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15 Thought-Provoking Thanksgiving Activities for High School Students

April 18, 2022 //  by  Kellie Tanner

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that is celebrated by numerous people of various backgrounds and religions. It is also a terrific time for reflecting and being grateful for the blessings we have in our lives. Therefore, you should provide activities in the classroom to help students understand and appreciate this amazing holiday.

Incorporating Thanksgiving activities into high school lesson plans can often prove to be a challenging task, so we are providing you with a list of 15 thought-provoking activities that will keep your high school students engaged and learning.

1. Listen to a Podcast

Spend the day before Thanksgiving by allowing your students to listen to one of two podcasts and complete a follow-up activity. For example, have the students complete an activity on gratitude by creating a gratitude chain. They may also complete research to determine whose Native land they are living on.

Learn more: Building Book Love

2. Thanksgiving Mourning 

This activity for middle and high school students provides a different Thanksgiving perspective from Native Americans that will encourage reflection. Students will view Thanksgiving-focused writings and then participate in discussions and writing activities.

Learn more: Learning for Justice

3. You are the Historian Game

This interactive online game allows students of all ages to investigate the first Thanksgiving. It explores the life of the Wampanoag people prior to the European settlement. It also provides great details of the year that led up to the 1621 harvest feast which the modern world refers to as the first Thanksgiving.

Learn more: Plimonth.org

4. Gratitude Writing Activity

This printable Thanksgiving activity is a great writing lesson for high school students to celebrate the holiday and practice their writing skills. This effective activity will help your students develop a gratitude mindset and practice kindness as they write thankful letters to others.

Learn more: Teacher Vision

5. Thanksgiving Activities

This terrific resource provides six classroom activities perfect for high school students. They can explore the history of Thanksgiving, participate in comparison shopping, complete a service-learning project, write a short story, and more.

Learn more: My School Dance

6. Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle 

Crossword puzzles are fun activities! This Thanksgiving puzzle is a wonderful activity for a wide span of grade levels. Many of your high school students will know the puzzle answers. You may wish to provide online access to those who need additional assistance.

Learn more: Real Life at Home

7. Plymouth Gazette

High school kids will enjoy this easy-to-implement writing project as they get to publish their very own Plymouth Gazette. They can work in small groups to complete different sections of the newspaper from the perspective of Pilgrims in 1621. They can then distribute the papers to other students in the “Plymouth Colony.”

Learn more: Education World

8. Corn Husk Doll

Crafts projects are super engaging, and this is a fun fall activity for high school students! Native American and Colonial American families grew corn, and they used the husks to create dolls. Follow the easy instructions that are provided to help students create their very own corn husk dolls. This will become one of your favorite classroom activities!

Learn more: Teachers First

9. Fabric Wall Art

High school students, as well as middle school students, enjoy art projects . This cute Thanksgiving wall art is made from scraps of fabric and is perfect for decorating during the holiday season. Use the free template and gather a few materials, and you will be ready to get crafty!

Learn more: Craftidly

10. Attitude of Gratitude Activity

Gratitude activities are perfect for middle school students and high school students. They often focus on negatives in their lives as opposed to positives. For this activity, students create gratitude journals and use them to maintain a list of all the things in life for which they are grateful. This shifts from a negative mindset to a positive mindset.

Learn more: 7 Mindsets Portal

11. Thanksgiving and the Wampanoag People 

This is a great lesson to incorporate into the social studies curriculum during Thanksgiving. Students will learn about the modern-day Wampanoag people and examine their current issues in which their tribes continue the fight for their ancestral homelands.

Learn more: Share My Lesson

12. The Great Thanksgiving Listen

Middle and high school students will interview and record a friend, mentor,  or elder to create an oral history project that focuses on the modern-day United States. This is one of the best digital activities in which students and teachers can be included. Add this activity to your lesson plans, and enjoy listening to this collection of stories!

13. The Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner

This favorite activity will allow the high school student to identify common Thanksgiving foods as well as their farm source. They must determine if these common foods can be locally produced, and they must locate the origins of their Thanksgiving dinner. An educational video is also provided by the History Channel.

Learn more: National Agriculture in the Classroom

14. Corn and Pumpkin Paper Weavings

This fun craft can be completed among a span of grade levels. To complete the paper weavings, you will need a variety of colored construction paper. This is an activity perfect for Thanksgiving!

Learn more: JDaniel4’s Mom

15. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are lots of fun for kids and adults, and they can be incorporated into any curriculum. Divide the kids into small groups and let them enjoy competing against one another to see which team finds everything first.

Learn more: Confessions of Parenting

14 Thanksgiving Activities for High School Students (Get Engagement)

By: Author Amanda L. Grossman

Posted on Last updated: January 18, 2024

Find silly and educational ways to keep your teens engaged with these Thanksgiving activities for high school students.

Looking for Thanksgiving activities for high school students?

Let me help you bring this Thanksgiving season into your classroom with some fun and educational ideas.

Thanksgiving Activities for High School Students

Pick one of these Thanksgiving activities for high school students to weave into your day for some fun, increased engagement, and learning.

1. Create a Teen Pilgrim Magazine

Make any unit of study on Pilgrims so much more relatable by taking it down to the teen level.

Have students write an essay or do some sort of project (like create a Pilgrim teen magazine with a group) where they’re talking about the issues facing teen Pilgrims.  

What does a day in the life of a Pilgrim Teen look like?

Some questions to help guide their project:  

• What do pilgrim teens face each day that would frustrate them (build out a pretend schedule to help)?
• What chores and household responsibilities would teens have?
• How much free time would a Pilgrim teen have?
• What did they have to eat?
• Was there school, or did they age out of it?
• What did their clothes look like?
• What were their personal freedoms, and what were they not allowed to do? Compare this to teens today. How have things changed?
• What did they play with or do to entertain themselves?

Lots of freedom here for your teens to pair some research with some hunches and create an interesting essay or Pilgrim Teen Magazine.

2. Complete an In-Class Volunteer Project

There are lots of volunteer opportunities students can do from the classroom.

I’ve written a whole article on 27 different volunteer-from-home activities , many of which can be adapted for the classroom.

Hint: here are 12 activities to teach giving to students.

3. Set Up Thanksgiving Minute-to-Win-it Game Stations

There are a gazillion ideas out there for Thanksgiving minute-to-win-it games, and I’ll highlight a few below that could work for your classroom:

• Chopsticks Turkey Pecking Game : Set up a plate with things like popcorn, candy corn, and other small objects. Have students “peck” each piece (like a turkey would) with chopsticks, and transfer it to another plate. This can be timed, or you can tag-team this one for large groups competing against one another.
• Sticky Cranberry Situation : This involves bouncing cranberries onto a bread with cranberry sauce until you get one to stick.

Hint: this would make a great classroom reward – here are several more examples of classroom reward systems from real teachers.

4. Play The Giving Game with Another Classroom

Pair up with another classroom. Work with students in a brainstorming session to come up with ideas for how to “give” this classroom something.

It doesn’t have to cost anything – it could be creating a mural outside of their classroom with compliments and kind thoughts.

It could be setting up a classroom or school-wide Thanksgiving scavenger hunt.

Give each other the deadline of the last day before Thanksgiving break to get the act done.

5. Play Thanksgiving Price is Right

Write down “typical” Thanksgiving ingredients, and price them either online or in person.

Ingredients could be things like:

• Turkey (price per pound)
• Can of cranberry sauce
• Frozen or canned corn
• Box of stuffing
• Can of pumpkin

Divide your class into teams (as many as you’d like), and let them take 2-3 minutes for each item of food to come up with their group guess on what it costs.

Reveal what the food actually costs, and give a point to the team who got closest to that cost without going over.

6. Do a Gratefulness Mural to Display in the Hall

Let your students come together to plan how to do a gratefulness mural with some mural paper .

Each student can contribute something to it. Whether it’s something that makes each student grateful and the mural becomes one big collage of art, or it’s the class coming together and painting something huge that depicts being grateful.

Then, display it in the hallway leading up to your classroom (or wherever you’ve got permission).

7. Set up Pilgrim Taste-Testing Stations

Here’s a list of actual Pilgrim recipes , plus (mostly) how to recreate them.

Create these dishes, and then set the food out at various taste-testing stations. Rotate students through the stations, and have them taste various foods.

Things like:

• Boiled Bread
• Curd Fritters
• Turkey Sobaheg
• Stewed Pompion

You can also create a taste test judge sheet, where students vote for their favorites.

Psst: you can add in a Pilgrim’s game of Nine Men’s Morris and party like it was 1621!

8. Write an Essay on Feelings about Black Friday

Black Friday has, arguably, taken over Thanksgiving Day in ways that some people don’t like (and some people – namely, the ones standing in line after Thanksgiving dinner to score those great “deals” – don’t mind).

Do a mini-project where students research the two sides to the argument on whether or not Black Friday should stay as it is.

They can think about and answer questions (in an essay, or other way) such as:

• How did Black Friday used to look (decades ago), and how has it changed? What’s the history of Black Friday?
• What do they think about people who have to work on Thanksgiving Day due to stores rolling out their deals earlier and earlier each year?
• Does your opinion change when you learn that these workers can earn more money in holiday pay to work on Thanksgiving Day? Why or why not?
• And what about workers who have to work on Thanksgiving Day no matter if Black Friday is the next day or not (police officers, nurses, the President of the United States, etc.)?

9. Do a Lesson Plan on Sourcing Thanksgiving Food from Farm to Table

Here’s a really neat agricultural-literacy lesson plan for grades 9-12 that will make your students think differently about their meal.

As a class, you guys will brainstorm both the meals typically served at Thanksgiving, and the ingredients that go into the meals.

Then, students will work on a series of questions and tasks, such as crossing off all ingredients on the list not sourced within 100 miles of their school.

They’ll fill out “The Geography of My Thanksgiving Dinner” worksheet (and there are lots of other activities, too).

10. Learn about Cranberries, Sweet Potatoes, and Turkey Production

Here’s a free worksheet and lesson plan on where in the U.S. sweet potatoes and cranberries are grown, and which states produce the most turkeys.

Psst: snag a few more ideas with these Thanksgiving activities for teens .

11. Look at the Economics Behind Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is a great foundation for an economics lesson plan.

You can use t h is information to come up with discussion points, and to show students where to research how much this holiday stimulates the economy (plus in what ways).

They’ll learn things like:

• Average dinner cost
• All the different effects of Thanksgiving on the economy (like air travel, gas, and increased food shopping)
• Why turkey prices drop around Thanksgiving, not increase

Psst: Like these? Here are 14 Christmas activities for high school students , so that you can prep ahead of time.

12. Do a 14-Day Gratitude Journal Practice

Use the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving break to start a gratitude journal practice with your students.

You could give each student a fresh notebook to use for this so that they might continue the practice on their own after the two weeks are up.

On the first day, explain what gratitude is. Also explain some of the benefits we gain from being grateful and doing a gratitude practice .

There are gratitude journals for teens , and then there are lots of free gratitude journal prompts you could use with your class.

Here are a few:

• 35 Gratitude Journal Prompts
• 155 Gratitude Journal Prompts
• 110 Daily Gratitude Journal Prompts

13. Do Thanksgiving Mad Libs

Let your students have fun in groups, with a partner, or as a whole class doing the classic game of Mad Libs.

Here are free, Thanksgiving-themed ones:

• Thanksgiving Mad Libs Printable
• Thanksgiving Mad Lib Printable

14. Pair Up with an Elementary Class for Thanksgiving Reading Buddies

You could work together with an elementary class and have each of your students pick out a Thanksgiving book to read to a student.

Great reinforcement for helping others out – plus I think each person (the child AND the teen) will get something out of this.

Well, those are the Thanksgiving activities for high school students I've got for you. I'd love to hear in the comments below what you tried and what worked best for your classes. Also, share any ideas you've got to help other teachers out!

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40 Unique Thanksgiving Creative Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure  HERE .

As Thanksgiving approaches, homeschooling becomes an opportunity for more than just education – it’s a canvas for creativity!

In this post, I’m going to help you unlock the magic of Thanksgiving through the art of creative writing in your homeschool. If you’re looking to add some imagination and inspiration to your homeschool lesson plans this month, I’ve crafted a great list of Thanksgiving creative writing prompts and projects your students of ALL ages will love.

At the heart of homeschooling lies the flexibility to explore a wide range of teaching methods, and creative writing is a powerful tool that can ignite young minds (even helping reluctant writers!), foster critical thinking, and nurture self-expression. Whether you have preschoolers or high schoolers, there are writing prompt ideas here for everyone.

Why Creative Writing on Thanksgiving?

You know that Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday filled with favorite food and family gatherings; and it’s a great time of year to weave creative writing into your homeschool lessons!

Why you might ask?

Creative Writing Fosters Self-Expression and Communication Skills

When kids have the opportunity to write creatively, they are empowered to share their thoughts, emotions, and experiences through words. They can be encouraged to find their own unique voice, and communicate effectively!

As homeschool moms, we have the opportunity to create a nurturing environment where our kids can freely express themselves, and holidays like Thanksgiving can be a fun time to do this (when we sometimes stray a bit from our “typical” homeschooling routine).

Creative Writing Encourages Critical Thinking

There are many Thanksgiving creative writing prompts you can use that can encourage critical thinking in your kids: about the world around them, the history and significance of the holiday, cultural aspects of celebrations, or analyzing their own beliefs and experiences

This not only enhances their critical thinking skills but also broadens their understanding of the world.

Creative Writing Can Help Cultivate Gratitude

Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, and creative writing provides a great platform for children to reflect on the things they are thankful for.

You can use writing prompts to encourage your children to express their appreciation for family, friends, food, and the simple joys of life. In the process, they will develop a deeper sense of gratitude, a valuable life skill that extends far beyond the holiday season!

Creative Writing Enhances…Creativity!

Creative writing unleashes children’s imaginations! They can create stories, poems, and essays that reflect their unique perspectives on Thanksgiving.

This creativity not only makes learning more enjoyable but also reinforces the idea that there’s no one “right” way to approach a topic. It encourages out-of-the-box thinking and opens the door to imaginative storytelling.

…RELATED POST… A Great Way to Get Your Kids Writing: Night Zookeeper Review

Creative writing personalizes learning.

Homeschooling allows for personalized education (that’s why we love it so much, right?). Creative writing can be tailored to each child’s skill level and interests.

You can provide age-appropriate prompts and challenges for each of your kids, ensuring that they’re continually challenged and engaged. It’s a flexible tool that can be adapted to suit your child’s learning needs.

Age-Appropriate Creative Writing Prompts for Thanksgiving

So what do writing prompts look like at different ages and stages? How could you adapt and use them for all learners in your homeschool?

Let’s take a look at how to adjust the complexity and expectations of creative writing prompts to cater to your homeschooling needs.

For Younger Kids (Preschool and Elementary School):

• Simple and Concrete Prompts: Younger children may benefit from straightforward, concrete prompts that are easy to understand. For example, “Write a short thank you note to someone you love.”
• Visual Prompts: Incorporating images or drawings alongside the prompts can help younger kids who are still developing their writing skills. They can describe what they see in the picture or write a story based on it.
• Short Sentences: Prompts should be concise and use simple language, ensuring that younger children can grasp the concept quickly.
• Prompt with Leading Questions: Use leading questions to guide their thinking. For instance, “What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving, and why?”
• Use of Familiar Themes: Leverage familiar themes, such as family, pets, favorite toys, or holiday-related topics like “What’s your favorite Thanksgiving food?” These themes resonate with younger children and make writing more relatable.
• Encourage Drawing and Labeling: Allow younger kids to combine drawing with their writing. They can draw a picture and label it or write a short sentence or phrase to describe it.

For Older Kids (Middle School and High School):

• Abstract and Thought-Provoking Prompts: Older kids can handle more abstract and thought-provoking prompts that require deeper reflection. For example, “Describe a time when you had to show gratitude even when it was difficult.”
• Extended Prompts: Provide more detailed prompts that require a longer response, such as, “Write a short story about a Thanksgiving adventure.”
• Prompts with Multiple Parts: Create prompts with multiple parts or questions to encourage critical thinking and comprehensive responses. For instance, “Explain the history of Thanksgiving and how it has evolved over the years.”
• Incorporate Literary Techniques: Challenge older kids to incorporate literary techniques like metaphors, similes, or alliteration in their writing. For example, “Write a poem that expresses your feelings of gratitude, using metaphors to describe what you’re thankful for.”
• Promote Personal Reflection: Encourage older kids to reflect on their experiences and emotions. Prompts may revolve around introspective questions like, “What does gratitude mean to you, and how has it shaped your life?”
• Research-Based Prompts: Introduce prompts that involve research, analysis, and argumentation. For example, “Research the history of Thanksgiving and write an essay explaining the significance of the holiday.”
• Narrative or Persuasive Writing: For high school students, you can offer prompts that involve narrative storytelling or persuasive writing. They can write a short story about a unique Thanksgiving experience or argue a specific point of view related to the holiday.

Tailoring your creative writing prompts to the age and developmental stage of your kids ensures that they provide the right level of challenge and support for their writing abilities.

Fun Thanksgiving Writing Prompts

Here’s a list of 40 total Thanksgiving creative writing prompts, 10 for each grade/age level.

If you’d like to grab this list in printable form (along with some Thanksgiving theme writing pages!), you can do so here .

Preschool and Kindergarten

These prompts are designed to be simple and engaging for preschool and kindergarten-age kiddos, fostering creativity and gratitude while developing essential writing skills!

• Draw and Describe Your Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Have your child draw a picture of their favorite Thanksgiving dish, and then help them describe it using simple words. For example, “I like turkey. It’s yummy!”
• Write a Thank You Note: Help your child write a thank you note to someone they are grateful for. For example, “Thank you, Mom, for the delicious pie!”
• Create a List of Things You’re Thankful For: Encourage your child to make a list of things they are thankful for, such as family, friends, toys, or pets.
• Draw Your Dream Thanksgiving Meal: Ask your child to draw what their dream Thanksgiving meal would look like, and then have them describe it to you.
• Tell a Story About a Thanksgiving Adventure: Prompt your child to tell a simple story about a Thanksgiving adventure, like going on a turkey hunt or having a special meal with a talking turkey.
• Draw a Thanksgiving Picture and Write a Sentence: Have your child draw a Thanksgiving-themed picture and then write a simple sentence about it. For example, “I see a pumpkin.”
• Write a Sentence About What You Wear on Thanksgiving: Ask your child to describe what they wear on Thanksgiving. For example, “I wear a fancy dress.”
• Draw and Describe a Thanksgiving Tradition: Encourage your child to draw a picture of a Thanksgiving tradition your family has, like watching the parade or playing football, and then describe it.
• Write a Thank You Note to Nature: Help your child write a thank you note to nature for the beautiful fall leaves, and ask them to describe their favorite leaf.
• Create a Simple Thanksgiving Poem: Work with your child to create a short, rhyming Thanksgiving poem. For example, “Turkeys on the run, Thanksgiving has begun. Pumpkin pie so sweet, it’s a special treat.”

Elementary Students

Here are ten creative writing prompts suitable for elementary kids. These prompts are designed to inspire elementary-age children to express themselves creatively and reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving.

They can be adapted to different grade levels, allowing for varying levels of complexity in the responses.

• Describe Your Perfect Thanksgiving Day: Have your child write a detailed description of what their perfect Thanksgiving day would look like. Encourage them to use vivid language and sensory details.
• Write a Thanksgiving Letter: Ask your child to write a letter to someone they are thankful for, expressing their gratitude and sharing what they appreciate about that person.
• Create a Thanksgiving Acrostic Poem: Have your child write an acrostic poem using the word “THANKSGIVING,” with each letter representing something they are grateful for.
• Tell a Thanksgiving Tale: Encourage your child to write a short story about a Thanksgiving adventure, whether it’s a journey back in time to the first Thanksgiving or a fictional tale about a turkey’s adventure.
• Design a Thanksgiving Menu: Have your child design their own Thanksgiving menu, including appetizers, main dishes, sides, and desserts. They can describe each dish and explain why they chose it.
• Write a Dialogue Between a Turkey and a Pilgrim: Challenge your child to write a dialogue between a Thanksgiving turkey and a Pilgrim. What would they say to each other?
• Describe Your Thanksgiving Traditions: Ask your child to write about the family traditions they follow on Thanksgiving and why they are important.
• If I Were a Thanksgiving Turkey: Have your child imagine they are a Thanksgiving turkey. Ask them to write from the turkey’s perspective, describing their thoughts and feelings.
• Thanksgiving Interview: Encourage your child to “interview” a family member about their favorite Thanksgiving memories and traditions. Write the interview in a question-and-answer format.
• Create a Thanksgiving Poem or Song: Challenge your child to write a poem or song about Thanksgiving. They can choose the theme, whether it’s gratitude, family, or the Thanksgiving feast.

Middle School Students

Here are ten creative writing prompts suitable for middle schoolers:

• Write a Thanksgiving Journal Entry: Have your kids imagine they are a Pilgrim or Native American at the first Thanksgiving. Write a journal entry from their perspective, describing the experience and their thoughts.
• The Great Thanksgiving Escape: Encourage your kids to write a short story about a Thanksgiving turkey’s daring escape from the dinner table. What adventures does the turkey encounter?
• A Thanksgiving Mystery: Challenge your kids to write a mystery story set on Thanksgiving. There’s a missing item or a mysterious event, and they need to solve the case.
• Thanksgiving Around the World: Ask your kids to research and write about how Thanksgiving or similar gratitude-themed holidays are celebrated in other countries. Compare and contrast these traditions with the American Thanksgiving.
• An Interview with a Historical Figure: Have your kids write an imaginary interview with a historical figure from the first Thanksgiving, such as Squanto or William Bradford. What questions would they ask, and how might the historical figure respond?
• The Thanksgiving Feast of the Future: Encourage your kids to envision a futuristic Thanksgiving feast. What new foods, technology, or new Thanksgiving tradition might be part of a Thanksgiving family celebration in the future?
• If You Could Invite Anyone to Thanksgiving: Have your kids write about whom they would invite to their Thanksgiving dinner if they could choose anyone, living or historical. Why did they make these choices?
• A Thanksgiving Poem of Gratitude: Challenge your kids to write a heartfelt poem expressing gratitude for the people, experiences, or things they are thankful for in their life.
• Thanksgiving Traditions Essay: Ask your kids to write an essay discussing their family’s Thanksgiving traditions and how these traditions have evolved over the years.
• The Thanksgiving Debate: Assign a Thanksgiving-related debate topic. For example, “Should Black Friday shopping start on Thanksgiving evening?” Have your kids research and present their arguments in writing.

These prompts are designed to engage middle school students in creative and reflective writing while encouraging them to explore different aspects of the Thanksgiving holiday. They can be adapted to different skill levels and serve as opportunities for critical thinking and self-expression.

High School

Here are ten creative writing prompts suitable for high school-age students, designed to engage them in critical thinking, creativity, and self-expression while encouraging them to explore deeper themes related to Thanksgiving and gratitude. They provide a bit more opportunity for in-depth writing and reflection.

• The Modern Pilgrim: Have students write a first-person narrative from the perspective of a modern-day Pilgrim who time-traveled to experience the first Thanksgiving. What differences and similarities would they observe?
• Thanksgiving Through the Eyes of an Immigrant: Ask students to write a story or reflection from the viewpoint of an immigrant experiencing Thanksgiving in the United States for the first time. What surprises or challenges might they encounter?
• A Thankful Letter to the Future: Encourage students to write a letter to their future selves, expressing gratitude for the people, experiences, and opportunities they hope to have in the years to come.
• The True Meaning of Giving Thanks: Challenge students to write an essay exploring the true essence of giving thanks. What does gratitude mean to them, and how does it relate to the holiday of Thanksgiving?
• The Thanksgiving Experiment: Have students envision a unique Thanksgiving experiment. What happens when people try to celebrate the holiday without food or in complete silence? Write a narrative about the outcomes.
• An Alternative Thanksgiving History: Prompt students to rewrite the history of Thanksgiving from a different perspective. For instance, what would the history be if it were told by Native Americans or African Americans?
• The Thanksgiving Feast of the Future: Encourage students to create a detailed vision of a Thanksgiving feast in the distant future. Describe the cuisine, customs, and technology of this futuristic celebration.
• Thanksgiving Reflection Poem: Ask students to write a reflective poem about the people and things they are thankful for, but with a focus on personal growth and self-discovery.
• The Politics of Thanksgiving: Have students write an essay or op-ed piece discussing the political, cultural, or environmental aspects of Thanksgiving. Explore topics like food sustainability, the representation of Native Americans, or the holiday’s commercialization.
• A Thanksgiving Mystery: Challenge students to write a mystery story set during Thanksgiving. What mysterious event or crime occurs, and how is it solved?

Incorporating Creative Writing into Your Thanksgiving Curriculum

Now that you know why it’s a great idea to get your kids writing creatively during Thanksgiving (and have some great prompts to help you out!), let’s talk about ho w you can actually fit this into your homeschool curriculum.

Creative writing isn’t just an extra activity; it can become a valuable tool for teaching various subjects and skills.

Here are some thoughts on how you can incorporate creative writing into your homeschool curriculum during the holidays:

Set Clear Learning Objectives

In other words…what is your “why” for your activities? What skills or knowledge do you want your children to gain through these creative writing exercises?

Whether it’s improving vocabulary, enhancing descriptive writing, or exploring historical themes, defining objectives will guide your approach and activities.

Theme Integration

Integrate Thanksgiving themes into other subjects! For example, in history, your kids can explore and write about the historical context of Thanksgiving, the Mayflower voyage, and the interactions between the Pilgrims and Native Americans. In science, they might write about topics like the life cycle of a turkey or the fall season.

Creative writing can easily become a cross-disciplinary exercise that enriches your curriculum.

Multimodal Learning

Incorporate various learning styles by combining writing with other forms of communication.

For example, you might have your children create visual representations alongside their creative writing, such as drawings, diagrams, or collages. These multimodal approaches enhance comprehension and memory.

Field Trips and Experiential Learning

Take advantage of the Thanksgiving season by organizing field trips or experiential learning activities. If you can, visit a historical site related to the Pilgrims (or even take a “virtual” field trip if you can’t go in person). Encourage your kids to document these experiences through writing and reflection.

Interactive Storytelling

Foster interactive storytelling by having your children create and perform Thanksgiving-themed plays or share their stories during a Thanksgiving gathering. This not only promotes public speaking skills but also builds a sense of community through shared narratives.

Fun Thanksgiving Writing Activities

Finally, Thanksgiving provides a fantastic opportunity for students to take on creative writing projects that go beyond a daily writing prompt.

The following fun writing activities not only encourage imagination and self-expression, but also allow kids to dive deeper into the spirit of the holiday. Here are some inspiring Thanksgiving creative writing projects for your homeschool:

Thanksgiving Journals

Thanksgiving journals are a great way for your kids to document their thoughts, feelings, and experiences throughout the holiday season.

These journals can include daily reflections on gratitude, descriptions of Thanksgiving traditions, and even illustrations. This project will encourage consistent writing and self-expression.

Short Stories or Essays on Gratitude

Challenge your kids to craft short stories or essays centered on the theme of gratitude.

They can write fictional tales that revolve around characters learning the value of thankfulness, or they can write personal essays discussing the people, moments, or experiences for which they are most thankful.

Letters of Thanks

Involve your kids in writing letters of gratitude to family members, friends, or even community helpers like firefighters, teachers, or healthcare workers.

This project not only hones their writing skills but also nurtures empathy and thankfulness.

Creating Thanksgiving-Themed Poetry

Encourage your kids to explore the world of poetry by composing Thanksgiving-themed poems!

They can experiment with different forms like haikus, sonnets, or free verse to express their feelings of gratitude, the beauty of autumn, or the essence of the holiday.

Historical Narratives

Delve into the history of Thanksgiving by challenging your children to write historical narratives.

These narratives can explore the events surrounding the first Thanksgiving, the Mayflower voyage, or the interactions between the Pilgrims and Native Americans.

Research, storytelling, and writing converge in this educational project.

Thanksgiving Recipe Book

Combine creativity with practicality by creating a family Thanksgiving recipe book!

Have your children write short descriptions of their favorite Thanksgiving dishes, along with the recipes. Illustrations or photographs can accompany the descriptions, turning this project into a cherished keepsake.

Diary of a Thanksgiving Turkey

In a humorous twist, encourage your children to write a diary from the perspective of a Thanksgiving turkey. What would the turkey think and experience in the days leading up to the holiday? This imaginative exercise encourages creative storytelling.

Comparative Thanksgiving Analysis

For older students, have them research and write an analytical essay comparing Thanksgiving traditions and celebrations in different parts of the country or even in different countries. This project promotes research skills, critical thinking, and cultural understanding.

Thanksgiving Play or Skit

For a hands-on project that combines creative writing with performance, encourage your students to write a Thanksgiving play or skit.

They can perform it for family members during the Thanksgiving celebration, bringing their writing to life in a fun and interactive way.

These Thanksgiving creative writing projects offer a wide range of opportunities for your kids to explore their creativity, strengthen their writing skills, and deepen their understanding of the holiday’s significance. Choose the project that resonates most with your family and watch the magic of Thanksgiving come to life through the written word!

Homeschool Creative Writing Resources

I hope this post was helpful to you in giving some ideas for incorporating creative writing into your Thanksgiving homeschooling plans!

Make sure to grab my Thanksgiving Creative Writing Prompts printable to get a copy of all 40 prompts listed in this post, along with some cute Thanksgiving writing papers for your kids to use with their writing!

You might also like these FREE Creative Writing Graphic Organizers to help your kids organize their ideas as they write throughout the year.

Happy writing, and Happy Thanksgiving!

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8 Fun Thanksgiving Activities For High School Students

As the leaves turn golden and the crisp autumn air sets in, it can only mean one thing – Thanksgiving is just around the corner! While most people associate this holiday with turkey dinners and family reunions, high school students can make the most of this occasion by engaging in some thoughtful and quirky activities. From expressing gratitude in unique ways to indulging in festive crafts, there are plenty of creative ways to celebrate Thanksgiving that are both fun and meaningful. 

So, if you’re looking to make this holiday season extra special, grab your friends and get ready to explore these exciting Thanksgiving activities for high school students! These activities not only provide an opportunity for students to learn about the history and meaning of Thanksgiving but also allow them to express their creativity, practice communication, and collaboration skills, and give back to their community. 

Hence, these also act as history games , creativity, and communication activities . So, let’s grab a slice of pumpkin pie and give thanks for all the wonderful opportunities and blessings that come our way!

Giving thanks and making memories: Fun thanksgiving activities for high school students

1. turkey trot fun run.

Ready, set, gobble! Get your running shoes on and join us for a feather-filled, turkey-tastic fun run. You’ll have a blast running alongside your classmates and the community while supporting a local charity.

To organize a “Turkey Trot” fun run, high school students can form a planning committee to decide on the logistics of the event. This includes the date, time, location, and route of the race. They can also create flyers and posters to promote the event and use social media to spread the word. To raise funds for a local charity, they can design and sell turkey-themed t-shirts and merchandise.

On the day of the event, they should set up a registration table and distribute race bibs and other materials to participants. They should also arrange for water stations and first aid stations along the race route. After the race, they can organize an awards ceremony and provide refreshments for the participants.

2. Cultural Potluck

Let’s spice up this year’s Thanksgiving feast! We invite you to bring a dish that reflects your unique cultural background to our potluck. You’ll get to taste new flavors and learn about each other’s family traditions and customs.

High school students can organize a Thanksgiving potluck by forming a planning committee to decide on the theme, date, time, and location of the event. They should encourage each student to bring a dish that represents their cultural background and share stories about their family traditions and customs.

They can create a sign-up sheet to ensure a variety of dishes and prevent duplicates. They can also decorate the space with cultural artifacts and symbols. To make the event more interactive, they can prepare a game or activity that highlights the diversity of cultures represented.

3. Gratitude Graffiti Wall

 Let’s spread some love and gratitude throughout our school. Join us in creating a colorful graffiti wall where you can share what you’re thankful for with the whole school. Get ready to unleash your creativity and express your gratitude in a fun and artistic way.

High school students can create a gratitude graffiti wall by selecting a prominent space in the school hallway or common area. They should provide colorful markers, chalk, and Post-it notes for students to write down what they’re thankful for. They can also provide prompts or questions to inspire creativity and reflection.

To make the wall more visually appealing, they can add Thanksgiving-themed decorations and illustrations. They can also take photos of the wall and share them on social media to spread the message of gratitude. One can also indulge in these activities during Christmas , to make the holiday season worth remembering. 

4. Mock Trial

The court is in session! We’re putting the Pilgrims and Native Americans on trial, and you get to be the judge and jury. Prepare to debate the true meaning and significance of Thanksgiving while learning about historical figures and events.

High school students can organize a mock trial by selecting a historical figure or event related to Thanksgiving, such as the Pilgrims and Native Americans. They should assign roles to the participants, such as lawyers, judges, witnesses, and jurors.

They can research and prepare arguments and evidence to support their positions and practice their presentation skills. They can also create a script or outline to guide the trial. To make the trial more engaging, they can encourage audience participation and debate the true meaning and significance of Thanksgiving.

5. Giving Thanks or Giving Up? A Thanksgiving Debate

The Great Thanksgiving Debate is about to begin! In one corner, we have those who argue that Thanksgiving is a beloved tradition that brings families and friends together to give thanks and enjoy a delicious feast. In the other corner, we have those who question whether Thanksgiving is a holiday worth celebrating, given its complicated history and association with the mistreatment of Native Americans. Which side will come out on top? 

It’s up to you and your classmates to research, prepare arguments and engage in a lively debate. Get ready to sharpen your critical thinking, research, and public speaking skills as you engage in this thought-provoking and engaging activity. In this activity, students will be divided into teams and hold a debate on the topic of Thanksgiving. Divide the class into teams and assign each team a position on the topic. One team will argue in favor of celebrating Thanksgiving, while the other will argue against it. Instruct each team to research and prepare arguments to support their position. 

Encourage them to use credible sources and statistics to support their claims. Hold a debate where each team presents their arguments and responds to the opposing team’s points. Encourage respectful and constructive dialogue. After the debate, have students reflect on what they learned and discuss how they can apply these critical thinking and communication skills in other areas of their lives. This type of activities can also be used as improving communication activities as well as cultural diversity activities where they get a chance to speak about their own culture and learn about other traditions and celebrations around the world.

6. Grateful Voices

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and gratitude, and what better way to showcase this spirit than by capturing it on film? In this activity, students will work together to create a video project that showcases the thankful thoughts and feelings of their community members. By practicing their communication and collaboration skills, students will not only gain technical skills in video production but also strengthen their empathy and appreciation for others.

To start, introduce the project by explaining the power of gratitude and how it can positively impact our lives. Then, divide the class into small groups and assign each group a location in the community to visit and interview people about what they are thankful for. Students can use smartphones or video cameras to record the interviews and then compile them into a final video project. After the videos are complete, hold a screening in the classroom or school-wide assembly for others to see and appreciate the thankful voices from the community.

7. Expressive Harvest

Art is a powerful medium for self-expression and creativity, and this activity encourages students to channel their inner artists and create Thanksgiving-themed artwork. Whether it’s a painting, sculpture, or mixed media piece, students will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and express their gratitude through their artwork. By displaying their work in the classroom or at a school-wide Thanksgiving celebration, students will also have the chance to showcase their creations and share their artistic process with others.

 To begin, show examples of different types of Thanksgiving-themed artwork and explain how art can help us express our emotions and ideas. Provide a variety of art materials such as paint, markers, colored pencils, or clay, and let students create their own unique artwork. Encourage students to think about what they are thankful for and incorporate those ideas into their artwork. Once completed, have a classroom or school-wide exhibition of the art pieces, where students can showcase their creativity and reflect on what they are grateful for.

8. Turkey Trivia

Get your students in the holiday spirit by creating a fun and interactive Thanksgiving trivia game. This game can test their knowledge of Thanksgiving history, traditions, and culture. It can also serve as a great way to break up the monotony of regular class activities and encourage friendly competition among students.

With questions ranging from easy to challenging, this activity can be tailored to the specific interests and abilities of your class. So get ready to learn some new fun facts about Thanksgiving while enjoying some friendly competition with your classmates.

Start by creating a set of Thanksgiving-themed trivia questions related to the history of the holiday, popular traditions, and fun facts. Divide the class into small groups and have them compete in a trivia game, where they answer questions and earn points for correct answers.

To make the game more interactive, use a buzzer system or have students write down their answers on a whiteboard. The group with the most points at the end of the game can win a prize or recognition. This activity can help students learn about the history and significance of Thanksgiving while having fun and promoting teamwork.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude, and reflection, but it can also be an opportunity for high school students to engage in fun and meaningful activities. Some ideas for Thanksgiving activities for high school students include volunteering at a local food bank or shelter, organizing a food drive at school, participating in a turkey trot or other Thanksgiving-themed race, creating and sharing gratitude journals or thank-you letters with friends and family, and hosting a Friendsgiving celebration with classmates.

These activities can help students develop a greater sense of empathy, foster community engagement, and promote a positive attitude of gratitude. Overall, Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity for high school students to reflect on what they are thankful for and to give back to their communities in meaningful ways.

Sananda Bhattacharya, Chief Editor of TheHighSchooler, is dedicated to enhancing operations and growth. With degrees in Literature and Asian Studies from Presidency University, Kolkata, she leverages her educational and innovative background to shape TheHighSchooler into a pivotal resource hub. Providing valuable insights, practical activities, and guidance on school life, graduation, scholarships, and more, Sananda’s leadership enriches the journey of high school students.

Explore a plethora of invaluable resources and insights tailored for high schoolers at TheHighSchooler, under the guidance of Sananda Bhattacharya’s expertise. You can follow her on Linkedin

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Teaching Thanksgiving Thoughtfully

Educators looking to teach a historically accurate version of Thanksgiving can take advantage of a wide variety of resources.

As Thanksgiving approaches, teachers have the opportunity to engage their students in meaningful discourse about history and how it is remembered. 

When I think back on how Thanksgiving was taught when I was in elementary school, I am embarrassed for how my school thoughtlessly turned a learning opportunity into a spectacle. Hopefully, this isn’t a widespread approach to teaching Thanksgiving and is one that will surprise you as well: Half of the first-grade students were dressed up as Pilgrims, and the other half were dressed up as Native Americans. Then, we had an assembly where we sang songs about friendship and being grateful.

That was the only “educational” experience I had with Thanksgiving as a student. My classmates and I missed out on an opportunity to learn an important lesson about the history of our country.  

I became a teacher for the purpose of empowering students to seek out information and opportunities; I wanted every student I taught to recognize their own power, develop their confidence, and begin to feel prepared for whatever challenges they faced in and out of my classroom. Those same goals are why I believe students need to be given the opportunity to grapple with the truth behind the stories of Thanksgiving they have previously heard.

Information is powerful and teaches our students to critically analyze where that information comes from—whose stories they are interacting with and whose stories are being left out. These are the types of skills that ensure students can wield this power responsibly. 

While many resources are available for teachers who want to bring a thoughtful approach to Thanksgiving into their classrooms, I have focused on the following as a jumping-off point for teachers to use. I would encourage teachers to continually seek out resources both online and in their own communities to make this learning opportunity as impactful for their students as possible. Learn more about how teachers are debunking the myth of Thanksgiving in this 2018 PBS interview .

Resources That Embrace A New Approach to Thanksgiving

A Story of Survival: The Wampanoag and the English : Ideal for kindergarten through fourth-grade students, this lesson plan booklet provides teachers with student-friendly quick facts; five lesson outlines for teaching students about the Wampanoag, the English, and Thanksgiving; and recommendations for texts to explore with students. After completing the lessons in this booklet, students should be able to compare and contrast the lifestyles of the English and the Wampanoag and understand the theme of Thanksgiving. 

Rediscovering Thanksgiving : Ideal for third-grade students, this unit uses texts including The Wampanoag (A True Book) and 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving to address the following essential questions:

• Who were the first people to live in present-day New England? How were their lives and communities impacted by the Europeans? 
• What parts of the Thanksgiving story are true? What parts are myths? 
• Why is it important to look at history from multiple perspectives?

American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving : Ideal for students in fourth through eighth grades, the teacher resource guide provided by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian allows students to explore the deeper meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday through the following themes:

• American Indian cultures
• Time, continuity, and change
• People, places, and environments
• Global connections

Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth : Ideal for middle and high school students, this short essay and aligned classroom discussion prompts allow students to explore the juxtaposition of the prevailing idea of Thanksgiving and the real story. A few of the prompts are included below.

• The harvest celebration of 17th-century settlers at Plymouth presents a very different image from what we generally think of as the “First Thanksgiving” between Pilgrims and Indians. How far off is the modern story of Thanksgiving from what actually happened? 
• What do you think about the idea of the “Thanksgiving myth” as a representation of what we celebrate today?

You don’t need to be an expert on the history of the United States, Indigenous peoples, or Native American history to meaningfully bring these resources into your classroom. Think back on your own experience learning about Thanksgiving: Is that the same experience you want for your students? How can you take advantage of this time of year and help students build their knowledge of history and critical literary analysis skills?

FREE Thanksgiving Classroom Activities

By this point in the school year, a lot of us are getting tired; it can be hard to think of fresh and exciting Thanksgiving classroom activities. So how do you celebrate Thanksgiving in the classroom without giving yourself oodles more work?

Well, by exploring our collection of Thanksgiving classroom activities, which offer great ways to sharpen your students’ math or reading skills and create a fun and festive classroom environment.

Especially if you have students in middle or high school that have graduated from crafting turkeys in the shape of their hand, looking for lessons appropriate for your classroom’s education level may be tedious. That’s why we’ve put together the following selection of both reading and math ideas for Thanksgiving classroom activities that are sure to brighten your students’ day while enriching their education.

We’ve also included a short excerpt from O. Henry’s Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen with original Piqosity Reading questions to answer after reading, as well as original Piqosity Math questions with a festive flair!

Thanksgiving Reading Activities

1. thanksgiving history passage activity.

The first of our ELA Thanksgiving classroom activities, this passage-based activity, which dives into the history behind the holiday, is perfect for both in-person and virtual learning. Students are tasked with reading and comprehending a passage tracing the history of the holiday from its origins—the “First Thanksgiving” and the way certain foods became traditional— to the inauguration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

The passage has been adapted for a range of grade levels, from late elementary to middle school, and paired with questions that target key ELA Common Core standards. It comes complete with a guide that can help you integrate the activity into your class period, descriptions of the standards that the activity targets, as well as an answer sheet.

Created and made available for free download by The Sweetest Thing .

2. Thanksgiving Crossword, Coloring, and Gratitude Activities

This collection of Thanksgiving activities for middle school students includes three different tasks, rewarding for students of any grade level. The crossword puzzle, perfect to accompany a history of the holiday, teaches students historical and modern-day trivia about Thanksgiving in a fun way. The coloring page is a great way for students to let their creative juices flow and take a break from instruction.

Finally, the gratitude page lets students practice their writing skills while being creative and mindful of what they’re thankful for. You can instruct them to write a letter to somebody they’re thankful for, describe what they are grateful for in paragraph form, or even tie into your individual classroom curriculum by having them write about what a character in a book they are reading is thankful for – the possibilities are endless…

Created and made available for free download by Teaching on Lemon Lane .

3. Thanksgiving Gratitude Worksheets

These Thanksgiving worksheets let students think more deeply about their gratitude. First, they prompt students to list what they’re thankful for based on specific criteria (like “What are you thankful for that you cannot touch?” or “What do you think a cat is thankful for?”). Then, it prompts them to think of something they’re thankful for for each letter of the alphabet.

Though simple, these prompts provide these guidelines to help students think outside the box while focusing on cultivating a grateful mindset. This activity is perfect for introducing a wider classroom discussion, or as a jumping-off point for a short writing activity based on an item on their gratitude list. Because you can integrate this assignment in many different ways, it is great for all grade levels.

Created and made available for free download by Rachel Lynette .

Thanksgiving Reading Comprehension Questions by Piqosity

The stories of O. Henry are staples in the American canon. Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen concerns the practice of making a tradition out of generosity; this excerpt highlights the best part of Thanksgiving for many people—food!

Piqosity has written the three comprehension questions following the passage to quiz you on your ELA skills, each question more difficult than the last.

Thanksgiving Reading Passage: Excerpt from Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O. Henry

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. “His eyes were like two pale gooseberries firmly imbedded in a swollen and gravy-smeared mask of putty,” (lines 16-18) is…

A. personification. B. an oxymoron. C. a metaphor. D. a simile.

2. “Staunch” (line 66) most nearly means…

A. unreliable. B. devoted. C. stern. D. motionless.

3. Why was Stuffy Pete fearful when he saw the Old Gentleman?

A. The Old Gentleman always tormented him. B. He didn’t have any money to give the Old Gentleman. C. He already ate a big meal. D. He hadn’t seen the Old Gentleman in years.

Passage Answer Key and Explanations 

Personification is when an animal, idea, or thing is given human attributes or spoken of as if it was human. An oxymoron is a pair of words that contradict one another. A metaphor is a comparison between two or more things without using “like” or “as”, while a simile is a comparison between two or more things that uses “like” or “as”. The author says, “His eyes were like two pale gooseberries…” – a comparison between “his eyes” and “two pale gooseberries” using “like”; thus, this figure of speech is a simile .

When faced with a multiple choice question asking for the definition of or synonym for an unknown word, a good strategy is to insert the answer choices into the unknown word’s place to see which best conveys the sentence’s meaning. “Staunch” is describing the Old Gentleman: “The Old Gentleman was a staunch American patriot, and considered himself a pioneer in American tradition,” (lines 65-67). As a patriot, he clearly cares a lot about America. “Unreliable” would not fit, as it would describe him to be an unsatisfactory patriot. “Motionless” is also not a fit, because there are no context clues describing movement. “Stern” is also not the best fit because it is most often used in discussion about rules, which there isn’t any of in the passage. “ Devoted ” is the best answer choice because it describes his loyalty and commitment to America.

Since the passage doesn’t explain exactly why Stuffy Pete was fearful, this question is asking you to infer.  First, look to the last few paragraphs of the passage to see who the Old Gentleman was to Stuffy Pete. “Every Thanksgiving Day for nine years the Old Gentleman had come there and found Stuffy Pete on his bench…and had led him to a restaurant and watched him eat a big dinner,” (lines 57-63). Further, the passage also states, “Truly, the annual feeding of Stuffy Pete was nothing national in its character, such as the Magna Charta or jam for breakfast was in England. But it was a step… It showed, at least, that a Custom was not impossible to….America,” (lines 73-78).  Since they saw each other every year, “He hadn’t seen the Old Gentleman in years” is incorrect. Since the Old Gentleman gave him food each year for free, “The Old Gentleman always tormented him” and “He didn’t have any money to give the Old Gentleman” are both incorrect. Stuffy Pete had just eaten a humongous Thanksgiving feast – “Certainly Pete was not hungry. He had just come from a feast that had left him of his powers barely those of respiration and locomotion,” (lines 14-16) – and the Old Gentleman bought him a huge meal every Thanksgiving. Thus, he was afraid because “ He already ate a big meal ” and he would have to either reject the Old Gentleman’s offer of a meal or continue eating after he was already full.

Thanksgiving Math Activities

1. thanksgiving math word problems.

If you’re wondering how to bring your middle-schoolers some math-themed Thanksgiving classroom activities, these word problems (approximately middle-school level) are a great choice! The questions dive into topics such as adding and subtracting fractions, converting fractions, decimals, and percentages, complex multiplication and division, and time.

The nine questions have real-life applications and are perfect for starting off a group lesson or as an independent practice assignment.

Created and made available for free download by Lindsay Perro .

2. Graphing Gobbles: A Thanksgiving Graphing Activity

These graphing exercises are the perfect math-based Thanksgiving activities for high school students. Students are tasked with creating a graph based on certain data points. Then, they must interpret their results with a series of questions that encourage them to understand the purpose of graphing and the potential problems that can come with experimentation.

Finally, they are given a subsequent, improved data set to graph along with questions to analyze their work. This set is complete with an answer key and is a great way to supplement curriculum in both math- and science-based classes.

Created and made available for free download by Science With Mrs Lau .

Thanksgiving Math Questions by Piqosity

We’ve reached mid-November and Thanksgiving is on everyone’s mind. Many are already thinking about what they’re planning to cook or what they’re going to eat. These math problems give a glimpse into the calculations behind the upcoming turkey day.

Piqosity devised these problems, starting at a 5th-grade level and progressing in difficulty to Algebra 1, in order to test your math knowledge and prepare you for a bountiful Thanksgiving. These problems are easy to copy/paste and turn into your own Thanksgiving math worksheet!

1. 1 pound of turkey is equivalent to 1.5 servings. Geoff needs to prepare enough turkey to make 90 servings for Thanksgiving dinner. How many pounds of turkey will Geoff need to cook?

A. 75 B. 135 C. 60 D. 90

2. The day after Thanksgiving is great because you will (almost) always have leftovers. If you have 2 types of bread, 3 types of meat, 4 types of vegetables and 5 types of cheese, how many different Thanksgiving sandwiches can you make if you must choose one item from each category?

A. 20 B. 120 C. 60 D. 80

3. Each year, the president selects 2 turkeys from a group numbered −100 to 100 to pardon from participating in Thanksgiving. In order to determine which turkeys get pardoned, the president has his math team come up with the following quadratic function:

The solutions of the equation are the numbers of the turkeys which get pardoned. What are the numbers of the lucky turkeys?

A. 8 and 7 B. −7 and 8 C. −7 and −8 D. −8 and 7

Math Answer Key and Explanations

In order to find the total weight of turkey that needs to be cooked, we will have to convert between the “servings” unit and the “pounds” unit. To convert 90 servings to pounds, we will need to multiply it by the conversion factor with “servings” on the bottom. This will allow us to cancel out the “servings” unit and be left with pounds. Geoff will need to cook 60 pounds of turkey in order to prepare 90 servings.

In order to figure out all the possible sandwiches that can be created, we will need to calculate the total number of permutations. Permutations can be calculated using the following method: For each selection, write down the total number of options we can choose from. To create a sandwich we will need to pick one bread, one meat, one vegetable and one cheese. For our first selection we have 2 options, for our second selection we have 3 options, for our third selection we have 4 options and for our fourth selection we have 5 options. Multiply these numbers together to get the total number of possible sandwiches that can be made. 120 different Thanksgiving sandwiches can be made from these selections.

In order to solve a quadratic equation, we need to find two factors of our constant term 56 which can add up to equal the coefficient in front of our x term, which in this case is equal to −1 . In this case, the factors of 56 which add up to −1 are −8 and 7 . Factor the quadratic function: Set each of the factors equal to zero and solve for the solution. The two turkeys which are saved are numbers 8 and − 7 .

Find More ELA and Math Resources Like These at Piqosity! 

We hope you and/or your students have enjoyed these Thanksgiving classroom activities! Celebrating holidays in the classroom, no matter the grade level, is an enriching way to encourage students to learn about the holiday’s origin and work on their academic skills while enjoying the festivities and, in the case of Thanksgiving, practicing gratitude.

You can find more (non-Thanksgiving-themed) ELA and Math lessons with questions of similar difficulty levels in our ELA and Math Courses! These are complete courses available online through our app and can be purchased à la carte or bundled with our ISEE test prep courses !

• 5th Grade ELA Course
• 8th Grade ELA Course
• 11th Grade ELA Course
• 5th Grade Math Course
• Algebra 1 Course
• Algebra 2 Course

For your convenience, we have outlined lessons relevant to or at the same difficulty level as the above passages and word problems. These can be found below.

Related ELA Lessons by Piqosity  Lessons related to question #1: ELA 5 – Figurative Language ELA 8 – Figurative Language ELA 11 – Rhetorical Analysis Lessons related to question #2: ELA 5 – Word Meanings & Word Choice ELA 8 – Word Meanings & Word Choice ELA 11 – Word Meanings & Word Choice Lessons related to question #3: ELA 5 – Inference ELA 8 – Inference ELA 11 – Inference

Related Math Lessons by Piqosity: Lessons related to question #1: Math 5 – Unit Conversion Math 5 – Multiplying Decimals & Whole Numbers Lessons related to question #2: ISEE Upper Level – Permutations Lessons related to question #3: Algebra 1 – Solving Quadratic Equations

Thank You, and Happy Thanksgiving from Piqosity!

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The Real Story of Thanksgiving: Project for High School

Thanksgiving Activities: The Real Story of Thanksgiving

Explore the significance of annual times of harvest in the Wampanoag and Pilgrim cultures by comparing and contrasting the ways in which these holidays were observed. Use the lesson plan, worksheets, and Thanksgiving activities for meaningful and thought-provoking lessons on the first Thanksgiving.

The goal of this project is to deconstruct the story of the first Thanksgiving and reframe it from a Native American perspective. This lesson is designed for use with upper-division high school students, but it can be modified for earlier grade levels, as well as college-level curriculum use.

What's Included: Lesson Plans, Teaching Guide, and Worksheets

This comprehensive project pack for high school students includes everything you need to deliver a series of 5 lessons on the real story of the first Thanksgiving. Explore Native American history and culture with writing activities, critical thinking, and classroom activities.

This printable PDF download includes:

• Standards-aligned lesson plan
• Step-by-step teaching guide
• Assessment and grading guidance
• Printable student worksheets with answer keys
• Links to supporting videos, readings, and additional teaching resources.

Students will be exposed to the deeper motives involved in the creation of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

Students will understand how the misrepresentation of the Wampanoag people affects their current reality and how the birth of The National Day of Mourning came about.

Students will understand the Native Americans and colonist relationship.

Students will gain a comprehensive overview of the historical relationship between food and gratitude from the past to the present.

Students will understand colonization and how its logic gets codified into American ideology and core American “myths” that uphold white supremacy and ongoing colonization, erasure of genocide.

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Best Free Thanksgiving Lessons and Activities

One of the most beloved American holidays, Thanksgiving is celebrated by people of all religions and backgrounds

Recent updates

Last updated November 6th 2023

Thanksgiving is a day to reflect with gratitude on the blessings of our lives. It’s one of the most beloved American holidays, celebrated by people of all religions and backgrounds, and ideal for incorporating into your curriculum.

However, our understanding of the day has changed over the years. While some of the following Thanksgiving lessons, activities, and games include familiar elements such as turkey and pumpkin pie, others inquire into the historical record and modern social perspectives, helping students gain a fuller, more authentic understanding.  

Before diving into the following free Thanksgiving lessons, activities, and games, educators can get an overview of the changing way Thanksgiving is taught through the articles listed below under Thanksgiving Perspectives, Past and Present. 

Thanksgiving Perspectives, Past and Present 

Time: The Way American Kids Are Learning About the “First Thanksgiving” Is Changing Should we be teaching students myth or history? This excellent article is a great starting point for teachers to learn the truth, the myths, and the historical interpretations surrounding the first Thanksgiving. Best to read before planning your lesson.

Teaching the Real Story of the "First Thanksgiving" Education World explores the stereotypes, myths, and half-truths that pervade our Thanksgiving lore. The article also extends seven simple, practical, and positive strategies for teaching Thanksgiving while honoring both the history and cultural practices of the holiday.

Native educators say Thanksgiving lessons can be accurate, respectful, and fun If you’re wondering whether there’s anything suitable left to teach about Thanksgiving, don’t despair. This article details simple steps you can take right now to make your Thanksgiving lessons accurate and inclusive. 

Plimoth Patuxet Museum Teacher Toolkit A five-unit curriculum that takes a deep dive into the first Thanksgiving. The standards-aligned lessons comprise sections on the Patuxet people, leadership and diplomacy, the crucial role of corn, the celebration as a historical event, and ways to think about giving thanks. Included in this comprehensive resource are vocabulary, themes, historical notes, and bibliography. 

StoryCorps: The Great Thanksgiving Listen The nonprofit organization Storycorps has been capturing the voices and stories of Americans since 2003. Storycorps’ Great Thanksgiving Listen invites young people to take part in this oral history project by recording an interview with an elder, mentor, friend, or anyone they admire. The Educator Toolkit provides step-by-step guidance on every aspect of the Great Thanksgiving Listen and includes printable handouts for students. 

Lesson plan: After helping Pilgrims, today's Wampanoag tribe fight for their ancestral lands A lesson for grades 6-12 that teaches about the Wampanoag people of today in the context of their historical role at the first Thanksgiving. Choose from among topics such as Thanksgiving history as told by the Wampanoag, land disputes, and gambling, then ask the provided questions. Lesson available as a Google Doc. Note the correct link for the first item under “Additional Resources.”

Thanksgiving printables from Makebeliefscomix MakeBeliefsComix is about helping kids to imagine and create within a highly supportive online environment. This simple Thanksgiving printable invites students to imagine what the best Thanksgiving might be, and what they would be thankful for. The related Gratitude printables offer gratitude prompts, and invites young learners to follow suit. The site’s gentle vibe is welcoming to kids of all ages and abilities. 

The Circle of Life and the Clambake The Circle of Life and the Clambake tells the story of how the Wampanoag people first understood about the circle of life. Featuring the giant Maushop, this brief story is full of powerful ideas that relate more than ever to our current world. Have your students read the story, then ask them to compare and contrast today’s society with the society depicted in the story.  

Celebration, Conflict and Contemplation: Digital Thanksgiving Activities and Lesson Plans for Students Ideal for distance or hybrid learning, these free preK-12 digital Thanksgiving lessons include thought-provoking writing assignments, recipe-based math lessons, humorous turkey hijinks, and a look at the modern day lives of the Wampanoag People. Thanksgiving Directed Drawings Directed drawings are a great way for kids to gain basic drawing skills and confidence while creating their own artwork. Whether apple pie , cooked turkey , Happy Thanksgiving message , or cartoon turkey , these free and fun video drawing lessons are perfect for both classroom and remote learning. If you need help incorporating YouTube videos into your curriculum, check out 6 Ways To Access YouTube Videos Even If They're Blocked at School . Favorite Thanksgiving Music Lessons Bring the joy of music into your classroom celebration with five Thanksgiving-themed music lessons from elementary school music teacher Jessie Johnson. Ever heard of Super Turkey? How about the Pumpkin That Ran Away? These and other light-hearted tunes tell engaging stories, while kids learn about glissando and dotted half notes. Includes the traditional Native American Racoon Song Game. Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving Seven lessons and activities for teaching Thanksgiving in an ethical, accurate and culturally sensitive way. Turkey Templates for Thanksgiving Creativity and Writing Education technology expert and Google app guru Eric Curts shares Google Slides templates for building and disguising a turkey. Use it as a fun art lesson, or as a jumping-off point into a discussion about empathy with animals.

Best Free Thanksgiving Games and Interactives

Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Activities and Games   Living like people of the 17th century is an excellent way to learn social history. Talk like a pilgrim, cook 17th-century food with modern recipes, and ponder 11 tricky riddles. Fun for students and teachers alike.

6 fun Thanksgiving-themed games for young learners If you’ve never tried ABCYa games , here’s the perfect opportunity. High-quality digital games are accompanied by an amusing soundtrack that only adds to the fun. Best of all, five out of these six games are CCSS-aligned. Try the Thanksgiving printables too! You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving A great way for students to investigate and learn a more nuanced history about Thanksgiving, from both the Indigenous and Colonial perspectives. Thanksgiving Puzzles - Fall Holiday Games for Kids A super-fun iOs app that provides colorful animated Thanksgiving puzzles for children aged 4-6. Thanksgiving Games for kids Thanksgiving puzzles, connect-the-dots, memory games, drawing games, and more help preK youngsters learn shapes, numbers, and images while having a blast. Free Android app.

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10 Fun Thanksgiving Classroom Activities for High School 

October 30, 2022 by Nicolette Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving isn’t usually celebrated a whole lot in high schools. However, if you’re looking for some activities to do in with your students in the classroom this time of year, you’ve come to the right place. This blog post has a variety of activities that involve the whole class. 

As a former high school English teacher, I found that it was making memorable moments like these were also a great opportunity to teach high school students about the history of Thanksgiving and its importance. The tradition of expressing gratitude is a good practice for improving your mental health and what better age to talk about this? Hopefully, these ideas help you incorporate the season into your lesson plans.

10 Fun Thanksgiving Classroom Activities for High School 

Here are 10 fun activities that you can do in your classroom before Thanksgiving break:

1. Have students read stories about or watch movies about the history of the Thanksgiving season. 

2. Have students make thank-you cards for people they know who have helped them throughout the year. This is a great way to tell the lunch ladies, janitors, and workers at the school. You could also have them write a card for someone that has impacted their world in the past year positively.

3. Play group games like charades, scavenger hunts, or other thanksgiving games. You could come up with a jeopardy game if you teach history quizzing students on their knowledge. This is a fun way to incorporate the holiday and topics you’ve been learning in class without coordinating anything too extravagant.

4. Make turkey crafts or other thanksgiving crafts together as a class. If you think high school students are too old to make crafts…think again. They LOVE getting crafty! Hang up their creations on the bulletin board. Doing hands-on activities is a nice brain break for students, plus it’s important for socializing and building a cohesive classroom. It’s good to not always be intense but to have some balance and creative outlets.

5. Make a large class Thankful Tree

Students can write down things they are thankful for and hang them on the tree. This is a good grateful practice because you can visually see how much there is to be grateful for.

6. Have a pie potluck lunch in the classroom or host a mini thanksgiving dinner or desert potluck. Student can bring in pies or sides to share with everyone. Be sure to provide pumpkin pie or other thanksgiving food that everyone can enjoy!

7. If you are a language arts or theater teacher, have students split into small groups and read thanksgiving-related writings and then act them out . I suggest  An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving  by Louisa May Alcott (short story) or 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace (a National Geographic book).

8. If you are a history teacher, host a discussion or debate about the events leading up to the first Thanksgiving feast.

9. Have your students write up their own family’s thanksgiving traditions , and why that’s important for them. Make everyone share with the class what their family does and learn about other cultures!

10: Have your students start gratitude journals for extra credit!  This is a great way to encourage positivity and reflect on the things they are thankful for.

You could also print out these Thanksgiving Mad Libs to do in class!

Most of these activities would work for elementary, middle, and high school students. Hope you enjoyed this list of Thanksgiving activities! Do you have any other ideas for classroom activities during the holiday season? Share them in the comments below!

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Thanksgiving Activities For High Schoolers!

It’s always fun to include some sort of thanksgiving activity into your lesson plan during the holiday season. A lot of teachers find it more difficult to find certain activities for high school students rather than elementary or middle school students. That’s why My School Dance wanted to cover some fun, yet very educational activities for those students! Check them out below:

Thanksgiving Lesson Plans:

• Explore the history of the voyage of the Mayflower, the Mayflower Compact, Pilgrims, and Thanksgiving.
• Have students read and analyze the different versions of the first Thanksgiving story. Split them up into groups to work as a team.
• Have math students explore comparison shopping and credit card use on Black Friday.

Activities:

• Encourage students to come up with an idea for a community service project since Thanksgiving is about giving, not receiving.
• Choose some Thanksgiving topics such as “Should stores be open on Thanksgiving” or “Is Thanksgiving offensive to Native Americans” or “Turkey or Ham on Thanksgiving?” Then have students debate in front of the class.
• Have students write a short story, poem, or script about a time someone learned to be thankful.

Instead of doing the same old activity every year, change it up! Students love having something new in the classroom, especially when it puts them in the holiday spirit. All of these activities can be done solo or in a group! Test some out and let us know how they worked for you!

Want some more tips for your school? You’ll want to read these blogs too: Fall Activities For All Ages , 3 Keys To Effective Classroom Management , and How To Plan A Pinterest Party!

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5 Fun Thanksgiving Activities For High School Students

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends and express gratitude for all the blessings in our lives. However, it can also be a great opportunity to engage in fun activities with high school students. Here are five ideas for Thanksgiving activities that can be enjoyed by high school students:

• Thanksgiving Potluck: A potluck is a great way to get students involved in the Thanksgiving spirit. Each student can bring a dish to share, and everyone can enjoy a Thanksgiving feast together. This can be a fun way to introduce students to traditional Thanksgiving dishes, as well as dishes from other cultures. To make the potluck even more fun, you can ask students to dress up in Thanksgiving-themed costumes or hats. You can also organize a competition for the best dish, and award prizes to the winners.
• Gratitude Journal:  Thanksgiving is all about expressing gratitude, and a gratitude journal can be a great way to encourage students to reflect on the things they are thankful for. Each student can create their own gratitude journal, and take some time each day to write down a few things they are grateful for. This can be a great way to foster a positive attitude and help students develop a habit of gratitude. To make the gratitude journal even more fun, you can provide students with stickers, markers, and other decorative items to personalize their journals. You can also ask students to share some of the things they are grateful for in class, or create a gratitude wall where students can post their reflections.
• Thanksgiving Crafts: Thanksgiving crafts can be a fun way to get creative and decorate the classroom or school. Students can create Thanksgiving-themed decorations such as paper turkeys, fall leaves, or pumpkin centerpieces. You can also organize a competition for the best Thanksgiving craft, and award prizes to the winners. To make the Thanksgiving crafts even more fun, you can play Thanksgiving music in the background, or provide students with snacks such as pumpkin pie or apple cider. You can also encourage students to work together on group projects, which can help promote teamwork and collaboration.
• Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt:  A scavenger hunt can be a fun way to get students moving and exploring their surroundings. You can create a list of Thanksgiving-themed items for students to find, such as a turkey feather, a cornucopia, or a pumpkin pie. You can also include clues and riddles to make the scavenger hunt more challenging. To make the scavenger hunt even more fun, you can divide students into teams and make it a competition. You can also award prizes to the team that finds all the items first, or to the team with the most creative or original answers.
• Volunteer Activities:  Thanksgiving is also a time to give back to the community and help those in need. You can organize a volunteer activity for students, such as serving meals at a local soup kitchen, collecting food for a food bank, or organizing a fundraiser for a local charity. Volunteering can be a great way to promote empathy and social responsibility, and help students develop a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It can also be a great opportunity for students to work together towards a common goal, and learn about the issues facing their community.

In conclusion, Thanksgiving can be a fun and meaningful time for high school students. Whether it's through a potluck, a gratitude journal, Thanksgiving crafts, a scavenger hunt, or volunteer activities, there are many ways to engage students and help them develop a sense of gratitude, creativity, teamwork, and social responsibility. By providing students with fun and engaging Thanksgiving activities, you can help create a positive and inclusive learning environment, and promote a culture of gratitude and kindness.

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9 Thanksgiving Classroom Activities, Games, and Crafts

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you— the teachers who impact students' lives and shape the future of education in the classroom each and every day.

At this time of year, you may be brainstorming Thanksgiving ideas for school related to the theme of gratitude and having students thank those who play meaningful roles in their lives. With that goal in mind, here are Thanksgiving classroom activities for you to consider. These activities are geared mostly toward early learners and elementary school students, but many can be adapted to meet the needs of older learners.

Fun Thanksgiving Ideas for School

1. classroom crafts.

There's a lot you can do when it comes to Thanksgiving classroom crafts. One idea is to give students various pieces of construction paper, and have them trace their hand on a brown paper. Or they can trace their hand on white paper and color it in with brown. Then, they can cut out feathers of other colors and glue them to the turkey's body—the fingers of the hand. Students can color in their turkeys and decorate the background as they wish. If you want them to get even more creative, ask the students to list one thing they are thankful for on each of the feathers.

Photo: Courtesy of Amanda Villani, Director of Post-Secondary Counseling and High School Precalculus Teacher at Memphis Rise Academy, Tennessee

2. What Are You Thankful For? Activity or Writing Assignment

There are tons of ways you can approach this assignment, and this will depend largely on your class's grade level. An assignment of this nature can take the form of anything from each student writing a short paper explaining what they are thankful for and why, to a whole-class effort where the teacher writes down what each student is grateful for on a larger piece of paper or posterboard (see a good example below). The teacher and/or students can decorate the poster and hang it up for the world to see. This assignment can also turn into a classroom discussion, where students share their lists with their classmates.

Want to take your creativity one step further? Check out what this teacher did below to decorate her classroom while engaging students in a fun Thanksgiving activity. Each plate includes a student's hand and states what he or she is thankful for this year.

3. Then and Now: Looking Back at the First Thanksgiving

Have your students look back at the very first Thanksgiving feast: What were some of the Thanksgiving traditions that started at that time? What types of traditions came into existence in the future? And most importantly, how did Thanksgiving then compare with Thanksgiving now?

Students can conduct research online about the first Thanksgiving, when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people held an autumn harvest celebration in the Plymouth colony. Then, have students consider what the modern-day Thanksgiving experience entails—either based on their own experiences or on research—and have them write a paper or work on a short presentation to address this prompt.

4. Pumpkin Pie in a Bag

You can make a delicious pumpkin pie recipe right from your classroom (and without an oven!). All you need are the right ingredients. There are a lot of different recipes and instructions you can find online (including here and here ), and this exercise can be a good way to have your students read (and follow) directions and practice math!

When Kelcee Calloura—a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher at the Glasscock County Independent School District in Texas—taught science and math, she had her students do the following: "We used predictions at first to try to see what ingredients we thought would be in p umpkin p ie, then we corrected our list when I showed them what we actually use. We made observations about what was happening to ingredients in the bag as we added each one. They followed the recipe and wrote about what happened at the end of the experiment."

5. Have a Thanksgiving Feast!

You can have a pre-Thanksgiving meal in your classroom in the weeks leading up to the holiday. This can take many different forms, but one approach is to assign students to bring in different foods (e.g., sliced turkey, stuffing, and so on). There could be an educational element to your feast as well, where you ask your students to write a short paper explaining the significance of what they brought in for extra credit. During the feast, you can have students say what they are thankful for; this can be either a minor or major component of the event, depending on the children's age. Finally, consider inviting students' parents or guardians to the classroom that day (which, as an educator, can be a great way to build those teacher-parent relationships!).

6. Thanksgiving Lesson Plan

Download the following Thanksgiving social studies and ELA lesson plan and have early elementary school students analyze the book This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed. This book explores the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people who celebrated the harvest together with a feast. The text lends itself to many activities in social studies (history, holidays, culture, geography), language arts, and art .

7. Read Thanksgiving Books

There are a number of HMH books you can read to your students—or have them read themselves—that focus on the Thanksgiving holiday or the broader theme of expressing gratitude. Here are some examples for younger students:

• A Turkey for Thanksgiving , by Eve Bunting (Pre-K–3)
• The First Thanksgiving Feast , by Joan Anderson (Grades 5–7)
• The Thank You Book , by Mary Lyn Ray (Pre-K–3)
• Happy Thanksgiving, Curious George , by H. A. Rey (Pre-K–K)
• How Many Days to America? A Thanksgiving Story , by Eve Bunting (Pre-K–3)
• Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade , by Melissa Sweet (Ages 4–7)

8. Thanksgiving Puzzles

Download this HMH Thanksgiving crossword puzzle , which is ideal for elementary or middle school students—just note that it may require them to read up on their history to find the answers! You can also create your own puzzle using tools like Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker or WordMint to tailor an activity to meet your curriculum needs.

9. "Catch the Turkey" Game

Katie Risolo, a first-grade teacher at Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, New York, says to provide your students with a silly scenario along the lines of the following for this Thanksgiving classroom game: "Your grandma burnt the Thanksgiving turkey! Now you have to go out and catch a turkey to save the day. You must design and create a trap to catch one." She brings a stuffed animal turkey to class and divides her students into groups with the following materials:

• 12 inches of masking tape
• 5 pipe cleaners
• 1 yard of string

It's up to you how exactly you want to format this activity, but regardless, this is a fun way to get your students thinking outside the box, collaborating with each other (social-emotional learning!), and using their creativity. You can even have your students present their trap to the rest of the class.

What Are Your Favorite Thanksgiving Classroom Games and Activities?

If you have additional examples of Thanksgiving school activities, let us know on social media! Tweet us at @LeadAndLearn , and your ideas may be featured on Shaped .

We hope you and your students have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Remember that it's important to teach students (of any age) about the overarching theme of gratitude that is central to this day. While this can take many different forms, the broader theme of thankfulness matters in and outside of the classroom.

Teachers Amanda Villani, Katie Risolo, Kelcee Calloura, and Jade Mackney provided information for this blog post.

Want more Thanksgiving activity ideas for the classroom? Check out 7 Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Elementary Students.

Find more classroom resources and activities o n Shaped .

The Thanksgiving lesson plan above originated from HMH Classroom Libraries . Click here to request a science or social studies libraries teaching sampler with free guided reading plans and activities.

Download our FREE calendar of activities!

• Activities & Lessons
• Grades PreK-K

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Differentiated Teaching

Engaging Ideas for Teaching about Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great time to build in so many academic skills. Whether you're looking for social studies activities that teach students about the first Thanksgiving or you need a fun writing activity to keep students engaged as your break approaches, you'll find lots of great ideas of ways to keep your upper elementary students learning in the days leading up to break.

What you'll find on this page:

5 Simple Activities to Use Before Thanksgiving Break

The week leading up to Thanksgiving break can be a challenging one for students and teachers alike. The excitement of the holidays is palpable, and there are often schedule changes that make things even more hectic. I created this post to share some of my favorite Thanksgiving activities to do in the classroom.

These ideas were selected because they are low-prep and perfect for adding to your November lesson plans, even at the last minute. Check them out now!

1. Thanksgiving Webquest

Teaching students about the first Thanksgiving doesn't have to involve a lot of time or prep. Scholastic has an amazing Thanksgiving webquest that is chock full of interesting facts and information.

This is a great opportunity to teach and practice note-taking skills, and I created a simple flipbook that helps my students keep everything in one place.

The great thing about this webquest is that it has a ton of activities and short video clips that are really detailed and educational. Students learn what the Mayflower was really like. They compare and contrast the life of the Wampanoags and Pilgrims. There's even a section about what was really eaten at the first Thanksgiving.

My students were so engaged that I actually ended up adding an extra flap to allow them to record all the interesting facts that didn't quite fit elsewhere.

Here's a picture of my flipbook from last year.

You can get a free copy of my flipbook template (in two different printing formats) by clicking the button below.

2. How to Cook a Turkey – Procedural Writing

Thanksgiving is a great time to teach a quick procedural writing unit, especially if you work at a campus where many students start their break early. While many districts are moving away from “how-to” writing, this easy project is a great way to engage students without having those students who have left early miss out on core writing instruction. I love to use this easy writing project the week before Thanksgiving because the kids are so excited about it they forget they are working.

The whole activity takes about a week, but it is really laid out step-by-step so my kiddos who need to make it up can do a lot of it during their free work time.

The students start by brainstorming using a web graphic organizer before they begin outlining their steps.

The outcomes are often quite hilarious, and it is a good opportunity to discuss procedural texts. We storyboard the steps before drafting, and then students revise their working using the editing and revising checklist.

Once students are done revising their first draft, they are ready to create their procedural mini-book. These end up being absolutely hilarious and so fun to read.

Some students will cook their turkey for 30 minutes at 100 degrees. Others decide 5 hours at 500 degrees seems more reasonable. One year I had a student who had a sponge bath for the turkey as one of their steps.

I am sure you can see why this is one of my favorite writing pieces to read each year.

If you want to try it out in your classroom you can grab the file on Teachers Pay Teachers by clicking the button below.

3. Create a Thankful Banner as a Thanksgiving Activity for Writing

If you're looking for a fun way to decorate your classroom around Thanksgiving. This banner might be the perfect solution.

This is another easy-to-implement writing project, where students write about something they are thankful for. String the pieces together to create a beautiful banner to display in your classroom or as a hallway display.

Learn more about this project or purchase it here: I am Thankful Writing Banner Craft

4. Turkey-themed rounding and estimation math center

When students leave early for break, it can be frustrating to try to figure out how to balance moving forward with your lesson plans and keeping these students from developing gaps.

One solution is to use the week before Thanksgiving break as a way to allow students to review previously taught skills. Rounding and estimation, for example, are often taught in October. That means your students will likely need a refresher by November.

I created a turkey-themed math station that gives students a chance to get some extra practice with these skills. It is a fun way to build some holiday fun into your November lesson plans without sacrificing skill practice. Click here to learn more about this Thanksgiving Math Center.

5. Learn about Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

This one may seem a little silly, but students LOVE to learn about this parade. Try reading the book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet , and then give your students time to brainstorm and sketch their own idea for a parade float.

If you've got time, you can even have them create miniature models of their float using shoe boxes or balloons. Students love Thanksgiving activities that involve creativity! There are also several good Youtube videos about the history of the parade. You can preview them to see which might be best for your students.

• History of Thanksgiving Day Parade – History Channel
• History of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade – Reading Through History
• The Technology Behind Macy's Thanksgiving Parade – History Channel
• Video of the 1927-1929 Macy's Parades – Speed Graphic Film & Video

What do you teach as Thanksgiving approaches?

It was so fun sharing my favorite holiday activities with you. Now it is your turn! How do you spice up your classroom the last few days before the break?

Leave me a comment and let me know…I am always looking for great ideas.

Looking for more great articles with lesson ideas for the holiday season? Check out the ones below.

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Agricultural Literacy Curriculum Matrix

Lesson plan, grade levels, type of companion resource, content area standards, agricultural literacy outcomes, common core, the geography of thanksgiving dinner (grades 9-12), grade level.

Identify common Thanksgiving foods and their farm source, determine if those foods can be produced locally, and locate the common origins of their Thanksgiving day dinner.  Grades 9-12

Estimated Time

Materials needed.

• Computer with internet access, projector, and screen
• Geography of Thanksgiving Dinner food cards , 1 copy per class
• Thanksgiving Dinner Map   to project on screen

commodity: a primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold

crop: a cultivated plant that is grown and harvested, especially a grain, fruit, or vegetable

livestock: farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept, raised, and used by people

Did You Know?

• Thanksgiving didn't become an annual tradition until 200 years after the pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving.
• Venison was the meat of the first Thanksgiving feast, not turkey.
• Pumpkin pie and potatoes were not a part of the first Thanksgiving feast.

Background Agricultural Connections

Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday celebrated in November. The holiday has historical roots to the early pilgrims who settled America. It's purpose is to celebrate the year's harvest and give thanks. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to recognize the foods they will likely consume in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and learn how and where they are likely produced.

As agricultural technology has improved and populations have increased, the agricultural production of our food and fiber has changed to meet the growing and changing demands in our society. Many years ago the majority of the food in our diet was provided by our own gardens and farms or from local farmers. Most consumers played some part in the production of their food. In contrast today, only a very small portion of our population produces the food for our society as a whole. Fewer Americans have first hand experience with and knowledge of farms and the production of their food. 

For some Americans, it is becoming increasingly more important to them to know more about how and where their food was produced. Recent growing demand for locally and regionally produced food has opened up new market opportunities. Many efforts and initiatives have been established to increase this awareness and improve a local farmer's ability to market their products locally.  Locavore  is a term used to describe someone who chooses to only consume food that is produced within a certain distance of their home, usually 100 miles. As a whole, consuming locally grown foods is good for local economies. Purchasing local foods can also increase agricultural literacy for consumers and help build a greater awareness for where their food comes from. 

While there are benefits to purchasing local foods, educated consumers should also be aware of the limitations. In general, choosing to eat only locally grown foods will limit the variety of foods and nutrients you will have access to. The climate of a particular region plays a huge role in determining what kind of foods can be grown there. Length of the growing season, soil fertility, access to resources and markets, water, and available open space are also key factors to be taken into consideration. Technology does increase a farmer's ability to grow  crops  in less suitable conditions. For example, a greenhouse can be used to extend the growing season to successfully grow produce in a colder climate. However, growing crops in a greenhouse significantly increases the cost of production, which would then be passed on to the consumer. For this and other reasons, farms are typically located in geographic locations that have the proper climate and resources to produce a  commodity  at the lowest cost. After the commodity is harvested it can be packaged and shipped by truck, plane, or train to locations near and far.

Here are some geographical facts about the production of common Thanksgiving dinner foods and their ingredients:

• Pumpkin:  Illinois is the top pumpkin producing state. 1  Pumpkins are rich in beta-carotene. Pumpkins are grown throughout the country for their ornamental value at halloween. However, commercial pumpkin growers process and can pumpkin for use in pumpkin pie, cookies, and other foods. 95% of the pumpkins processed in the United States are grown in Illinois! 2  Watch Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin from Farm to Can  to learn how pumpkin is processed.
• Turkey:  Minnesota is the top turkey producing state. 3  Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . For more information about raising turkeys, watch the video clip,  Visit the Halvorson Turkey Farm  produced by the Minnesota Turkey Grower's Association.
• Cranberries:  Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries, followed by Massachusetts. 4  Cranberries grow on a woody evergreen vine and prefer acidic soil with a pH between 4 and 5.5. Watch  The Life Cycle of a Cranberry Harvest  to learn how cranberries are harvested and grown. Cranberries can be eaten year round when they are dried. These are known as craisins. The peak season for the consumption of cranberries is during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. Cranberries are used in jams, jellies, and other toppings for traditional meals.
• Wheat:  Kansas is the leading producer of wheat in the United States. 5  Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . Flour is used in many types of baking including breads, pies, and pastries. Flour is a processed form of wheat. Watch the Science Channel's  How It's Made-Flour   episode for more information about processing wheat into flour.
• Eggs:  Iowa leads the nation in the production of eggs. 6  Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . Although all species of poultry produce eggs, chicken eggs are the primary source of our food because chickens are most efficient at producing eggs. On average a laying hen produces 6-7 eggs per week. Eggs are used in many recipes. They help bind ingredients together and act as a leavening agent.
• Milk:  California is the leading producer of milk followed by Wisconsin and Idaho. 7  Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . Milk is used in many ways. It can be used for fluid milk consumption, but it is also used to make ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, and many other dairy products. 
• Sugar:  Sugar can come in many forms including brown sugar, table sugar or powdered sugar. It is used in many foods as a sweetener. The two primary sources of sugar in the United States are sugarcane and sugarbeets. Sugarcane is a tall perennial grass grown in tropical and subtropical climates. Florida is the largest sugarcane producing state. 8  The only other states that produce sugar cane are Louisiana, Hawaii, and Texas. Minnesota is the leading state to produce sugarbeets. Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . Watch the PBS America's Heartland episode,  Sugar Beet Harvest  to learn how sugar beets grow and are harvested. The video  What is Sugar?  will help students recognize how plants make sugar (sucrose) through photosynthesis.
• Sweet Potatoes:  North Carolina leads as the top producer of sweet potatoes. 9  Their climate and soil conditions are ideal for sweet potato production. Sweet potatoes are grown across the country, but they are best suited for cultivation in Southern States which have warmer climates and longer frost-free growing seasons relative to other regions of the United States. Watch the America's Heartland video clip,  What's the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and Yam?  
• Green Beans:  Wisconsin is the leading producer of green beans. 10  Green Beans can be purchased fresh, frozen or canned and used as a side dish or baked with other foods.
• Corn:  Iowa is the leading state in the production of corn, followed by Illinois. 11  See the interactive  map  for more state statistics. Many varieties of corn are grown for various purposes. Varieties of field corn are grown for  livestock  feed and the production of ethanol. The corn we eat is known as sweet corn. The midwestern region of the United States is knows as the "Corn Belt." These states include Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Indiana, and Illinois. This area is ideal for the growth of corn due to the fertile soil, relatively level land, warm nights, hot days, and well-distributed rainfall.
• Potatoes:  Idaho leads the nation in the production of potatoes. 12  Other state statistics can be found on the interactive  map . Potatoes originate from the Andes mountains. They thrive in high altitude regions with warm days and cold nights.
• Carrots:  California is the top carrot producing state. 13  See the interactive  map  for other state statistics.
• Inform your students that they are in charge of making the shopping list for Thanksgiving dinner.
• As a class make a list on the board of the foods you will need to prepare your meal. Foods will vary from family to family. Focus mainly on traditional Thanksgiving foods, but include others to fit the needs of your class. Students should also include the ingredients to make each dish. For example, to make pumpkin pie you will need pumpkin, sugar, milk, spices, flour, and butter. 

Explore and Explain

Activity 1: Ideal Climate and Geographic Conditions

• After completing the  Enagement , students should have a general idea of the foods and cooking ingredients typically used at a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Leave the list on the board for the students to see.
• Instruct your students to watch carefully. In silence, cross out all foods on the shopping list that are not typically produced within a 100 mile radius of your school. Use your own background knowledge and prior research if necessary to accomplish this task. 
• Where are all of these foods produced?  (farm)
• Do any of these foods require special growing conditions?  (Yes)
• Does our climate and geography meet the requirements of growing these foods?  (Yes/No)
• Note:  In this discussion you should define  near.  In most cases this will be within a 100 mile radius. Your state's Department of Agriculture website would be a good resource to identify farming industries within your state. 
• Answers will vary depending upon the food item and your location. Possible answers may include lack of open space to grow a crop or raise animals, lack of available water, or a climate with a growing season that is too short.
• Open space with fertile soil
• Climate and length of growing seasons
• Yes. Explain that geographic areas with plenty of fertile soil, moisture, and a temperate climate are likely able to produce a large variety of crops and livestock. These areas can provide a large variety of locally grown food. In contrast, geographic areas with colder climates and shorter growing seasons are limited in the crops they can produce. As a class, determine on a scale of one to ten how suitable your area is for eating only locally produced food.
• Yes. For the production of some plant based foods, greenhouses can significantly extend the growing seasons in colder climates by artificially creating the ideal environment for year round plant growth.
• In large cities where open space is a limiting factor, vertical gardens and greenhouses can be implemented.
• Science can also be used to select and use varieties of plants that require shorter growing seasons or that are more tolerant of local temperatures (heat or cold).
• Aquaponics, hydroponics, and aquaculture are non-traditional methods of producing food using various forms of water, instead of soil, for plant growth. These cultivation methods are being used more and more in some areas.
• Access to affordable feed
• Close access to markets to sell livestock.

Activity 2: Origin of our Thanksgiving Foods

• In  Activity 1 , students should have gained a basic knowledge of the portion of their Thanksgiving dinner that is (or could be) produced locally. In this activity, students will learn the geographic areas in the United States that produce the highest quantities of each agricultural crop or commodity and why.
• Explain to students that a farmer's goal is to produce a product that is nutritious and economical for consumers. With these two goals in mind, farmers take many factors into consideration when choosing a location for a farm as well as the farm's overall capacity to grow crops and livestock for our food. We will discuss three factors.
• California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona.
• They have a tropical or subtropical climate and warm temperatures year round.
• Citrus trees are sensitive to frost. Cold temperatures can result in loss of a fruit crop and even kill the tree.
• While greenhouses can provide an ideal climate for plant growth, they are very expensive to build and maintain. The cost to produce citrus fruits in a greenhouse would be much greater than simply growing them in the ideal environment and climate and then shipping the fruit to the consumer.
• Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois, and Indiana
• Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Indiana
• Yes. Corn is the primary diet for pigs. It is economical to raise pigs close to where their feed is grown. This decreases production costs for the farmer allowing the cost of food to be lower. Note: Most large scale pig farms utilize climate controlled facilities to keep their pigs cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Consequently, pig farms are not restricted to being located in a specific climate.
• Yes. Beef cattle require more living space than other livestock species. Most beef cattle spend the majority of their lives grazing pastures and rangelands. Larger states have more likelihood of having fields, pastures, and rangelands for cattle to graze.
• Moisture. If your students need a clue to answer this question, show them the  Rainfall and Beef Cow Maps . These four states are located in a desert region and have some of the driest overall conditions. Lack of rainfall decreases the amount of grazing available for cattle feed, thus decreasing the total number of cattle that can be raised per acre.
• At this point your students should have an understanding that our food is typically produced by farmers in geographic areas that have ideal climates, necessary resources (fertile soil, moisture, feed, etc.), and adequate space. With this knowledge they are prepared to complete,  The Geography of My Thanksgiving Dinner activity . Print the attached document front to back. This will make 12 sheets of paper, each representing 1 ingredient for Thanksgiving dinner.
• Divide your class into 12 teams of two or three students. Assign each team one food item by giving them one of the twelve food cards.
• Make a presentation using visual aides such as PowerPoint, Prezi, or other presentation style to illustrate the steps of food production from the farm to their plate.
• Assign students to find a short and appropriate educational YouTube video to share with the class about the production of their food. Watch the video clips as part of their presentations. Be sure to preview each video prior to their presentation.
• After an appropriate amount of preparation time, ask each team of students to present what they have learned to the class.

Divide students into groups and assign them to prepare a portion of Thanksgiving dinner to enjoy as a class activity.

Watch the History Channel's Modern Marvels episodes,  Harvesting  or  Harvesting 2  to learn about the technology involved in the harvesting of our food.

Use the information and video clips included in the  Background Agricultural Connections  section of the lesson to teach students about the growth and production of these common Thanksgiving dinner foods.

Have students use a grocery store ad to calculate the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for 8 people.

View the website with the  Thanksgiving Maps and Geography .

Watch the History Channel's  History of the Holidays: History of Thanksgiving  video clip. 

After conducting these activities conclude and summarize the following key points:

• Farmers aim to produce food that is economical and nutritious.
• Many farm commodities thrive in specific geographic locations and/or climates. Therefore, farms produce large quantities of food in these areas and ship it throughout the nation.
• The ability to transport food from the grower to the consumer allows for a diet with many different foods and offers food at a lower cost.
• Depending on the location, limiting diets to locally grown food will decrease the varieties of food and nutrients in our diet.
• Thanksgiving dinner will likely represent food grown in many regions of our country. Some food may even be grown outside of the country.
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/in-the-news/pumpkins-background-statistics.aspx
• http://extension.illinois.edu/gardenerscorner/issue_02/fall_05_05.cfm
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/animal-products/poultry-eggs/media-resources-turkey-market.aspx
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranberry
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat_production_in_the_United_States
• http://www.nass.usda.gov/Charts_and_Maps/Poultry/eggmap.asp
• http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/Learn-More/FactsandFigures/Pages/StateStatistics.aspx
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/sugar-sweeteners/background.aspx
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1834605/vgs-355-sa1.pdf
• http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/Crops/2013/vegannual.pdf
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/corn/background.aspx
• http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes.aspx
• http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/vegetables/carrots/

Recommended Companion Resources

• All About the Pumpkin Video
• Berries Flowchart
• Dirt-to-Dinner: Food Matters
• Eat Happy Project video series
• From Cane to Sugar
• Modern Marvels: Harvesting
• Producepedia
• Skillet Toasted Squash Seeds
• Sweet Slow Cooker Squash
• Thanksgiving Maps and Posters
• Visit an Iowa Turkey Farm
• What's In My Food?

Andrea Gardner

Organization

National Center for Agricultural Literacy

Culture, Society, Economy & Geography

• Discuss the relationship between geography (climate and land), politics, and global economies in the distribution of food (T5.9-12.f)
• Discuss how agricultural practices have increased agricultural productivity and have impacted (pro and con) the development of the global economy, population, and sustainability (T5.9-12.e)

Food, Health, and Lifestyle

• Explain how food production systems are influenced by consumer choices (T3.9-12.f)

Education Content Standards

Social studies - geography (geography).

APHG Topic 5.9: The Global System of Agriculture

• PSO-5.E.1    Food and other agricultural products are part of a global supply chain.

Common Core Connections

Anchor standards: reading.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Anchor Standards: Speaking and Listening

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

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