Thanksgiving:
being thankful, sharing, the first Thanksgiving

To start off this unit I usually ask the children what the word "thankful" means.



Predictable sentence:
I am thankful for...
I use this sentence for two weeks. The first week I instruct the child to name something that they are thankful for. The second week I ask them to name someone that they are thankful for.

Word Families:
tail: pail, mail, rail, sail, bail
giving: living, sing, king, ring, sting, thing, bring, wing



Play Native American music. Ask the children to make a facial expression to show you how the music makes them feel. Ask the children to move to the music. (Is it slow? Is it fast?) Ask them to draw a picture to show what they think about when they listen to the music.

The First Thanksgiving



Stone Soup


Sharing is "soup-er!"
Use cut-outs of vegetables to write dictations from each child about something they can share.

song to the tune of "The More We Get Together"
The more we share with our friends, with our friends, with our friends,
The more we share with our friends, the happier we'll be!
With Sam and Allison and Malik and Juanita,
The more we share with our friends, the happier we'll be!

Write the song above on chart paper or sentence strip and laminate it. Then write every child's name on a separate sentence strip. Use tacky dough or tape to post four names into the song at a time. Change the names and then sing it again. Keep going until every child's name is used.



As a culminating activity, have a Thanksgving feast. Ask the other classes from your grade level to help prepare Thanksgiving foods. Have each class choose something different to make. Allow the children to help cook the food. Come together dressed in as Pilgrims and Native Americans and enjoy the feast.