Thanksgiving Writing Activities

As the last leaves fall and the weather continues to change, I begin class discussions about the upcoming holiday season. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to review the writing concepts and skills that were taught during the first quarter of the school year within a context that is interesting and engaging for young learners. In my sixth grade classroom, learners are given an opportunity to use a variety of writing activities to write about personal experiences and reflect on meaningful memories, all surrounding Thanksgiving. I enjoy reading and listening to their writing (as it is read aloud) during this time of the year. I also use this time to help pupils revise and edit their written records of special holiday memories. The following are a few Thanksgiving writing activities my class has enjoyed completing each year.

Enriching Vocabulary Using the Fall Theme

I like to begin our Thanksgiving writing activities with a fall-themed word bank. Each pupil is given a sheet of paper with a fall design. While I read aloud a few carefully selected poems by Robert Frost, they choose favorite or descriptive words that they hear as I read and write them on the paper. I like to use Frost's work in order to expose my impressionable learners to the rich vocabulary and vivid word images he so aptly employs. After the read aloud, I engage the class in a discussion about words that we can use to describe the fall season and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. As they add words to their lists, I also take a moment to review how to use a thesaurus. Everyone must choose a partner and look up words from their lists. Then they add those synonyms that they find interesting to their list of fall words. We also make a class list and hang it up where everyone can see it. I refer to this list throughout our writing activities as a source for inserting more interesting words into their rough drafts.

Creating a Fall-Words Word Bank

The fall word bank is an introduction to the larger concept of revision. Over the years, I have found that students almost always confuse revising and editing. My goal is for them to consistently strive to improve the message of their writing, and to realize that revision is an ongoing process that doesn't necessarily rely on correct punctuation and mechanics. I like to begin with a basic writing prompt suitable to the season; I simply prompt them to retell their favorite Thanksgiving memory. After the rough draft is complete, we refer to the fall word bank that is hanging on the wall. If we have used different words, we add them to the class list. Then, each writer must choose at least five words from the word bank to replace words in his/her first draft.

Revising is Repetitive

As learners work to include the fall words in their writing, I remind them that rich vocabulary will help them to reach the goal of recreating the images that make their holiday memory special. We also discuss how to describe the setting and characters in order to allow others to better understand and "see" the story. As they continue to revise their rough drafts, I take this time to hold individual writing conferences with each student. The goal here is to provide individual guided writing instruction and feedback. Eventually, each person produces a final copy of his/her story, complete with photos and/or illustrations, to share with the rest of the class. In years past, I have displayed this writing on Grandparents' Day or during parent-teacher conferences.

Composing Thanksgiving Poems

In addition to having learners write down their special fall holiday memories, I also like to have them write a Thanksgiving poem. After reviewing various styles of poetry and looking over our word banks, they create five Thanksgiving-themed or fall-themed poems. Sometimes, we complement our poetic works with illustrations. When time permits, I like everyone to type final copies of their poems and make them into a booklet. However, November always seems to go so quickly. Many years, final hand-written copies have sufficed. For the past couple of years, I have sent their books to a publishing company where their stories are transformed into a hard-backed book. The finished product is pleasing to the students and their families. I use Nationwide Publishing; however, there are other companies that offer a variety of student-publishing services. No matter which activity I choose, kids enjoy having the opportunity to share favorite Thanksgiving holiday memories, as well as having the time to think, discuss, and write about the holiday season.