Thanksgiving Homeschool Lesson Plan
Creative Ideas for Teaching Your Child to be Thankful
Nov 1, 2008
Teaching children how to be thankful is important any time of the year. Use this Thanksgiving lesson plan for that special time of year set aside to remember how thankful the Pilgrims were for their blessings. This homeschool lesson is best suited for children in grades kindergarten through third grade.
Thanksgiving Fact File
Here are some general facts about Thanksgiving that you might use while teaching a lesson. The facts come from The Holiday Spot and Thanksgiving November, which can be found on the web.
- 1621 was the year the Pilgrims held the three day feast that celebrated a good harvest. It is often referred to as the first Thanksgiving
- Thanksgiving was made a national holiday in 1863. Abraham Lincoln decided it would be the last Thursday in November.
- There are approximately 272 million turkeys raised each year in the United States.
- Wisconsin produces the most cranberries of any state at 690 million pounds a year.
- North Carolina produces the most sweet potatoes than any other state: 702 million pounds on average.
- Illinois produces the most pumpkins: 492 million pounds of pumpkins.
- Each American eats about 13.1 pounds of turkey a year.
- Arkansas ships more turkeys than any other state in the US.
Thanksgiving Book Recommendations
Have your child read a book about the first Thanksgiving. Here are some recommendations for children between the ages of 5 to 8.
- Eating the Plates: A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner [Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1997]
- Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas and Shannon Stirnweis [Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1999]
- The First Thanksgiving (Step-Into-Reading) by Linda Hayward [Random House Books for Young Readers, 1990]
You can search for these books at your local library. You might also find them on Amazon.com or other book sites on the web.
Thanksgiving Writing Assignment
A great site with over two hundred languages of "thank you" is eTailersDigest. Have your child pick several ways to say "thank you" and write out each way onto a cut out shape of a leaf. You can place these leaves (or some other symbol) onto a cut out of a tree. If your kids are allowed on the Internet, they can actually do the research for the different languages there. If you choose this way, then have the kids keep a list of the foreign words and then transfer the words onto the cut out leaves. You can then place the tree on a piece of construction paper with the heading of "A World of Thanks."
Thanksgiving Craft
This craft can be used in tandem with the writing assignment above to add more leaves to the tree. Cut out several different colors of leaves out of construction paper. Have your entire family write something on a leaf at the end of the day they are thankful for. You can start this the week before Thanksgiving. By the time Thanksgiving arrives, you will have a beautiful tree full of leaves.
Thanksgiving Recipe
Candied Yams
You’ll need:
- 3 pounds of yams, peeled and cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup of butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 2 cups of mini marshmallows
Directions: Boil the yams until they are cooked through. Mash with potato masher. Add remaining ingredients, except for marshmallows. Place in oven safe 2 quart dish. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and sprinkle top with mini marshmallows. Place back into oven. Watch carefully for the marshmallows to brown. Remove and enjoy.
Thanksgiving Field Trip
Take a field trip to your local pumpkin patch. You will usually find corn field mazes, hayrides, and pumpkin picking. It's a great way to spend a fall afternoon. Chances are you will also see Indian corn and husks. Take this opportunity to teach your child about the many uses of corn for the Indians and Pilgrims, including:
- It was the main crop and served at every meal.
- Corn was even dried and stored to be eaten in the winter.
- Corn was turned into cornmeal with a pestle to make puddings, syrups, and other tasty treats.
- Husks were used to make mats, moccasins, and even toy dolls for little girls.
- Corncobs were used to make rattles for ceremonies.
More Thanksgiving Resources
A to Z Teacher Stuff - Thanksgiving Theme
Thanksgiving Writing Lesson Plan
Children are never too young to know what it means to be thankful, or learn about why Thanksgiving is celebrated every year. In fact, the earlier you begin teaching your child about Thanksgiving the greater chance she will pass it on to her kids, as well. Now that's something to be truly thankful for.
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