I am one of those crazy homeschooling mamas who doesn’t like stopping school for long periods during the holidays. I thrive with routine, and I think the kids do better with a little bit of structure throughout the days. So for most holidays we don’t take long school vacations. Instead, I’ll often plan a fun unit study, focusing on the holiday and its history and meaning. This gives us enough to do to maintain a flexible schedule but also allows us to have some time away from the regular routine. It’s also been a great way to teach about the holidays throughout the years.
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To that end, I’ve made this Thanksgiving unit study. This is a five-day study that will give you the opportunity to learn a little about the holiday, read some good books, and have some hands-on Thanksgiving fun.
Booklist
- The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh (K-early elementary)
- Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac (elementary)
- …If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern (elementary)
- Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl by Kate Waters (early elementary)
- Thanksgiving Is… by Gail Gibbons (K-early elementary)
- Thank You Sara: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson (elementary)
- Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas (elementary)
- The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross (PreK-K)
- Our America…The Pilgrim Adventure by Susan Kilbride (upper elementary-middle)
Day one
- Thanksgiving copywork (taken from The First Thanksgiving by Blaisdell and Ball)-printable pack
- Watch this video to learn more about the Pilgrims who came to America.
- The First Thanksgiving Word Search-printable pack
- Print and play Thanksgiving BINGO.
Day two
- Thanksgiving copywork (taken from The First Thanksgiving by Blaisdell and Ball)-printable pack
- The Pilgrims lived very different lives from their new Indian neighbors. Use this site from Scholastic to see the differences in the way they lived.
- Complete the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the lives of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. (If you need help with how to complete a Venn diagram, check out this site.)-printable pack
- Make a Thanksgiving bracelet to remember the story of the first Thanksgiving.
Day three
- Thanksgiving copywork (taken from The First Thanksgiving by Blaisdell and Ball)-printable pack
- Learn more about the Pilgrims’ daily life with this interactive scrapbook from Remember Patience Whipple. You can click on the pages to see what life would have been like for the Pilgrims.
- Creative writing: Tell what you would have experienced if you were on the Mayflower. (Let younger kids dictate and draw a picture.)-printable pack
- Download this freebie and play games the Pilgrim children would have played. (This is from Teachers Pay Teachers, and you need an account, but the printable is free.)
Day four
- Thanksgiving copywork (taken from The First Thanksgiving by Blaisdell and Ball)-printable pack
- Use this interactive site to learn firsthand about the first Thanksgiving. Click “Begin Your Adventure” to start.
- Use your findings from the interactive site to complete a newspaper about the first Thanksgiving.-printable pack
- Make this simple version of pumpkin pie for a Thanksgiving treat.
Day five
- Thanksgiving copywork (taken from The First Thanksgiving by Blaisdell and Ball)-printable pack
- Read through this great collection of Thanksgiving-themed poetry.
- Write your own acrostic poem using the letters of Thanksgiving. Use words that tell what you’re thankful for or that have a significance to the first Thanksgiving. (Let younger kids dictate.)-printable pack
- Print these free cards and play Thanksgiving charades with your family.
I hope you enjoy this Thanksgiving unit study, and please feel free to pass the link along to your friends!
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