Education

Thanksgiving: Teaching Ideas and Resources for a Memorable Pre-Break Experience

Here are some Thanksgiving teaching ideas and resources that can enhance the quality of the last few days for both teachers and students.

Jeremy Jorgensen

Nov 18, 2023 — 2 min read

Photo by Meritt Thomas / Unsplash

Thanksgiving is approaching, and the days leading up to the Thanksgiving break can be challenging to manage. In Northern Wisconsin, where I reside, we have students who miss classes for deer hunting and others who take additional days off before the break starts.

From a teacher's standpoint, this presents challenges. The primary challenge is to avoid teaching the same material twice. The secondary challenge is to ensure a positive experience for the students who remain in school until the break.

Here are some ideas and resources that can enhance the quality of the last few days for both teachers and students.

Gratitude for Nature - Explore the book "Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message". This is a clip from the classic "Reading Rainbow Stories" collection.
Thanksgiving Escape Room - We just used this Quizizz resource to create an escape room based on review questions from each of our core classes. It was really easy to do.
Education World - Thanksgiving Lesson Plans and Activities
NEA - Native educators say Thanksgiving lessons can be accurate, respectful, and still fun—here’s how
Edutopia - Culturally Responsive Ways to Teach the History of Thanksgiving
Mother of Thanksgiving - Learn about Sarah Josepha Hale and how her persistence led to Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation. We read this book to our 8th-graders and their 3rd-grade buddies before Thanksgiving break each year.