Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of the American Indian: Perspectives on Thanksgiving
Excellent resource for educating students on the American Indian perspective on Thanksgiving using the themes of environment, community, encounters, and innovations. Includes images, quotes, classroom activity ideas, and links to related...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Pictures and Text Work Together Too!
The class will read the informational text "Together They Were Better". As the teacher reads the book aloud, she/he will use the illustrations from each page to give students clues as to the text on the page, helping them to see the...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Emergent Readers With and Emergent Reader
Students will sequence story events with the teacher and read an emergent reader in a guided setting. The chosen book, "Pilgrims and Wampanoag: Together They Were Better", has high use of sight words and high levels of picture support...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: I Learned It Online
Preparing the new generations for college and career readiness absolutely requires us to ensure our children are competent and comfortable in the use of a variety of digital tools. Young scholars will be learning about a topic online and...
Ancestry
The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony: 1620
Study guide with loads of information about the pilgrims. Details everything from the religious beliefs of the pilgrims to what the Mayflower looked like, to the dogs on the ship, furniture, clothing, descriptions of medical practices on...
National Women’s History Museum
National Women's History Museum: Sarah Josepha Hale
Sarah Josepha Hale is best known for creating the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb." Her influence can also be seen in historic sites and in the creation of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
Library of Congress
Loc: Learning Page: Primary Source Set: Thanksgiving
A set of primary documents that reflect the Mayflower, Plymouth, Puritans, the first Thanksgiving, and legislation for the holiday.
Utah State University
Teacher Link: Celebrations: A Resource Guide for Teachers
TeacherLINK at Utah State University offers a wealth of topics and project information on celebrations held throughout the world. Click on "Topics and Authors," to access a long list of available lesson plans on a variety of...
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Score: Life on Plymouth Plantation
In this activity students will be discovering about the early Americans by looking at a recreation of Plymouth Plantation in 1627.
Scholastic
Scholastic: Lesson Plan: The First Thanksgiving
Teachers deepen students' understanding of the first Thanksgiving as they discuss the Mayflower voyage, life in the colonies, the Wampanoag traditions, and an extensive look into this time period.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: All About the Holidays
We celebrate many holidays but have you ever wondered how the tradition began? Find out through a collection of short, fun and informative videos about Christmas, Columbus Day, Halloween, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, President's Day, Ramadan,...
Writing Fix
Writingfix: Alliteration Potluck
In this lesson plan, Potluck by Anne Shelby, is used as a mentor text for word choice. The content focus of the lesson is to highlight alliteration. Each student will use alliteration in a sentence as the student include his/her name, a...
Other
Fdr Library: The Year We Had Two Thanksgivings?
Learn about the history of how Thanksgiving got its official date.
Other
Pilgrim Hall Museum: History Paintings
This website from the Pilgrim Hall Museum contains a collection of various history paintings depicting the pilgrims. Each image is annotated with a brief summary of what event the painting is depicting and general information about the...
ReadWriteThink
Read Write Think: Myth and Truth: "The First Thanksgiving" [Pdf]
Contains plans for three lessons that examine the myth and reality behind the first Thanksgiving and the Wampanoag Native Americans in colonial America. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to...
Library of Congress
Loc: Primary Source Set: Thanksgiving
Teaching guide that uses primary sources to cover the history, traditions, and events of the American holiday of Thanksgiving. Provides additional online resources.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of the American Indian: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth [Pdf]
This study guide gives information about the Native Americans who were living in the area where the Pilgrims landed in 1620 and information about the new settlers too. The myth of the title concerns the friendly meal shared by the...
Other
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Everything you would want to know if you are planning a trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. There is a photo tour of the parade, a route map, parade history, and hotel and dining information.
Can Teach
Can Teach: Songs and Poems
This site features an extensive list of poems and songs for every event during the school year. Explore the seasons, colors, holidays, and more.
Other
Holiday & Festival Activities Esl Kid Stuff
Nice variety of ideas, games, activities, songs, and recommended web resources related to Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Geared toward younger PK-3 English language learners.
Read Works
Read Works: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage shares facts about the first Thanksgiving. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies and establishes...
Read Works
Read Works: The First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] This informational text passage describes the first Thanksgiving. This passage reinforces essential reading comprehension skills. Opportunities for vocabulary acquisition are also included. Several...
Read Works
Read Works: The Story of the First Thanksgiving
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the first Thanksgiving. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in understanding plot.
Read Works
Read Works: Give Thanks
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Thanksgiving Day, how it originated and how it is celebrated today. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.