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Children will discover how Thanksgiving got its start and identify how it has changed over time.
Thanksgiving, long ago and today
key details, vocabulary, read a timeline, cause and effect
read a pie chart
harvest, feast, official, traditions
RI.2.1 key details; RI.2.3 describe historical events; RI.2.10 read informational texts; W.2.2 writing; L.2.2 capitalization
530L
Provide students with some background on Thanksgiving.
Build background knowledge (10 min.)
Watch our video "The History of Thanksgiving”. After children have finished watching the video, discuss the following question:
Set a purpose for reading (5 min.)
Read together (20 min.)
Pass out the Read and Think printable. Use it to check comprehension as you read the issue together, pausing to ask the questions.
Review vocabulary (3 min.)
Next, play the online vocabulary slideshow. This issue’s featured terms are harvest, feast, official, and traditions.
Assessment: Reading Quiz
Pass out the Reading Quiz to review key concepts from the issue and assess students’ proficiency on key nonfiction reading skills.
Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules (20 min.)
Meet Tuyet, whose Vietnamese American family serves duck and not turkey. Tuyet learns that some of her classmates enjoy lamb, tofu, noodles, and enchiladas at Thanksgiving, but more importantly, they all share a feast with loved ones and gave thanks.
With the “My Thanksgiving Dinner” game, students work on capitalization skills while they build their dream dinner plate!
You can use our printable worksheets to focus on important ELA skills. Here's how.
ELA Focus: Vocabulary (15 min.)
Editor’s Pick: Read a Timeline (15 min.)
ELA Focus: Cause and Effect (15 min.)
Here are two past issues you can use to extend your lesson on Thanksgiving:
You can find a higher-Lexile-level and a lower-Lexile-level version of the article online here: