A large, wooden ship floats easily on water while a tiny quarter sinks quickly to the bottom. Show your second grade students a toy boat and examine the rounded bottom, the air inside the vessel and the distribution of the weight in the boat. Students can look at an image of the Mayflower and see the same properties as a toy boat; rounded bottom, air inside the boat and the weight distributed evenly. To conduct a simple experiment, divide the class into groups of four students. Each group will need a pan of water, a piece of aluminum foil and a coin. Students should feel the difference in weight between the coin and the aluminum foil. Record predictions about which will float and which will sink. To help trap air inside the aluminum foil, instruct students to turn up the edges. Float the aluminum foil and sink the quarter. Encourage students to load various items onto the aluminium foil boat without sinking the vessel. Talk about how the Pilgrims would have needed to choose selectively what to carry with them aboard the Mayflower.
The right amount and type of supplies were critical for survival for passengers aboard the Mayflower. Divide the class into groups of three students. Ask families to donate old magazines for this project. Students should draw a large image of the Mayflower on a sheet of 18-by-12 inch paper. Groups peruse the magazines in search of the kinds of items to be stored on the Mayflower. Students must convince group members of the importance of the item they chose. All the items for survival must be cut from the magazines and glued to the sails of the Mayflower. Discuss each group's decision and make comparisons with other groups.
An agreement for favorable behavior is necessary to ensure safely and security in many group settings. Read the Mayflower Compact, written in 1620. Translate difficult or unfamiliar language for your students to comprehend the rules set forth. Discuss why there was a need for this agreement among shipmates and passengers. The class should be divided into groups of four students. Ask each group to write a classroom compact that provides guidelines for behavior. Read through and discuss each compact.
A healthy snack can be part of the second grade Mayflower study. Cut enough cucumbers in half lengthwise so each student has one half. Recruit a few parent volunteers with melon ballers or spoons to scoop out the cucumber flesh, leaving 1/4 inch along the peel. Students may use a plastic knife to cut the flesh into small chunks. In a small bowl, stir 2 tbsp. of sour cream or plain yogurt with the cucumber chunks. Students may sprinkle grated cheese or raisins in the mixture. Using a plastic spoon, students should fill their Mayflowers with the mixture. Each student will need two wooden skewers and white paper cut into trapezoids. Cut a small slit at the top and bottom of the trapezoid. Weave the wooden skewer through each trapezoid creating Mayflower flags. Poke the flags into the base of the ship. The snack can be enjoyed plain or as a dip for crackers.