TeachersFirst Collection: Thanksgiving Resources
Thanksgiving offers a meaningful opportunity for learners of all ages to explore history, culture, and gratitude. This collection brings together resources that help students examine the holiday's history from multiple perspectives, practice thankfulness, and connect traditions to their own lives. You'll find lesson plans, videos, podcasts, interactive activities, reading suggestions, and discussion prompts, with options for a range of grade levels, subjects, and time commitments.
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Culturally Responsive Ways to Teach the History of Thanksgiving - Edutopia
Grades
5 to 12
tag(s): thanksgiving (28), native americans (172)
In the Classroom
Explore the Territory Acknowledgement Guide that is featured in the Edutopia article. Students can use Lino, reviewed here to share their new knowledge about Thanksgiving. Students can use Adobe Podcast, reviewed here to create a podcast about what they believed Thanksgiving to be about and what they learned.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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35+ Thanksgiving Games, Activities, Printables, and Crafts That Kids Will Love - ABC Mouse
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): holidays (294), crafts (110), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
When playing Thanksgiving Bingo, use the Wheel of Names, reviewed here to help with calling the pictures. Use Comic Strip Templates by Canva, reviewed here to create a comic that tells the story of Thanksgiving or that lets students share their favorite Thanksgiving traditions. Students can also make their own videos using Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here to share how to make crafts such as the origami turkey.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thanksgiving | All About the Holidays - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
2 to 6tag(s): native americans (172), holidays (294), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
Ask students to complete the accompanying Thanksgiving word search, then choose several words such as harvest, Pilgrims, Native Americans, Lincoln, and thankful to define or illustrate in their own words. Ask students to write a short response explaining what being thankful means to them. Invite volunteers to share their responses and combine them into a classroom gratitude display. Students can create a timeline with Timeline Tool by ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, showing important events in the development of Thanksgiving. Have students add short captions explaining each event's importance.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thanksgiving - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): perspective (34), native americans (172), primary sources (184), holidays (294), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
Ask student pairs to compare two images or documents from the collection and identify similarities and differences in what each reveals about Thanksgiving or giving thanks. Students can record their findings on paper or with the 2 and 3 Interactive Venn Diagrams by Class Tools, reviewed here. Have students examine one primary-source image before reading its description. Ask them to make a three-column observation chart labeled I Notice, I Think, and I Wonder, then revisit their inferences after learning more about the source. Invite students to arrange selected sources in chronological order and create a timeline with Timeline Tool by Read Write Think, reviewed here, showing how Thanksgiving observances and representations have changed over time. Have students add captions explaining each source's significance and use evidence from the collection to support their conclusions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Thinksgiving - Van Andel Institute for Education
Grades
K to 8tag(s): holidays (294), thanksgiving (28), STEM (393)
In the Classroom
Students can use Figma, reviewed here to compare and contrast Thanksgiving from long ago to now. Students can use Book Creator, reviewed here to create a class book after completing the perfect Thanksgiving meal. Finally, students can post what they are thankful for on Padlet, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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In Our Words - First Thanksgiving - Discovery Ed
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): empathy (81), perspective (34), native americans (172), thanksgiving (28), holidays (294)
In the Classroom
Students can create visual art or a collage that contrasts traditional Thanksgiving imagery with representations of Indigenous cultures and perspectives. They can use a free resource such as PhotoCollage, reviewed here. Have students explain their artwork in a gallery walk format, fostering discussions about historical accuracy, respect, and representation. Provide students with primary sources like excerpts from Pilgrim diaries or early colonial documents. Ask them to analyze the sources to identify different perspectives and motivations, encouraging critical thinking about reliability, bias, and how history is documented. Students can write a reflective essay on how learning about Indigenous perspectives of the first Thanksgiving has altered their understanding of the holiday. Encourage them to research present-day perspectives from Indigenous voices and suggest how these insights might change their approach to Thanksgiving traditions.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
K to 12tag(s): primary sources (184), professional development (317), native americans (172), thanksgiving (28), explorers (65), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site for use with lessons on Thanksgiving, using primary sources, or when teaching about Native Americans. Consider using curation tools such as Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize resources for easy retrieval. Padlet and Wakelet are also handy when sharing information and resources with students. As you begin your lessons on American Indians, begin with a formative assessment to gauge your students' understanding of the topic. Use an easy online quiz tool such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to engage students in your learning activities. As you continue in your lessons, continue to motivate and engage students using Wooclap, reviewed here, to review information either in class or as a homework activity. Instead of testing to assess knowledge upon completing your unit, offer students the opportunity to share their understanding of content in various ways. Examples include creating an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, an explainer video made using Clipchamp, reviewed here, and an interactive map built using Google My Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Evaluating Art as Historical Evidence - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): womens suffrage (66), nazis (7), american revolution (99), mexico (66), thanksgiving (28), assessment (144), native americans (172), civil rights (230), artists (107), comics and cartoons (67), declaration of independence (27), japan (61), civil war (148), china (78), france (38), art history (109), egypt (62), mayans (31), colonial america (86)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this list for use throughout the year with many different history lessons. Include these art activities to provide context and visual perspective to important events. Use a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to create an ongoing resource for students to use for review and as a guide for understanding history through a wider lens. For example, when using Padlet, choose the timeline feature and add a piece of art onto the timeline. Upload videos, text, and additional images to create an interactive timeline that tells a story through art. As a final project, ask students to share their learning using Sway, reviewed here to write a reflective piece on the use of art throughout any period in time. Have students include student work, images, links, maps, and more in Sway projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native Knowledge 360 Education Initiative - Smithsonian Institute
Grades
K to 12tag(s): westward expansion (42), native americans (172), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
Replace some (or all) of your current written Native America resources with the genuine artifacts and stories available for viewing on this site. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to organize important information and resources found on this site to share with students. As students learn about Native Americans, instead of written or oral presentations, ask student groups to create quizzes for their classmates using a quiz-creation tool like Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy resource for creating and sharing quizzes for teams of two. As a final project, transform and extend student technology and learning by using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create class books sharing information about Native Americans. Book Creator is a digital book creation site offering the ability to add images, text, video, and more. Be sure to share student-created books on your class website or blog after publication.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About the Holidays - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12tag(s): christmas (35), fathers day (17), flag day (5), cinco de mayo (27), easter (8), st patricks day (10), pi (26), womens suffrage (66), presidents (155), chinese new year (5), kwanzaa (22), hanukkah (22), thanksgiving (28), veterans (38), elections (92), halloween (44), fire prevention (19), yom kippur (14), back to school (57), rosh hashanah (12), new years (4), martin luther king (42), valentines day (10), july 4th (20), labor day (6), holidays (294), hispanic (52), Juneteenth (32), women (198), womenchangemaker (101)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for teaching material during holidays throughout the year. For each holiday use a bookmarking site such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize and share lesson materials, videos, and game sites for your students. Instead of worksheets or written reports, enhance student learning by asking them to create infographics sharing information about any holiday. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, is a very easy to use tool that includes pre-made templates. Don't keep student learning to yourself, share their knowledge through holiday podcasts for your entire school and community to hear. Spotify for Podcastors, reviewed here, features many kid-friendly tools to get you started with creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Americans - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): thanksgiving (28), native americans (172), westward expansion (42), battles (19)
In the Classroom
Replace some of your current written Native American resources with the genuine artifacts and stories available for viewing on this site. Introduce the site to students on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate its features and how to find them. After students have had time to explore, create groups to conduct in-depth research in the four featured areas. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, with four columns for students to share web and video resources found during their research. Instead of written or oral presentations, ask student groups to create quizzes for their classmates using a quiz-creation tool like Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy resource for creating and sharing quizzes for teams of two. As a final project, transform student learning by using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create class books sharing information about Native Americans. Book Creator is a digital book creation site offering the ability to add images, text, video, and more. Be sure to share student-created books on your class website or blog after publication.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Left Brain Craft Brain - Anne Carey
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): STEM (393), blogs (80), coding (112), magnetism (40), rockets (12), earth day (68), senses (21), oceans (142), stars (78), human body (97), cooking (33), engineering (137), architecture (81), crafts (110)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use when implementing STEAM activities. Use the site's search bar to find activities for specific content. Have students create an online or printed comic demonstrating their activities using one of these tools: Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here, or Canva Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos of activities using their photos uploaded to Clipchamp, reviewed here, and share them on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here. Left Brain Craft Brain offers excellent activities to use alongside your Earth Day and Thanksgiving lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid World Citizen - Becky Morales
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): native americans (172), thanksgiving (28), cross cultural understanding (165), holidays (294), earth day (68), chinese new year (5), christmas (35), back to school (57), mexico (66), hanukkah (22), italy (30), ramadan (10), hispanic (52), Juneteenth (32)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site for use throughout the year when teaching about countries, holidays, and for cross-cultural literature resources. Choose a country to explore each month using resources found on the site. Learn about your students' backgrounds to find countries and regions to explore using activities on the site. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare and contrast your culture with that of a different country.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Classroom Materials - Primary Source Sets - Library of Congress
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): evaluating sources (61), history day (37), immigration (85), primary sources (184), lincoln (65), authors (116), 20th century (170), civil war (148), constitution (111), black history (132), hispanic (52), wright brothers (17), segregation (22), new deal (5), thanksgiving (28), veterans (38), washington (33), jefferson (20), westward expansion (42), womens suffrage (66), Research (95), civics (142)
In the Classroom
When introducing a new unit, show students photos from the era (on the left menu) and have them describe what they see and what period they think it is. Find plenty of questions and activities (including a blank analysis organizer for students) in the Teacher's Guides. Also look at Library of Congress: for Teachers, reviewed here. Encourage your students to use this tool for projects. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted for reproduction), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report. Have students create a multimedia presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here. Google Slides allows you to narrate a picture (choose Insert from the top menu, then audio) modifying student learning. Include this site on your class webpage for students and parents to access as a reference.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Assessments - Digital Inquiry Group
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): civil rights (230), colonial america (86), rubrics (40), civil war (148), slavery (82), war of 1812 (14), 1920s (17), cold war (40), immigrants (50), womens suffrage (66), immigration (85), assessment (144), thanksgiving (28), racism (85)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a valuable resource for standards-aligned social studies literacy assessments. Many of the activities and videos work well on an interactive whiteboard or projector and are ideal for whole-class instruction. Share the rubrics before lessons so students clearly understand expectations and success criteria. Use the assessments and materials to support instruction in historical thinking, character education, bias, and racism, and adapt the formats to create your own similar tasks. The site is also useful for professional development, offering strong models for rubrics and assessment-driven lesson planning. Be sure to explore the tags for the same assessment type to locate additional assessments beyond the main list.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations - Holidays on the Net
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): thanksgiving (28), crafts (110), blogs (80)
In the Classroom
Lead your students to this site filled with information. Research can determine the many myths and true information about Thanksgiving. Allow students to plan and make parts of their Thanksgiving feast. Find fun activities, crafts, decorations to make your celebration perfect with your students and families. Add at a center for timely fun information and research time. Link this to your class website or wiki for parent information and extensions at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plimoth Patuxet Museums - Plimoth Plantation
Grades
3 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): thanksgiving (28), pilgrims (13), colonial america (86)
In the Classroom
Revitalize commercial traditions and bring history to life. Fascinating primary sources are at your computer! Virtual field trips, historical sleuthing, genealogy, and so much more. Challenge your students to look more closely and decide for themselves. Debate information lines the pages of this website. Have students keep a virtual journal about what they learn (and what's new to them) from Plimoth Plantation. Use an easy virtual journaling tool such as Penzu, reviewed here. With Penzu, you can add images or your own artwork as illustrations. Study history, not false information.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Facts for Features: Thanksgiving Day 2017 - U.S. Census Bureau
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): holidays (294), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
Choose a statistic your students can estimate then use this site to help develop estimation and number sense--all in a holiday spirit. Gobble, Gobble! Perhaps create an infographic using Piktochart AI Inforgrapic Generator, reviewed here to display your favorite data. An interesting question to ask: what other data would you like to learn from the U.S. census the next time they do one?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native American Crafts Unit - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): thanksgiving (28), crafts (110), native americans (172)
In the Classroom
Try using this unit with a study of Thanksgiving, colonial settlements, or Native Americans of the eastern U.S. Share the hands-on crafts and be sure to take digital pictures. Ask students to write explanations of the crafts on your class wiki (with the accompanying pictures)! Or include the link to directions for one of these crafts on your class web page for students to try as a summer activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Thanksgiving Story - Wilstar
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): holidays (294), pilgrims (13), thanksgiving (28)
In the Classroom
Create a quiz for the information on this site using, Slido, and give it to your students before studying Thanksgiving to assess prior knowledge. Use the story page on an interactive whiteboard (or projector) for students to highlight key words and write a main idea sentence or do practice comprehension or notetaking skills during Thanksgiving season. Older students can read the site on their own at a classroom center and complete the quiz at the end of their session. After reading the story, ask students to write their own story from the perspective of one of the first Thanksgiving participants. Create a class book using their stories using a site such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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