Lesson Plan Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving

Kindergarten
Standard: K.6 Students understand that history relates to events, people, and places of other
times.

K.6.1 Identify the purposes of, and the people and events honored in, commemorative
holidays, including the human struggles that were the basis for the events (e.g., Thanksgiving,
Independence Day, Washingtons and Lincolns Birthdays, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial
Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans day).
Unit of Study: The history of Thanksgiving and why it is celebrated today.
Outcomes/Objective: Have students reflect on why they think we celebrate Thanksgiving.
Introduction to Lesson: To introduce the lesson I ask the students if they know what a tradition
is. I will then ask if the students have any traditions for Thanksgiving.
Instructional Strategies:
1.
After lesson is introduced, I will have the students dictate to me what they know about
Thanksgiving, and I will write it on half of a poster.
2.

I will then show them a slideshow with pictures and facts about the first Thanksgiving.

3.
I will then have them dictate again what they now know about Thanksgiving on the other
half of the poster.
4.
For the final step I will show them how trace their hand on a piece of paper and draw a
turkey, and then I will let them do it. Their materials will be pre-separated into piles for each
table.
Assessment: I will measure their understanding by comparing the two different sides of the
before and after poster.
Materials:

Slideshow
Projector
Large poster paper

Pen (For teacher)

8x11 poster paper in multiple color packs*
Crayons*
Safety scissors*
*these three things will be put into piles to be handed out to each table