A Thanksgiving Feast With Miss Dees
This TopicQuest was designed for Mrs. Patrice Griffin's
Kindergarten Class at North Brooks Elementary School
By Catherine Dees, a Valdosta State University Preservice Teacher

      kids eating turkey 
         
  

Introduction
When you think about Thanksgiving, what do you think of?  Turkey...dressing...Pilgrims...Indians...family? Thanksgiving is a very special time of year.  Not only is it a time to be with family and friends, enjoy good food, and be thankful for all the good things in our lives, but Thanksgiving also is a time for us to remember the history of our country.



pilgrims standing The First Thanksgiving
Go here to find out what life was like back in 1621. You can see a timeline of the Pilgrims journey, take a tour of the Mayflower, and find out what clothes the Pilgrims and Indians wore.
pilgrim hat with leaf
HyperDictionary.com
Do you need to know what a word means? Go here to find out what a pilgrim is.
pilgrim couple with a turkey All About Turkeys for kids and teachers
This site tells all about turkeys.  You can practice your numbers with a fun turkey counting page.
Children gving thanks Bethany Roberts' Thanksgiving Fun For Kids
Here you can have lots of fun playing Thanksgiving games. You can also learn about what other people are thankful for.
Mayflower sailing
 		The History of Thanksgiving
Learn all about the first Thanksgiving.  Who were the Pilgrims? What was the Mayflower?
colorful turkey Not Just for Kids! Thanksgiving Fun
This site tells about the history of Thanksgiving and also has some fun Thanksgiving games.  You can actually go on a fun turkey hunt and win a special prize.


Mission Activity

Go with me now to a time over 300 years ago.  We are Pilgrims who traveled over to the New Land on the Mayflower.  After a long hard journey, we are very hungry and it is almost time to have our first Thanksgiving feast. You and your partner have been asked to create invitations to send to some of your friends back home in England to invite them to join us for this delicious feast. You will need to draw pictures on this invitation to show your friends what to wear, who will be at the feast, and what foods will be eaten. 

Mission Steps
  • Explore the websites above.  Focus on The First Thanksgiving and look closely at the pictures of Pilgrims.  Then visit Not Just for Kids! Thanksgiving Fun and go on a fun turkey hunt and you will get a special prize.
  • Also look at Bethany Roberts' Thanksgiving Fun For Kids.  Discuss the meaning of Thanksgiving (being thankful for all the good things in our life).
  • We will discuss and review the content of the websites, focusing on the foods the Pilgrims and Indians ate, as well as who was at the first Thanksgiving feast.
  • Now begin your invitation.  Draw a picture of a Pilgrim and an Indian on your piece of paper and draw some of the foods we eat at Thanksgiving. Draw another picture on your invitation of something you are thankful for. Color all your other pictures.  Also color and cut out your prize turkey and paste it on the cover of your invitation.
  • When you have finished your invitation, we will discuss your drawings and how they relate to the pictures and topics we looked at online.
  • Below are some ideas for your pictures.

  family carving turkey turkey hand  Pilgrim and Indian  cornacopia happy pilgrim girl

turkey with Happy Thanksgiving written on his side
schoolhouse
Land of Learning Home Page
 mailbox
mcdees@valdosta.edu
 planets


VSU TopicQuest Websites
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TopicQuest Lesson Plan
                            
                                                          turkey on the run     Come to visit anytime!!!          turkey on the run