THANKSGIVING MODULE

CONTENTS

Thanksgiving Teacher’s Guide

Thanksgiving PPT

Thanksgiving Vocabulary Review

Thanksgiving Vocabulary

Thanksgiving History (intermediate)

Thanksgiving History (fill in the blanks)

Thanksgiving Customs (intermediate)

Thanksgiving Customs (fill in the blanks)

Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle & Clues

Thanksgiving: What have you learned?

Thanksgiving: Let’s talk about you.

Thanksgiving Teacher’s Guide

The Thanksgiving lessons include one PowerPoint

presentation divided in to three sections. The first

addresses the history of the Pilgrims, including their arrival

in America and first year of survival. The second section

addresses the celebration of Thanksgiving and the foods

that are included. Finally, the last sections briefly describes

how Thanksgiving is celebrated today.

These lessons are designed for beginning ESL students to

low intermediate ESL students. You may choose the

activities and worksheets that are appropriate for the level

of your class. The Power Points should be used as an

introduction for all levels since the visual images will help

with comprehension and stimulate a lively class discussion

as well as engaging pair and group work.

The goal of all the presentations is to teach American

culture while developing new vocabulary. These lessons are

not meant to replace your regular curricula but rather to

enhance and enrich the study of American customs and

traditions as they apply to your particular course.

Please feel free to use any of the materials available as they

apply to your course.

THANKSGIVING VOCABULARY REVIEW

How many words do you know?

NOUNS

Feast

Stuffing

Cranberry sauce

Parade

Bands

Balloons

Wreaths

Horn of plenty

Harvest

Crop

Holiday

Pilgrims

ACTION WORDS

Hunt

Fish

Plant

Give thanks

DESCRIPTIVE WORDS

Bountiful

Annual

THANKSGIVING WORDS

Let’s check for understanding. Complete the sentences.

1. At Thanksgiving, families eat a large meal or f______________.

2. On Thanksgiving people like to watch the Macy’s P___________ on

television. The Macy’s Parade has lots of b____________ that are

famous cartoon characters.

3. Thanksgiving happens once a year. It’s an annual c_____________.

4. The Pilgrims had the first celebration because they had a big

h______________ and had enough food to live through the

winter.

5. When you have a big harvest with lots of crops, you have a

b_______________ harvest.

6. The Native Americans showed the Pilgrims how to kill animals

for food. They taught them how to h__________.

7. Today, during the Macy’s Parade people march and play music in

a b______________ .

8. The most important food for the Thanksgiving feast is the

t________________.

FILL IN THE BLANKS: NAME__________________

The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the

P________in 1621. The Pilgrims came to the new land from

England for r___________ freedom. They sailed from

Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620. Their ship was

called the M____________. They landed at a place which they

THANKSGIVING HISTORY

named Plymouth Rock in what is known today as Massachusetts.

They arrived December 26, 1620.

The first winter for the Pilgrims was terrible. There was

much sickness and s_________. Native Americans taught the

Pilgrims how to plant, fish and hunt. They taught them how to

s_________ in America. The crops of vegetables, wheat and

corn did well, and in the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims had a great

h________. They were very grateful for the b__________

harvest. They decided to celebrate their good fortune with a

f_________. The Pilgrims invited their Native American friends

to share this Thanksgiving feast. The first feast was attended by

50 Pilgrims and ____ Native Americans.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national h__________ by

Congress in 1941.

The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated by the Pilgrims in

1621. The Pilgrims came to the new land from England for

religious freedom. They sailed from Plymouth, England, on

September 16, 1620. Their ship was called the Mayflower. They

THANKSGIVING HISTORY

landed at a place which they named Plymouth Rock in what is

known today as Massachusetts. They arrived December 26, 1620.

The first winter for the Pilgrims was terrible. There was

much sickness and starvation. Native Americans taught the

Pilgrims how to plant, fish and hunt. They taught them how to

survive in America. The crops of vegetables, wheat and corn did

well, and in the fall of 1621 the Pilgrims had a great harvest.

They were very grateful for the bountiful harvest. They decided

to celebrate their good fortune with a feast. The Pilgrims invited

their Native American friends to share this Thanksgiving feast.

The first feast was attended by 50 Pilgrims and 90 Native

Americans.

Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national day of observance

by Congress in 1941.

Thanksgiving Customs

Thanksgiving Day comes on the 4th Thursday in November. It is a

legal holiday. It is celebrated all over the United States. People give

thanks for the many good things in their lives.

Thanksgiving is a family holiday. Family and friends come

together from near and far. Some people celebrate Thanksgiving at

their church, synagogue or temple. The most important part of a

Thanksgiving celebration is the feast.

A Thanksgiving feast has many special foods such as turkey,

stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, corn and other vegetables.

Pumpkin pie is the favorite dessert of this feast.

After the feast many families watch football games on TV. There

are usually many games to watch.

Macy’s Department Store in New York has its annual Thanksgiving

Day Parade. In the parade there are floats, bands and huge balloons

shaped like famous cartoon characters. Santa Claus arrives at the end

of the parade to mark the beginning of the Christmas season.

Stores, classrooms and homes are decorated with wreaths of

dried flowers and vegetables. Horns of plenty are also very popular.

Thanksgiving is a time to remember the arrival of the Pilgrims to A

new land and a time to enjoy friends and family.

Thanksgiving Customs NAME_________________

FILL IN THE BLANKS:

Thanksgiving Day comes on the 4th T__________ in November. It

is a legal holiday. It is celebrated all over the United States. People give

t____________ for the many good things in their lives.

Thanksgiving is a family holiday. Family and friends come together

from near and far. Some people celebrate Thanksgiving at their

c____________, synagogue or temple. The most important part of a

Thanksgiving celebration is the f_____________.

A Thanksgiving feast has many special foods such as t__________,

stuffing, c___________ sauce, mashed potatoes, corn and other

vegetables. P__________ pie is the favorite dessert for this feast.

After the feast, many families watch f____________ games on TV.

There are usually many games to watch.

Macy’s Department Store in New York has its a_________

Thanksgiving Day Parade. In the parade there are floats, bands and huge

b___________ shaped like famous cartoon characters. Santa Claus

arrives at the end of the parade to mark the beginning of the Christmas

s___________.

Stores, classrooms and homes are decorated with w__________ of

dried flowers and vegetables. H of plenty are also very popular.

Thanksgiving is a time to remember the arrival of the P to

a new land and a time to enjoy friends and family.

THANKSGIVING CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS

1. Who were the first settlers that celebrated Thanksgiving?

3. These are the people you eat Thanksgiving dinner with.

5. What is the most common main dish for Thanksgiving dinner?

8. Who did the pilgrims celebrate Thanksgiving with?

9. What big holiday is celebrated in November?

14. You watch this Thanksgiving morning on TV.

DOWN

1. This pie is orange. [HINT: You see alot of them at Halloween.]

2. What can you find inside of a Thanksgiving turkey?

4. What is another word for "sweet potatoes?"

6. Dad's watch this game on TV after Thanksgiving dinner.

7. This food is red in color.

10. Who is the famous guy who appears at the end of the Thanksgiving parade?

11. What does a turkey say?

12. What animal loves to beg for some of your turkey dinner?

13. What do you do most of on Thanksgiving day?

THANKSGIVING ________________________

What have you learned?

HISTORY: Answer in complete sentences.

Who were the Pilgrims?

Where did they come from?

Why did they leave their country?

How did they travel?

When did they arrive in the new land?

Who helped them in the new land?

What did the Native Americans teach them to do? (3 things)

Why did they have a Thanksgiving feast at the end of the first year?

SHARE YOUR ANSWERS WITH YOUR PARTNER.

THANKSGIVING

Let’s talk about you.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. PREPARE TO DISCUSS YOUR ANSWERS WITH YOUR CLASSMATES.

1. Do you have a special holiday in your country when you “give

thanks” for something? Or, do you have a special harvest festival?

2. When is your festival?

3. What do people do?

4. Do you have a special feast?

5. What kinds of foods do you eat?

6. Do you wear special clothes?

7. What else do you do for this celebration?