Okay, first I feel compelled to assure you that I am not as old as dirt. I do concede to falling into a somewhat mature age bracket. For example, I remember black and white televisions and phones with extremely long cords! I tell you this because two days ago I was asked by Jacob, a young neighborhood tot, if I ate Thanksgiving dinner with the Pilgrims. Yikes! And to make matters worse, Jacob’s mom rushed in to save the day with “Oh, Jacob! Miss Diane isn’t that old!” What can I say?
How do you incorporate the first Thanksgiving into your teaching plans?
Smiles,
Diane
I have about 15 different Thanksgiving books and a lot of them talk about the first Thanksgiving. We also make pilgram and indian “puppets” Basicly they color a picture of two pilgrams and two indians and we put them on popsicle sticks so the children can act it out themselves.
We have a Thanksgiving Feast and the Parents come. I talk about the first Thanksgivng vs teaching it in PreK.
I know that feeling! I grew up with a black & white TV & NO REMOTE! which blows the kids away. Rotary phones & vinyl records on turntables! Amazing all the has developed since! For Thanksgiving we usually read a couple of books…one fun & one related to the First Thanksgiving as well as do an arts & crafts activity…we also give the students a chance to say what they are thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!
I teach preschoolers ages 2 to 5. We first start with a book on the First Thanksgiving. A week before. Than we make pilgrams and indian outfits. Make a tablecloth and act out our “First Thanksgiving Dinner” with different dishes that are brought from home and some made by the children. We go around the table stating what we are thankful for.
Elizabeth
We talk about being a pilgrim and how they were only able to take a few items with them on their journey. I give the children a large paper bag to be their luggage. They have to fill it with what they would need on their journey to a new world as a pilgrim. It is very interesting what they feel is important to them.
We host an “Annual Thanksgiving Feast”. Each classroom has sign up sheets for everything from sliced turkey breast to desserts. This year our classes made centerpieces for each table. Parents, grandparents, siblings and friends (who have RSVP’d) arrive at noon to enjoy a wonderful pre-Thanksgiving luncheon together. The parents, students and staff all love it!!!
I started with a general book about “Long Ago & Today”, where it paired pix of how people lived long ago and today (rode horses vs. drove cars; plowed w/ horses vs. tractors; lived in log cabins vs. houses, etc.) & talked about 100’s of years ago. The next day, I introduced the 1st Thanksgiving w/ simple kid books about pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower & looking for a new land, meeting the Indians who helped them grow food, etc., and then they had a party together to thank the Indians for helping them in their new home. We talked about how we celebrate continue to celebrate Thanksgiving. We’ve had music, pix of indians & pilgrims to count (1 little, 2 little, etc.) & lots of crafts (head bands, indian props/clothes, pilgrim hats, etc.)