Sail or Fail

This worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 strengthen historical understanding, factual accuracy, reading comprehension, civic reasoning, and early government concepts through a true/false activity focused on the Mayflower Compact. By evaluating statements about fair laws, cooperation, leadership, settlement, and timing, learners practice identifying accurate information while correcting common misconceptions about early colonial rule-making.

Learning Goals

• Mayflower Compact Knowledge (Grades 4-6) – Demonstrate understanding of why and how the Compact was created
• Evaluating Accuracy – Determine whether statements are true or false based on historical evidence
• Civic Understanding – Explore principles of fair governance, cooperation, and community agreements
• Historical Reasoning – Reflect on why rules were necessary before establishing a new settlement

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards
• True/False Format – Supports careful reading and quick checks for understanding
• Bonus Reflection Question – Encourages deeper thinking about the importance of agreements and rule-making
• Flexible Use – Ideal for classwork, review, exit tickets, assessments, or homeschool instruction
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready to use with minimal planning

This Sail or Fail worksheet helps students reinforce key ideas about the Mayflower Compact by evaluating statements for accuracy and reflecting on why cooperation and fair rules mattered from the very beginning. Through factual review and thoughtful reflection, learners build stronger comprehension of early self-government and community agreements. It’s a simple, no-prep resource for classroom and homeschool settings focused on early American history and civic foundations.

This worksheet is part of our Mayflower Compact Worksheets collection.