US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians
The Pilgrims first arrived in America in order to gain religious freedom. Here is a lesson that takes the class on this journey with the Pilgrims, stopping to look at how they got here, who they met when they arrived, and a peek into...
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story
The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...
Curated OER
Myth and Truth: The First Thanksgiving
Encourage learners to think critically about common myths regarding the Wampanoag Indians in Colonial America. They discover that behind every myth are many possible explanations—and that learning more about American history helps them...
Curated OER
Drama: The New Friends
Reader's Theater is a great way to build fluency, intonation, and dramatic flare. The class reads the theater piece, "The New Friends" paying attention to how they express emotion and feeling as they read. They discuss the use of plot,...
Curated OER
What It Means to Be an American Indian
Students analyze primary source documents and evaluate historical evidence to find consequences of the policies that were adopted from the 1830s to today regarding Native American Indians.
Manchester University
The History of the First Thanksgiving
First graders complete a project about the first Thanksgiving. In this history lesson plan, 1st graders read The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving, answer comprehension questions, and complete a booklet about the first Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving and Agriculture
Students listen to the book "The Pilgrim Story" and discuss the Pilgrims and why they came to America. Students role play the Thanksgiving story and write about how Pilgrims and Indians relate to them today.
Utah State University
The First Thanksgiving
Second graders examine the development of the first Thanksgiving. They develop a list of the resources and technologies both the Pilgrims and the Indians shared with each other, listen to the book "The First Thanksgiving," and...
Curated OER
Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans
Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...
Curated OER
Jamestown Celebrates 400th Anniversary
Students view a world map and identify the locations of England and Virginia and discuss what kinds of things they would take with them on this kind of trip. They read the words in the news box on the student page and fill in the blanks...
Curated OER
The History of Thanksgiving Day
Third graders study the history of Thanksgiving. For this holiday lesson plan, 3rd graders read about the history of Thanksgiving, complete vocabulary activities, and write a journal entry from the point of view of someone who lived...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving
Students discuss Thanksgiving and create a chart for things that we and the Pilgrims are thankful for. In this Thanksgiving lesson plan, students realize Thanksgiving is a way of remembering and honoring people and events in America.
Macmillan Education
Webquest: Thanksgiving
Class members use the Internet to research the history of Thanksgiving in the United States and Canada, as well as the traditions surrounding the Thanksgiving-style celebrations of the Hebrews, the Chinese, and in Ancient Greece and Rome.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Mourning
Students examine the way diverse groups can perceive a shared experience in a dramatically different light. Students read commentary written by Native American writers and find examples of different points of view. Students...
Curated OER
Arthur's Thanksgiving
Students investigate Thanksgiving by reading a children's book. In this holiday lesson, students read Arthur's Thanksgiving by Marc Brown and create a turkey fact book after reading an electronic encyclopedia. Students bring in holiday...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving: Multiple Perspectives
Students examine different perspectives about Thanksgiving that include those of the European Settlers and the Native Americans. They read and discuss an article about Plymouth being "America's Hometown." They develop a landmark for...
Curated OER
Holidays: Thanksgiving (Part 1)
In this grammar worksheet, students read sentences about Thanksgiving and choose the best word to fill in the 11 blanks. Students are given two choices.
Utah State University
Imagine Me at the First Thanksgiving
Students imagine what they think the First Thanksgiving was like and then draw a picture of themselves at the First Thanksgiving for a class book.
Curated OER
Popcorn History
Students investigate the history of popcorn. They research the history of popcorn using the internet. Students work in small groups to create a timeline outlining the history of popcorn.
Curated OER
Celebrating Thanksgiving
First graders identify symbols associated with special days and give reasons for observing holidays. They compare families of long ago with todya and talk about the first Thanksgiving and how it is celebrated in modern times. For...
Curated OER
Make This Week's Lessons Pop(corn)!
Students create popcorn timelines, maps, and graphs; do popcorn science and math; explore popcorn history and nutrition; and munch leftover popcorn snacks too!,
Curated OER
Colony Crops
Fifth graders determine which crops were grown in the 13 colonies depending on their climate and geography. They explore what crops are grown in the states created from the original colonies.