Lesson 5:  Thanksgiving Now

Grade Levels:  1-3

Subjects:  Language Arts,  Social Studies, Art, and Music

Learners Outcomes:  Students will compare Thanksgiving today to the pilgrim's Thanksgiving.

Duration of Lesson:  2 thirty-minute sessions

Materials:

• 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dave Pilkey
• Thanksgiving Is by Steve Bjorkman
• Book Pattern
• Mealtime worksheet
• Markers
• Straight wooden clothespins
• Black pipe cleaners
• Craft knife
• liter plastic bottle with cap
• Glue
• Paper Plate

Technology Tools/Courseware:  Internet accessible computer

Teacher Notes:

When making the pilgrim place cards, the teacher needs to use a craft knife to cut the top off a plastic 1-liter bottle.

Procedures:

1. Read 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey and Thanksgiving Is by Steve Bjorkman.
2. Students will write what their Thanksgiving Day is like using the book pattern.
3. Students will use mealtime worksheet to compare mealtime in their home to mealtime in the pilgrim's home.
4. Make pilgrim place cards for students to use at home for their Thanksgiving feast.  family.go.com/crafts/cutpaste/craft/pilplacard/

Modifications:  Some students may need help with the writing activity.

Enrichment Activities:

• Maze for a turkey to find his way into the woods @  www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/thanks/maze/maze5.gif
• Thanksgiving songs go to http://www.kidskonnect.com/Thanksgiving/ThanksgivingMusic.html
• For more information on Thanksgiving today, go to www.family.go.com
• Healthy Feast worksheet
• Thanksgiving certificate for students
• Thanksgiving Day card for parents.  Students will trace their hand to make a turkey on the left side of the card.
• Turkey graph art (template, directions, and answer key)

Evaluation/Assessment:

• Students will write what their Thanksgiving Day is like.
• Students will compare their Thanksgiving to that of the pilgrims.

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:

Language Arts: 1.18, 1.20, 1.21, 1.22, 1.24, 1.25, 1.27, 1.28, 1.30, 1.38, 1.58, 1.67, 1.68, 1.74, 1.76, 1.77, 1.96, 1.97, 1.99, 1.113, 1.115, 2.11, 2.19, 2.25, 2.28, 2.35, 2.36, 2.46, 2.47, 2.50, 2.54, 2.70, 2.71, 2.17, 2.74, 2.77, 2.78, 2.81, 2.99, 2.100, 2.121, 2.125, 3.19, 3.24, 3.26, 3.27, 3.28, 3.36, 3.45, 3.99

Social Studies: 1.21, 2.22, 2.24, 3.5, 3.8, 3.30, 3.31, 3.37, 3.39, 3.40

Art: 1.4, 2.1

National Standards:

Language Arts
7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational text.

History
1.  Understand family life now and in the past, and family life in various places long ago.

Job/Career Clusters:

References:

Pilkey, D. (1994). 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Borden, L (1997). Thanksgiving Is.  New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Authors:  Lori VanScoy, Delphene Haddox and Susan Jones
 
 
 

Unit Overview

Lesson 1: Journey to the New World

Lesson 2: Pilgrim

Lesson 3: Helpful Indians

Lesson 4: Thanksgiving Then

Lesson 5: Thanksgiving Now