc..), I move between the document camera and the students.  I draw a piece of the picture, then I go to monitor and assist students where necessary.  When I see most are finishing, I go back to the document camera and draw the next part of the picture as students watch.

This modeling helps students to see how breaking tasks down into manageable parts helps us to produce quality work.  It also allows me to do some direct teaching with drawing, which my students never get!


Here is one from one of my little artists!  I traced her pencil with marker so you could see the outline better.



Bubble Map Sqanto 

We create a bubble map to describe Squanto.  I brainstorm with the kids and we add the words together on our bubble map. I am at the document camera and students are at their desks.  

I prompt: What have we learned about Squanto?  What was his role in the story that we've learned of the Wampanoags and Pilgrims?  I add students suggestions.  If students are struggling for recall, I refer back to the story and the pictorial to spark their recall.   As we add the descriptors in the bubbles, we write the verbs with the descriptors.   

I say: Who can finish the sentence with some information about Squanto?  Let's start our sentence: Squanto _____.  I take student responses.  If they are one word responses (Wampanoag), I prompt: Squanto Wampanoag isn't a complete sentence.  What word/s can we add to make it a complete thought?  (Squanto WAS A Wampanoag) In the bubble let's write "was a Wampanoag" because that finishes our sentence.  I write on my bubble map on the document camera and students write on theirs.

I continue in the same fashion as we brainstorm and fill as many bubbles as we can.  


We save the bubble maps bubble maps for tomorrow.  We will write off the map in the next lesson.