 Share
|
Thanksgiving Teacher Resources
Thanksgiving offers many themes to incorporate into your curriculum. The cost of Thanksgiving Dinner offers great lessons for economics and mathematics. Comparisons and perspective can be explored for language arts and social studies. Agriculture and science are tied with production of traditional Thanksgiving foods. The links listed below are teacher resources - use your imagination to incorporate them into your curriculum. A student activity about Thanksgiving is also included. Enjoy the season!
Lesson Plans
Let's Talk Turkey: The Cost of Thanksgiving Dinner
Based on data from the American Farm Bureau, this lesson encourages students to use economics, mathematic calculations, finding averages, and study consumer behavior. Lesson is designed for grades 7-12.
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving
Behind every myth are some possible truths. In this lesson for grades 6-8, students explore web sites and historic literature to determine myth or truth about Thanksgiving. Working in cooperative groups, students prepare class presentations to persuade others of their findings. The lesson takes 3 50-minute class periods. A presentation rubric and student handouts are already prepared!
Native Americans Today
Thanksgiving is a time when students see images of Pilgrims and Native Americans, often stereotypical pictures. This lesson challenges us to think about present-day Native Americans. It is designed for grades 3-5 and takes about 1 hour to complete. Many resources are linked from the lesson plan.
Thank You Notes: Writing Thanksgiving Proclamation
In this 1 hour lesson plan from the New York Times, students read Thanksgiving Proclamations, then write their own proclamation including current events and national sentiments. The lesson is for grades 6-12.
Looking into Holidays Past with Primary Resources
In this online activity from the Library of Congress, students explore sound, video, documents, and photos to learn about holidays in America's past. A graphic organizer is available on the site to help student organize their findings.
WebQuests
Life on Plimoth Plantation Webquest
This Webquest is for grades 3-6.
Mayflower in 1620 Webquest
A Webquest for grades 6-12.
Other Resources
A Thanksgiving Timeline
Spanning 1541 to 2001, this timeline includes links to actual historic documents, photographs, paintings, and archive material. The project is part of the Library of Congress American Memory project, and includes a new perspective to the historic event we observe every autumn.
The Return of the Wild Turkey
This article from National Geographic explores the near extinction and recovery of wild turkeys in America. Side articles include how the turkey was almost the American symbol, and related links about captive breeding programs. You may wish to use the article as a launch point for writing persuasive essays or historic retrospectives.
