Overview
Americans love celebrating Thanksgiving, but if it weren’t for private property, would we be celebrating “Starvation Day” instead? In this video, John Stossel looks back at the Pilgrims, explains how private property rights were instrumental in their survival, and how the “tragedy of the commons” almost put an end to the United States of America long before it began.

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Grade level and subjects
• Recommended for grades 6-12
• Subjects: Economics and History
• Works in Classroom, Hybrid, and Homeschool settings

What students will learn
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• discuss the role of incentives in people’s actions;
• explain why sharing resources had negative results for the Pilgrims; and
• evaluate the arguments for private property vs. shared resources.

Key concepts and terms covered
Tragedy of the Commons.

Sample discussion questions
• The corporation that funded the Pilgrims originally ordered them to grow food together and divide the harvest equally. Why?
• Give an example of a time when you had to share something with a group. What were the results? Did you experience your own tragedy of the commons?
• In the first part of John Stossel’s experiment, each person rushes to grab as many coins as he or she can. Were they right to do so? Why or why not?
• Are there negatives to private ownership? If so, how can we compensate for them?
• Are we better off with or without private property? Explain.

What’s in the free teacher’s guide
This printable 6-page Teacher's Guide includes a lesson description, learning objectives, key vocabulary, a fill-in viewing guide with answer key, discussion and analysis questions, and classroom activities.

Standards alignment
Aligned to state standards — use the SITC Standards Tool to match this video to the standards in your state.