Thanksgivingactivitiesfrom Teacher Visionrev 2

GRADES K–6
Thanksgiving
Incorporate Thanksgiving into many of your classes, such as
Reading, Math, Science, and Social Studies with this exclusive
packet of activities from TeacherVision.
Expertly curated by the team at

Table of Contents
→ READING → MATH
Fall Reading Bulletin Board.....................................3–6 Thanksgiving Feast................................................ 26–27

Shopping for Thanksgiving Dinner.........................28
→ ARTS & CRAFTS Thanksgiving Dinner.............................................29–30

Thanksgiving Problem Solving......................... 31–32
Turkey Coloring Pages....................................................7
Your Favorite Foods at Thanksgiving.............33–34
Thanksgiving Day Draw..................................................8
Make a Wooden Mask...................................................10
Mini Totem Pole...............................................................11
→ LANGUAGE ARTS
Tipi Pattern........................................................................12 Daily Journal Topics: Thanksgiving........................35

Paper Weaving.................................................................13 Giving Thanks Writing Activity..................................36
Native American Musical Instruments............14–17 Indian Symbols and Meanings..................................37
Native American Life.............................................38–39
→ FOOD & GAMES → HISTORY
New England Food.................................................18–19 The First Thanksgiving Book............................40–43

Storing Food.............................................................20–22 The Trail of Tears...................................................44–46
Pin the Hat on the Pilgrim...................................23–24 Learn About Pocahontas....................................47–48
Thanks Around the World.......................................... 25
Fall Reading
Bulletin Board
Theme: Reading
Fall Into a
G o o d B o ok
Directions:
1. Cover the board background in light blue paper for the sky.
2. Using stencils and orange paper, make and cut out letters for “Fall Into a Good Book.”
3. Crumple brown paper to make a tree trunk and staple it to the board. Follow the same
same method to make and attach tree branches.
4. Make copies of “A Mini Book Report” and “A Scene From My Book” for each student.
Photocopy the book report reproducibles on yellow, orange, and red paper. Photocopy
the scenes reproducible on white paper. Once students complete the activity on the
following page, these leaves will decorate the board.
5. Staple the paper items to the board. Staple leaves to the branches of the tree, a few
around the trunk of the tree, and a few falling from the tree branches.
© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
3
Fall Reading
Bulletin Board
Activity:
1. Distribute the reproducibles “A Mini Book Report” and “A Scene From My Book” to
each student in your class.
2. Ask students to write their names on the back of each leaf.
3. Explain to your class that each student will choose a book to read. After reading their
book, they will complete these worksheets.
4. After grading each completed worksheet, return them to students.
5. Distribute safety scissors to each student and have them cut out their leaves.
6. Collect the leaves and staple them to the bulletin board. (See bulletin board instructions.)
7. When it is time to take down the bulletin board, have students match each drawing to its
corresponding book report.
4
5
A Scene From My Book
6
A Mini Book Report
Title:
Author:
Plot Summary:
Name __________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
Turkey Coloring Page
© 2000 - 2004 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.TeacherVision.com Page 5 7
Name __________________________________________________________ Date __________________________
Thanksgiving Day Draw
© 2000 - 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.TeacherVision.com 8

Natives of the Northwest Coast
Make a “Wooden” Mask

The natives of the Northwest Coast are master wood-carvers. Everything is carved from the wood of
the cedar tree with extremely fine craftsmanship. Some of the most interesting pieces of wood carvings
are the masks which were used in ceremonial dancing and, of course, the totem poles. In the masks
and totem poles the effigies of animals are used.
One of the most popular designs is the highly stylized face of a beaver. Use the pattern below to make
a beaver mask for yourself. Use colored construction paper. Enlarge the pattern if you need to. To
make layers of different colors, trace the patterns of individual parts such as the teeth, eyes, or nose,
and transfer them onto construction paper of contrasting colors. Cut them out and glue them into place
on the mask.
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans 10

Fall Holidays Native American Powwow
Totem Pole
Materials:
• cardboard tube
• clay
• tempera paints
• paintbrush
• paper (colors optional)
• pencil
• glue
• crayons or markers
(optional)
Directions:
• Use a cardboard tube
weighted on the bottom
with a lump of clay.
• Paint with tempera.
• Represent your family’s
characteristics with
animals.
• Draw or trace the animals
you choose and glue them
on the tube.
• You can duplicate these
animals on the back or
make three different
animals.
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 35 #615 Multicultural Holidays 11

Fall Holidays Native American Powwow
Tipi Pattern
Materials:
• brown construction paper
• crayons or markers
• scissors
• glue
• pencil
Directions:
• Copy pattern on brown

construction paper.
• Draw Native American
designs and symbols.
• Fold along dotted lines.
• Glue Tab A to Tab B
on the inside of tipi.
• Cut a flap for the
door. Add sticks
from nature
for the
poles.

Name______________________________________________ Date__________________
Paper Weaving Instruction Sheet
Most women living in the early New England colonies were expected to weave lengths
of cloth. The fabrics were used to make homespun clothes and household items such
as bedding and linens. The process of making cloth was long and tedious. First, the
colonists had to spin and dye the yarn in preparation for the weaving process. The
women took great pride in preparing plant dyes to create attractive colors. One of the
favorite colors was blue, made from the indigo plant. They also made yellow from
goldenrod flowers, pink and orange from boiled sassafras bark, and purple from iris
petals. Leaving the yarns in their natural shades of creams and tans was also common.
When the preparation of the fibers was finally complete, the women spent many hours
weaving the yarn into cloth. Children loved to watch the weaver and begged for bits of
yarn to make small items. Girls created hat bands, hair pieces, and shoestrings. Boys
made suspenders to hold up their trousers and garters to keep their stockings in place.
To develop an appreciation for what the early colonists needed to do in order to have
something to wear or keep warm, create easy-to-make paper weavings. Can you
imagine living in a community where there were no department stores?
STEPS TO PAPER WEAVING
Making the paper loom
1. With a ruler and pencil measure a 2-inch border on both ends of a 12" x 18"
sheet of colored construction paper.
2. Fold the paper in half so that you can see the pencil marks.
3. Measure and cut 1/2-inch lines from the fold to the pencil marks.
4. Cut out every other line to the edge of the 2-inch border.
Weaving into the paper loom
1. Using contrasting colors, cut a variety of 12-inch strips (to weave into the paper
loom). For variety cut some narrow and some medium widths. For additional
variety, cut some curved, pointed, or torn strips.
2. Weave the strips into the loom. Row 1 will be under one, over one. Row 2 will
reverse and be over one, under one. Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the loom is full.
When finished weaving, carefully glue every other strip edge to the edge of the
loom (on both sides).
Excerpted from Ready-to-Use Interdisciplinary Lessons & Activities for Grades 5-12.

13
Ceremonial Dances Summer Holidays
Native American
Musical Instruments
Drums
Music plays an important part in the lives of Native Americans. From the time they are bom until they
die, their lives are marked by dances and ceremonies. The drum provides the rhythm and is often joined
by rattles and rasps to furnish the background for the chants and dances accompanying tribal
ceremonies.
Drums
There are four major types of drums:
1. The small hand drum which could be carried into battle

2. The larger drum usually made from a hollowed log
3. The water drum used by the Apache
4. The basket drum used by Southwestern tribes
Native Americans make drum heads from animal hides. The drums are decorated with printed symbols
and designs having significant meanings. The Native American never plays the hide drums by tapping
with his hands, as is done in Africa. A drumstick is always used.
Quick and Easy Drums

1. Coffee cans with plastic lids are instant drum
material. First remove the metal bottom for a
better sound. Cover with construction paper.
Add Native American symbols and designs.
2. Oatmeal boxes, salt boxes, or paper ice cream
containers make drums with a different sound.
3. Pottery jars, flower pots, and metal buckets
also make excellent drums. Attach a head of
light 100% cotton canvas by using a rubber
band or tightly tied string. Dampen the fabric
to shrink it. When struck it will make a
drum-like sound.
These drums should be struck with
drumsticks. Wooden kitchen spoons with
painted Native American designs work well.
4. For a basket drum, use any size woven basket.
Turn it over. This can be struck by hand or
with pine needles to make a whisk-like sound.
#615 Multicultural Holidays 228 © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 14

Summer Holidays Ceremonial Dances
Native American Musical

Instruments (cont.)
Drums With Paper and Cloth Drumhead
Materials:
• heavy brown paper sack
• scissors
• cheesecloth
• pencil
• ruler
• shellac
• brush
• wrapping twine
• rubber band
• coffee can for frame (open at both ends)
• can opener
Directions:
1. Use a can opener to remove the bottom from a coffee can so it is open at both ends.
2. Cut a heavy brown paper sack open and spread it flat.
3. Center the coffee can on the paper sack and trace around it.
4. Using a ruler and a pencil, make marks 2” (5 cm) outside the circle. Join these marks, making a
second, larger circle. Cut out this larger circle.
5. Using the paper circle as a pattern, cut a matching circle from the cheesecloth.
6. Hold the paper and cheesecloth circles together under running water to dampen them.
7. Place the cheesecloth circle on top of the paper circle. Put both circles on top of the coffee can.
Hold them in place with a rubber band.
8. Tie wrapping twine tightly over the rubber band. Leave a loop for a handle if desired.
9. Allow the paper and cheesecloth circles to dry thoroughly.
10. Apply 3 coats of shellac to the drumhead, allowing it to dry after each coat. (White glue may be
used instead of shellac, but the sound is not as resonant.)
11. Decorate the drum with Native American symbols and designs.

Ceremonial Dances Summer Holidays
Native American
Musical Instruments (cont.)
Rattles
Rattles were very important to the Native Americans and they used many different types. Medicine men
shook special rattles in ceremonies and healing rituals. Rattles were used as musical instruments during
dances and as background to singing. A birchbark rattle accompanied the mournful chant of a
Northwest tribal funeral. The Navajo used a combination drumstick and rattle. It was made from
rawhide soaked around sand and pebbles, which could give a drum and rattle sound. Bright paint,
feathers, colored ribbon, beads, and shells were used to beautify these instruments.
Nineteenth-century Native Americans prized the empty metal spice boxes used by the settlers. Tin cans
and other metal containers were used for rattles, also.
Quick and Easy Rattles

1. Make a rattle from a cardboard tube. Tape one end of the tube (paper towel, etc.) closed. Place
beans inside. Shake to determine the sound. Add beans until the desired sound is achieved. Tape
open end closed. Decorate with marking pens.
2. Use a metal box (a candy or bandage box works well). Put in beans and experiment with sound.
Tape box lid closed. Decorate with paper and markers or paint.
Soda Pop Can Rattle

Materials:
• Aluminum soda pop can (clean and dry)
• 10" (25 cm) dowel, 1/2" (1.3 cm) diameter
• masking tape
• beans
• construction paper, scissors, marking pens
• hammer and nail
Directions:
1. Obtain empty soda pop can. Be sure it’s very dry inside (otherwise beans can mold).
2. Insert dowel at the opening. Secure dowel with a nail at the top of can.
3. At bottom opening, insert beans until you have a good sound. The type of bean, rice or popcorn
will vary the sound.
4. When you have a sound you like, tape the opening securely.
5. Cover the can with construction paper.
6. Use marking pens and decorate with Native American symbols and/or designs.
#615 Multicultural Holidays 230 © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 16
Summer Holidays Ceremonial Dances
Native American Musical

lnstruments (cont.)
Rasps
The rasp (a notched stick) is used by many Native American tribes. By notching sticks in different
ways, tribes can vary the sounds and create new sounds to accompany their dances and ceremonies.
The Sioux were able to create the angry bear sound used in the Bear Dance by rubbing a short, heavy
rasp with another stick. This was done over a metal sheet covering a hole in the ground. Using this
sounding chamber, they created a growl representing the angry spirit of a charging bear.
Quick and Easy Rasp

Use a piece of corrugated cardboard as shown and strike it with a pencil or small stick.
Traditional Rasp (needs adult help and supervision)

Materials:
• 1 dowel, 1" (2.5 cm) diameter by 12" (30 cm)
• 1 dowel, 1⁄4" (.6 cm) diameter by 8" (20 cm)
• saw (coping saw works well)
• pocketknife (adult use only!)
• pencil
• sandpaper
Directions:
1. On the longer dowel, make a pencil mark every 3/8" (1 cm) from one end, leaving 4" (10 cm) for
holding at the other end.
2. With saw, cut straight down into dowel at each pencil mark.
3. Have an adult notch a “V” with pocketknife 3/16" (.5 cm) from each cut.
4. Sand rough edges.
To Play: Rub shorter dowel along the notched dowel.
Name______________________________________________ Date__________________
New England Food & Cooking
The problems the early New England colonists faced were many. They had to struggle for
survival in the midst of a land of plenty. Despite grueling hardships, within a short period of
time homes were built, fields were cleared and sowed, and orchards and gardens were
planted.
Although their food supplies were limited at first, colonial cooks learned to make some very
tasty dishes. As soon as they began to receive such imported items as baking powder,
yeast, and sugar, many delicious recipes developed. Some of the finest cooking in American
history has come from Colonial New England.
Basic Foods
Everyone who arrived during the early 1600s had to become accustomed to three foods
available in this new land. These foods included corn, pumpkins, and beans. For the early
colonists, corn and pumpkins were often the difference between survival and starvation.
Colonial cooks learned how to use them in ingenious and inventive ways. Meat, fish, and
bread were an important part of the early settlers' diet, as well.
Meat: The early colonists were surprised by the abundance of game. In England hunting
was a privilege reserved for the rich. The Indians taught the colonists how to hunt game and
catch fish. Some of the animals eaten were deer, duck, turkey, rabbit, geese, and pigeon. A
common meat dish was New England boiled dinner, a one-pot meal that simmered all day
over an open fire. It consisted of vegetables cooked with meat and broth. Common
vegetables included turnips, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Later potatoes were added.
Seafood: In New England waters, seafood was plentiful—especially lobster, clams, oysters,
and cod fish. A popular soup made from seafood was fish chowder. New England fish
chowder consists of some kind of seafood in a thick, creamy soup flavored with salt pork and
diced potatoes.
Breads: The most common bread was known as cheate bread, a thick sourdough version,
and cornbread, made from cornmeal, flour, and water.
Vegetables: The term "vegetable" was not used in the 16th century. Edible plants were
called "sallets." The most widely used sallets included onions, artichokes, carrots, turnips,
cabbages, and beets.
Fruits: The Pilgrims found a number of native fruits that included blueberries, cranberries,
blackberries, raspberries, and gooseberries. As soon as they could, they planted apple
orchards. In addition, the colonists also found walnuts, chestnuts, and hickory nuts.
Desserts: Puddings and pies were two basic types of desserts made by early cooks.
Especially popular was Indian pudding, an authentic American treat made from cornmeal,
milk, and molasses. In the fall season, pumpkin pies were a favored treat. Fruit pies, made
from native fruits, were also baked. During the early years in America, an apple pie was rare
because apples were unknown in America at that time and needed to be imported from
England. Sweeteners included molasses and maple syrup.

18
Name______________________________________________ Date__________________
New England Food & Cooking Worksheet
Use the boxes below to outline some of the basics of early New England foods.
Three Earliest Foods:
Meats:
Seafood:
Breads:
Vegetables:
Fruits:
Nuts:
Desserts:
Sweeteners:
Common meat dish:
Common seafood dish:

19
Natives of the Southeast Woodlands
Storing Food
In the days before refrigerators, freezers, canned goods, and supermarkets, it was much more important
to be able to store food than it is today. One’s life could literally depend on the stores of food one had
set aside for one’s family. Some believe that even today people should keep emergency food supplies
on hand, because when an emergency hits, such as a flood, hurricane, or earthquake, one might be
unable to get to the store for food, and water supplies might be limited.
Solve the following problems for a family of four. Assume
30 days per month.
1. If each person needs 2 liters of water per day, how
many liters of water would need to be saved for one
month’s supply?
2. One person consumes 1/2 pound (225 g) of bread per
day. How many pounds or grams of bread would be
needed for each person for a month? For the family
for a month? For the family for a year?
3. Each person needs 5 1/2 cups (1375 mL) of fruits and
vegetables per day. How many cans of fruits and
vegetables containing 2 cups (500 mL) would need to
be saved for each person for one month? For each
person for a year? For the family for one month? For
the family for one year? Solve in cans first and then
in cups or liters.
4. Each of the two children in the family needs 2 cups
(500 mL) of milk each day. How many cups or liters
of milk would be needed for the children for one
month? For one year?
5. If powdered milk is used instead of fresh, and 1/4 cup
(60 mL) is added to 3/4 cup (180 mL) water to
substitute for 1 cup (240 ml) fresh milk, how much
powdered milk will be needed for two children for
one month? For one year?
6. If 1 cup (250 mL) dried beans will make two servings
of cooked beans, and each person eats two servings
per day, how many cups (mL) will the family need to
save for one month’s supply? For one year’s supply?
7. How many people will each get a 1 cup (250 mL)
serving from 7 gallons (280 liters) of water?
8. How many people will each get one serving of 1 cup (250 mL) cooked dried beans from 10 quarts
(10 liters) dried beans?
9. How many servings of liquid milk will each of the two children get from 20 quarts (20 liters) dried
powdered milk?

Answer Key
Storing Food
1. Liters:
2 liters per day x 4 persons = 8 liters per day total
8 liters per day x 30 days per month = 240 liters per month
2. Pounds:
1
/2 pound per person per day x 30 days per month = 15 pounds per month per person
15 pounds per person per month x 4 persons = 60 pounds per month
60 pounds per month x 12 months = 720 pounds per year
Kilograms:
1
/4 kilogram per person per day x 30 days per month = 7.5 kilograms per month per person
7.5 kilograms per person per month x 4 persons = 30 kilograms per month
30 kilograms per month x 12 months = 360 kilograms per year
3. Cups:
5 1/2 cups per person x 30 days per month = 165 cups per person per month
165 cups = 82 1/2 cans
82 1/2 cans per person per month x 12 months per year = 990 cans per person per year
82 1/2 cans per person per month x 4 persons = 330 cans per month
330 cans per month per family x 12 months per year = 3,960 cans per family per year
Liters:
1375 milliliters per person x 30 days per month = 41,250 milliliters per person per month
41,250 milliliters = 82 1/2 cans
82 1/2 cans per person per month x 12 months per year = 990 cans per person per year
82 1/2 cans per person per month x 4 persons = 330 cans per month
330 cans per month per family x 12 months per year = 3,960 cans per family per year
4. Cups:
2 cups per child x 2 children = 4 cups per day
4 cups per day x 30 days per month = 120 cups per month
120 cups per month x 12 months per year = 1,440 cups per year
Liters:
500 milliliters per child x 2 children = 1,000 milliliters (1 liter) per day
1 liter per day x 30 days per month = 30 liter per month
30 liters per month x 12 months per year = 360 liters per year
5. Cups:
1
/4 cup x 2 cups per day per child = 1/2 cup per day per child
1
/2 cup per day per child x 2 children = 1 cup per day
1 cup per day x 30 days per month = 30 cups per month
30 cups per month x 12 months per year = 360 cups powdered milk per year
Liters:
60 milliliters x two = 120 milliliters per child per day
120 milliliters per child per day x 2 children = 240 milliliters per day
240 milliliters per day x 30 days per month = 7,200 milliliters or 7.2 liters per month
7.2 liters per month x 12 months per year = 86.4 liters powdered milk per year
6. Cups:
1 cup per day per person x 4 persons per family = 4 cups per family per day
4 cups per family per day x 30 days per month = 120 cups per family per month
120 cups per family per month x 12 months per year = 1,440 cups per family per year
Liters:
250 milliliters per day x 4 persons per family = 1000 milliliters per family per day
1 liter per family per day x 30 days per month = 30 liters per family per month
30 liters per family per month x 12 months per year = 360 liters per family per year
#607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 21

Answer Key (cont.)
7. Cups:
7 gallons x 4 quarts per gallon = 28 quarts per 7 gallons
28 quarts x 4 cups per quart = 112 cups per 28 quarts
112 cups = 112 servings
Liters:
280 liters = 28,000 milliliters
28,000 milliliters + 250 milliliters = 112 servings
8. Cups:
4 cups per quart x 10 quarts = 40 cups = 40 servings
Liters:
1000 milliliters per liter x 10 liters = 10,000 milliliters
10,000 milliliters + 250 milliliters per serving = 40 servings
9. Cups:
20 quarts powdered milk x 4 cups per quart = 80 cups powdered milk
80 cups divided by 2 children = 40 cups (10,000 ml) powdered milk per child
40 cups per child x 4 liquid servings per cup = 160 servings liquid milk per child
Liters:
20 liters x 1000 milliliters per liter = 20,000 milliliters
20,000 milliliters divided by 50 milliliters per serving = 400 liquid servings
400 liquid servings + 2 children = 200 servings liquid milk per child

Pin the Hat on the Pilgrim
23
24
Fall Holidays Thanksgiving
Thanks Around the World

Here are many ways to say thank you in different languages. See how many you
can use in making a greeting card for your family.
Arabic: shoukran Serbo-Croatian: hvala
Czech: dékuji Spanish: gracias
Danish: tak Swahili: asante
Dutch: dank Swedish: tack
Esperanto: dankon Turkish: tesekkür
Estonian: deküi Yiddish: dank
Finnish: kiitos
French: merci
German: danke
Greek: efchariso
Hebrew: todah
Hungarian: koszonom
Indonesian: terima kasih

Italian: grazie
Japanese: arigato
Latvian: paldies
Lithuanian: tänan
Norwegian: takk
Polish: dziekuje
Portuguese: obrigado
Rumanian: multumiri
Russian: spasibo
Thanksgiving Holiday Brain Teasers
A Thanksgiving Feast
Eight people are gathered around the dining room table at Ralph and Mary Johnson’s house for a
Thanksgiving feast. Read the clues below and determine the name of the person sitting at each place
and his/her favorite food.
Guest List Food List

Angie Johnny corn pie
Ann Mary dressing potatoes
Bill Ralph green beans rolls
Jeffrey Susie ham turkey
1. Ralph is at the head of the table, and he doesn’t like corn.

2. No male sits beside another male.
3. Angie and Jeffrey are brother and sister; Johnny and Susie are also brother and sister. Each
brother and sister pair sits side-by-side on the same side of the table.
4. The person who likes ham sits to Ralph’s right at the table.
5. Bill’s wife, Ann, sits to his left at the table. Ralph’s wife loves dressing.
6. Susie sits to Bill’s right and across from the person who loves green beans. Susie loves bread.
7. Jeffrey is a meat lover, and he can’t wait for the turkey to be carved.
8. Two males love pie and corn, and they sit across the table from each other.
Name: ___________ Name: ___________ Name: ___________

Food:____________ Food:____________ Food:____________
Food: _________________
Name:_________________
Name:_________________
Food: _________________
Head of the Table
Name: ___________ Name: ___________ Name: ___________

Food:____________ Food:____________ Food:____________
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 13 #3351 Holiday Brain Teasers—Intermediate 26

A Thanksgiving Feast Answer Key
clockwise, starting from the head of the table:
Ralph, pie; Mary, dressing; Johnny, potatoes; Susie,
rolls; Bill, corn; Ann, green beans; Jeffrey, turkey;
Angie, ham
#3351 Holiday Brain Teasers—Intermediate © Teacher Created Resources, Inc.

27
Holiday Themes Thanksgiving
Shopping for Thanksgiving Math

Look through food ads from your local grocery store. Make a list of the foods
that you would buy for your Thanksgiving dinner and their prices. Figure out the
total amount you would have to spend on dinner for your family. Check your
math with a calculator.
My Shopping List
Food Items Prices
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
_________________________________ ____________
The total for my Thanksgiving dinner would be ______________.
#2467 Social Studies Through the Year © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 28
Thanksgiving Holiday Brain Teasers
Thanksgiving Dinner
Six cousins sit down at the table for their annual Thanksgiving feast. Each child has a favorite
Thanksgiving food. Match each child with his/her favorite Thanksgiving food.
Clues:
1. The identical male twins do not like anything sweet.
2. The children whose names begin with the same letter do not consider meat their favorite food.
3. The oldest child prefers a “fowl” odor in the kitchen.
4. The twins are younger than Laura, who is not
the eldest.
5. The youngest child loves dessert best.
6. Jeff is a clown at Thanksgiving dinner, and the
others have nicknamed him after his favorite
food.
7. Tara is neither the eldest nor the youngest; and
she doesn’t like sweets, meat, or dressing.
Favorite Food
pu pi
dr
sw am
m e
tu
co
ha
es
ee s
y
pk
rk
rn
si
ey
t
in
ng
Jeff
Tara
Susie
Lynne
Laura
Kyle
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 11 #3351 Holiday Brain Teasers—Intermediate 29

Thanksgiving Dinner Answer Key
Jeff—ham; Tara—corn; Susie—turkey;
Lynne—pumpkin pie; Laura—sweet yams;
Kyle—dressing
#3351 Holiday Brain Teasers—Intermediate © Teacher Created Resources, Inc.

30
Thanksgiving Problem Solving

Making an organized list is one type of problem solving used in math. Use this
sample to help yourself get started.
Christopherʼs mother said that he could buy one book about Pilgrims and one
book about Native Americans. He liked the Pilgrim books called The Mayflower
and Thanksgiving. He liked the Native American books Legends and Lore and
Native American Tribes. How many possible choices did he have?
He can choose these:

1. The Mayflower and Legends and Lore
2. The Mayflower and Native American Tribes
3. Thanksgiving and Legends and Lore
4. Thanksgiving and Native American Tribes
Christopher has four different choices.
Here are more Thanksgiving problems to solve by using an organized list. Make
your list on another sheet of blank paper.
1. Isabelʼs family is trying to plan a menu for Thanksgiving dinner. The choices
for the main course are turkey or chicken. The choices for a side dish are
stuffing or potatoes. How many different menus can be planned?
2. Debbie is planning on having pies with different toppings for dessert. The
pie choices are pumpkin, apple, and cherry. The topping choices are
whipped cream or ice cream. How many different desserts can be served?
3. The first grade class is having a Thanksgiving feast. For their snack, they
may choose popcorn, pretzels, or crackers. The choices of drinks are apple
juice, fruit punch, or milk. How many different snacks can be chosen?
4. Mr. Lowreyʼs fourth grade class is performing at the Thanksgiving day
assembly. They can perform one song and one poem. Their poem choices
are “Leftovers” and “The Thanksgiving Parade,” both by Jack Prelutsky.
Their possible songs are “Run, Turkey, Run” and “Whatʼs for Dinner?” How
many choices will they have?
5. Carol is making a Thanksgiving art project. She can make her turkey out of
a paper plate or a paper bag. She can choose one of the following
materials to decorate her turkey: glitter, feathers, or sequins. How many
choices will she have?
#2467 Social Studies Through the Year 184 © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 31
Answer Key
1. There are four possible menus.
• turkey, stuffing
• chicken, stuffing
• turkey, potatoes
• chicken, potatoes
2. There are six desserts.
• pumpkin, whipped cream
• apple, whipped cream
• cherry, whipped cream
• pumpkin, ice cream
• apple, ice cream
• cherry, ice cream
3. There are nine snack choices.
• popcorn, apple juice
• pretzels, apple juice
• crackers, apple juice
• popcorn, fruit punch
• pretzels, fruit punch
• crackers, fruit punch
• popcorn, milk
• pretzels, milk
• crackers, milk
4. There are four choices.
• “Leftovers,” “Run, Turkey, Run”
• “Thanksgiving Parade,” “Run, Turkey, Run”
• “Leftovers,” “What’s for Dinner?”
• “Thanksgiving Parade,” “What’s for Dinner?”
5. There are six choices.
• plate, glitter
• plate, feathers
• plate, sequins
• bag, glitter
• bag, feathers
• bag, sequins
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #2467 Social Studies Through the Year
32
Your Favorite Foods at Thanksgiving
Objectives:
• Understanding the basics of spreadsheets
• Making a double bar graph
• Highlighting cells in a spreadsheet
• Becoming familiar with spreadsheet terms such as “Y-Axis”
• Changing colors of the bars in a bar graph
Program Needed:
A spreadsheet program will be necessary for this project, such as Microsoft Excel or AppleWorks. Clip
art should also be available.
Instructions:
boys girls
1. Have students brainstorm their top eight favorite
foods at Thanksgiving. Write them on the
stuffing 14 17
board.
2. Have students vote for each food they like to eat turkey 19 22
at Thanksgiving.
3. Have students open the spreadsheet and enter potatoes 15 19
data similar to the diagram shown.
corn 12 15
4. Once the data is entered, students should
highlight all of the cells with information, cranberries 6 9
including the words “boys” and “girls.”
5. Students will then make a double bar graph. The chart should include the name of each food and
the number of students who like it (boys and girls).
6. Students can change the color and pattern of the bars (most programs do this by double clicking
on the pie piece).
7. Students should add an appropriate title and clip art and print their work.
Extension Ideas:
This idea will work with any food—favorite ice cream flavors, pizza toppings,
or soft drink preferences. This is a good project for the beginning of the year in
order to get acquainted with your students
and their interests.
#2448 Computer Activities Through the Year © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 33
Favorite Foods at Thanksgiving in Our Sixth Grade Class
Pumpkin Pie
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc.

Green Beans
Mashed Potatoes
Stuffing
Ham
Cranberries
Turkey
Number of Students
#2448 Computer Activities Through the Year 34

Daily Journal Topics: Thanksgiving
1. List five reasons why you would want to be at the first

Thanksgiving.
2. List five reasons why you would not want to live in the
1600s.
3. Write about why you are thankful for your family or

school.
4. Pretend that you are a Pilgrim boy or girl. Write a

letter to a friend about what your day is like.
5. Write about how the Native Americans helped the

Pilgrims.
6. Write a letter pretending that you are the Thanksgiving

turkey. Convince your readers to choose a different
menu for the dinner.
7. What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving Day? Tell

why.
8. Write five important facts that you learned about the

first Thanksgiving.
9. Name a way that our Thanksgiving is the same as the

first Thanksgiving.
10. Name a way that our Thanksgiving is different from

the first Thanksgiving.
© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 179 #2467 Social Studies Through the Year 35
Fall Holidays Thanksgiving
Giving Thanks
My name is _______________________________________________________
The date is _______________________________________________________
These are the people who are important in my life:
1. ________________________ because ___________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. ________________________ because ___________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. ________________________ because ___________________________
____________________________________________________________
This year I am most thankful for _______________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
When I think of Thanksgiving, I think about ______________________________

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
My best Thanksgiving memory is ______________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

Natives of the Southwest
Indian Symbols and Meanings

Horse Cactus Flower Rattlesnake Jaw Fence
journey courtship strength guarding good luck
Man Saddlebags Headdress Boxed Enclosure

human life journey ceremonial dance enclosure for a cere-
monial dance
Sun Rays Bird Butterfly
consistency care, lighthearted everlasting life Eagle Feathers
chief
Lasso Running Water Coyote Tracks
captivity constant life coyotes Facing Arrows
warding off evil
Thunderbird Raindrop and Rain Rain Clouds spirits
sacred bearer of hap- plentiful crops good prospects
piness unlimited Cross
Tipi Lightning and paths crossing
Crossed Arrows temporary home Lightning Arrow
friendship swiftness Broken Arrow
Sky Band peace
Arrow leading to happiness Days and Nights
protection time Lightning Snake
Medicine Man’s lightning
Arrowhead Eye Morning Stars
alertness wise, watchful guidance Snake
defiance, wisdom
4 Ages Mountain Range Sun Symbols
infancy, youth, mid- mountain range happiness Thunderbird Track
dle age, and old age bright prospects
Hogan Big Mountain
Cactus permanent home abundance Deer Track
desert plentiful game
Bear Track House of Water
Gila Monster good omen water
desert
The above chart shows some of the symbols natives of the Southwest might have used when leaving a
message for a friend or when writing on the canyon walls. Write a message to your teacher using these
symbols and any others you create.

Native Americans
N a t i v e a m er i c a n l i f e
Settlers who came to America saw that Native Americans respected the environment and tried to live in
harmony with nature. Native Americans believed that the land was made for all people and that it
should be shared. Use the answers in the circles to fill in the blanks. Cross off each answer as you use
it. The answer that is left in the circles will complete the bonus sentence.
1. Shelter made of buffalo hide ________________________________________________

2. Common weapon used by hunters and warriors _________________________________
3. Shiny items purchased from European traders __________________________________
4. Nature's greatest gift to the Indians ___________________________________________
5. Groups of Indians who followed the herds of buffalo ______________________________
6. Form of communication ____________________________________________________
7. Animal used for shelter, clothing, and food _____________________________________
8. Animal used for transportation _______________________________________________
9. Iroquois home____________________________________________________________
10. Steep, flat-topped mountain _________________________________________________
11. Fish preserved by drying and smoking ________________________________________
12. Foot covering made of moose hide ___________________________________________
13. Indian name for corn ______________________________________________________
14. Indian ceremony to celebrate wealth __________________________________________
15. Crop other than corn ______________________________________________________
rrow s ig n
da lan
an gu
w a
squash
bo
ge
m
alo
ho
d
rse
buff
glass beads
aiz
lan
long house
e
mocc
me
on
a lm
ch
sa
s
lat
n
as
p
ot
i
nomads
y
ee at
pe tre
t
Bonus: An agreement between different governments is called a ______________________.
#2639 U. S. History Brain Teasers 10 © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 38

Answer Key
Native American Life
1. teepee
2. bow and arrow
3. glass beads
4. land
5. nomads
6. sign language
7. buffalo
8. horse
9. long house
10. mesa
11. salmon
12. moccasin
13. maize
14. potlatch
15. squash
Bonus: treaty
#2639 U. S. History Brain Teasers © Teacher Created Resources, Inc.
39
The First Thanksgiving Book

Directions: Cut the book on the lines, put the pages in order, and staple. Color
the illustrations and read the text to learn about the first Thanksgiving.
The First
Thanksgiving
Book
Name _________________________
In the year 1620, the Pilgrims sailed from England to look for the
New World on a ship called the Mayflower. Their voyage took 65
days, and it was a difficult trip.
The First Thanksgiving Book (cont.)
The Pilgrims landed near Plymouth Rock and started to build

homes. The first winter many people died because there wasnʼt
enough food to eat.
2
In the spring of 1621, the Pilgrims became friends with the

Wampanoag tribe of Native Americans.
The Wampanoag helped the Pilgrims learn how to hunt better and
how to plant crops, including corn.
The fall harvest was so good in 1621 and the Pilgrims were so
thankful that they invited their Native American friends to a feast.
The first Thanksgiving feast lasted for three days. Today we

remember the Pilgrims when we celebrate Thanksgiving on the
fourth Thursday of November, which became a national holiday
in 1863.
Thanksgiving today is still a day to be thankful for family, friends,

and good food.
The Trail of Tears

It was not the only forced march made by American Indians, and
it certainly was not the last, but for many people The Trail of
Tears came to represent the entirety of inhumane treatment
suffered by the native people at the hands of the United States
government. The reality of the march, also known as the Trail
Where They Cried, completely contradicted the reasons given by
the army and Indian agents for making an entire people leave their
ancestral homes to go where they did not want to go.
From early colonial days, the majority of Cherokees had embraced
the ways of the white newcomers. They had intermarried with
whites and adopted their laws which they wrote into their own
constitution. They worked hard and were prosperous, some of
them owning large plantations. They had a written language of
their own and a newspaper which most Cherokees could read.
Fields of corn, potatoes, beans, and cotton stretched out for miles
from their townships, and their cotton industry gave them an
economic base which rivaled that of their white neighbors. They owned horses, hogs, and poultry even
before the Revolution. In many ways, they were far more civilized than many of the whites and had a
higher literacy rate.
But one treaty after another took more and more land away from them. In 1798, the Treaty of Tellico
between the Cherokees and the U.S. government promised that the remaining 43,000 square miles
(111,800 square kilometers) of tribal land would belong to the Cherokees forever. However, within
twenty-one years, their lands had shrunk to one-third that size, and the government wanted to build
roads across what was left. The new white settlers wanted the rich, fertile soil in which almost any
crop could grow, and they wanted the minerals, like gold, which lay under the soil. By 1815, 3,000
Cherokees had ceded their lands under governmental pressure and moved to Arkansas, and two years
later 4,000 more did the same. Then in 1828, many of those in Arkansas were persuaded to move even
further west to what was to be Indian Territory, now the state of Oklahoma.
When gold was discovered in Cherokee land in Georgia, the Cherokees were not the ones to profit from
it. After all, they were not citizens of the United States; they were Indians. Then Andrew Jackson was
elected President in 1828, and even though a Cherokee had once saved his life, he needed the support
of the frontiersmen who wanted Cherokee lands, so he was determined to move the Cherokee and all
the other tribes known as the Five Civilized Tribes (Cherokee, Choctaw, Seminole, Creek, and
Chickasaw) west to Indian Territory. Educated Cherokees went to Washington, D.C. to try to persuade
Jackson to change his mind. The men in Washington, however, some of whom were almost illiterate,
claimed the Cherokees were savages and primitives, living on roots, herbs, and disgusting reptiles.
In 1830, the Removal Bill was passed by a narrow margin. Not all whites thought the Indians should
be removed. Men like Noah Webster, John Adams, Sam Houston, and Davy Crockett defended the
Cherokees, but their efforts did no good. The government of Georgia harassed the Cherokees, and the
federal government did nothing. A missionary, Samuel Worcester, who had worked for years with them
was arrested and imprisoned. He appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which declared all the Georgia
legislation against the Cherokee null and void, but President Jackson defied the court and told its
members to try to enforce their decision.
The Trail of Tears (cont.)
Heartened by this, Georgia placed the Cherokee under martial law, forbidding them to assemble, and
the federal government pressured them to relocate. Finally, Major Ridge, a Cherokee chief, signed the
Treaty of Echota, ceding all eastern Cherokee lands. Sixteen thousand of the seventeen thousand
Cherokees still in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina signed a petition repudiating the
treaty, but the die was cast. The Cherokee were forced to give up 8,000,000 acres of land for about
fifty cents an acre. Speculators turned around and sold 40-acre plots in the areas where gold had been
found for $30,000. However, most of the Cherokee still refused to leave their homes.
Martin Van Buren was elected President, and General Winfield Scott was ordered to use his 7,000 men
to force the Cherokee west. On May 17, 1838, the troops began their assignment. Twenty-three
stockaded detention camps were set up throughout the Cherokee Nation, and each day armed troops
went out and rounded up all the Cherokees they could find. Many Indians lost most of their household
goods since they were taken from wherever they were found. They were taken from their fields,
interrupted at meals, and stopped on the road. Women were taken from their spinning wheels, and
children were taken from their play. Many left with only the clothing on their backs, and as soon as
they left their homes, looters who were waiting in the bushes broke into them and took everything
there.
Three hundred Cherokees hid in the Smoky Mountains, however, and their descendants still live there
on land now called the Qualla Reservation. Every year they put on a pageant of the Trail of Tears so
that no one will ever forget.
All told, 13,000 Cherokees were forced west to Indian Territory in 1838. Given scanty and spoiled
rations by contractors who wanted to make a profit off the Cherokees’ misery, and weakened by the
pneumonia, tuberculosis, smallpox, and cholera which quickly spread in the makeshift campsites, the
weak, the very young, and the old quickly died. About 4,000 people died before the ordeal was over.
The wife of Chief John Ross, sick with pneumonia, gave up her only blanket to a child who was cold,
and she soon joined the list of dead. On the trail, not one family was spared the loss of at least one
loved one.
#607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 45

The Trail of Tears (cont.)
The last group reached the Territory March 25, 1839. They were welcomed by the Cherokee settlers
already there, and the survivors of the Trail of Tears began building new homes and starting their lives
anew. Yet, it was not all sweetness and light between the “old” settlers and the new, and political
struggles sometimes became quite bitter. Chief John Ross worked hard to reunite the two main factions
of settlers, and by 1846 the Cherokees turned their new land into a progressive nation with a new
constitution. All land was held in common, and everyone could use it for grazing or farming as long as
no one infringed on the rights of others.
By 1843, the Cherokees had eighteen public schools, and in 1851 seminaries were opened for young
ladies and young men. Some of the top scholars were sent to major universities such as Princeton to
complete their educations. The Cherokee schools were better than the neighboring ones for whites.
The Cherokee Nation established regular courts and peace officers, including mounted rangers called
the Lighthorse Police who maintained peace in the Territory. Cherokee towns were connected by
flatboats and steamers, roads were built, and towns were started. The farms and ranches made the
Cherokee self-sufficient, and long before the Civil War, they had regained much of their former
prosperity. They published the first newspaper in Oklahoma, The Cherokee Advocate, and the first
periodicals, The Cherokee Messenger and The Cherokee Almanac. The Chisholm Trail was named
after a famous Cherokee trailmaker, and the Cherokee worked to make peace between all the Indians in
the Territory. Until the Civil War started, things had been looking up for the Cherokees, but what
happened then is another story.
Activities
1. Every year the Cherokees have pageants depicting the Trail of Tears. To ask about the annual
pageants, write to the Educational Director of the Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Also
research to learn everything you can about the Cherokee Nation. Then, as a group or class, write
and produce your own Trail of Tears pageant.
2. Make a triptych, which is a three-paneled
picture like the one shown in the
illustration. In the left panel, show the
Cherokees as they were when they lived in
their ancestral homes in the Southeast
Woodlands. In the right panel, show them
as they were on the Trail of Tears. In the
center, show them as the strong, intelligent
people they are today who have triumphed
over adversity.
3. Read a biography of a famous Cherokee like
Will Rogers, Sequoyah, John Ross, or
Wilma Mankiller. Using information you
get from that biography, do a one-man show
for the class portraying the person you have
studied.

Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Pocahontas was the Native American daughter of Chief Powhatan who was the leader of the
Algonquian tribe near the shores of Virginia. She was born in the late 1500s and named
Matoaka. Matoaka was nicknamed “Pocahontas” which means playful one.
The most famous story about Pocahontas details when she saved Captain John Smithʼs life
after the English had settled in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. According to what Captain
Smith wrote, he was going to be clubbed to death by Powhatanʼs men. Pocahontas ran in
and put herself between Smithʼs body and the natives with weapons. She asked her father to
spare his life. Regardless of the truth to the story, Pocahontas and Captain John Smith
became friends which helped maintain good relations between the Native Americans and the
white settlers for awhile.
Some time later, Captain John Smith was injured in a gunpowder explosion and left Virginia to
go back to England. Pocahontas was told that he was dead. Pocahontas married a Native
American man named Kocoum in 1610. She did not visit Jamestown as often after her
marriage due to worsening relationships between the natives and white man. Captain Samuel
Argall had Pocahontas kidnapped and placed on a ship. She was used to blackmail Chief
Powhatan. The Englishmen wanted the natives to return captured English prisoners, food,
and weapons. Powhatan answered part of the demand but did not return everything as
requested. As a result, Pocahontas remained in captivity. At first, she was unhappy. Later,
she adjusted to her new life and began to convert to Christianity. She moved to a different
settlement led by Sir Thomas Dale and there she met and fell in love with John Rolfe. John
Rolfe and Pocahontas were married in 1614 and the fighting between the English and the
Native Americans diminished.
Pocahontas was baptized and her name became Rebecca. In 1616,

the Rolfe family, which included baby Thomas Rolfe, sailed to
London with Sir Thomas Dale who wanted money to help the
settlement in Virginia. Dale took several Native Americans on the
voyage but the biggest sensation was Pocahontas. She was treated
like royalty. She met the king and other important people in London.
She also reunited with Captain John Smith whom she thought was
dead.
In 1617, the Rolfe family started sailing back to Virginia.

Pocahontas became so ill that they took her back to England. She
died at the age of 22 (approximately) and was buried in Gravesend,
England.
Young Thomas Rolfe, Pocahontasʼ son, was educated in England

but later returned to America and served an important role in the
history of Virginia. Pocahontas played a significant role in our
history. She helped bridge the gap between the Native Americans
and the Englishmen.
#3260 U.S. History Little Books: Famous People ©Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 47
Pocahontas
Pocahontas
Map Study
Pocahontas helped the settlers who established Jamestown in the early 1600s.
Jamestown
•
Virginia
©Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #3260 U.S. History Little Books: Famous People 48

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GRADES K–6

Expertly curated by the team at

Fall Reading Bulletin Board.....................................3–6 Thanksgiving Feast................................................ 26–27

→ ARTS & CRAFTS Thanksgiving Dinner.............................................29–30

Tipi Pattern........................................................................12 Daily Journal Topics: Thanksgiving........................35

→ FOOD & GAMES → HISTORY

New England Food.................................................18–19 The First Thanksgiving Book............................40–43

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2. Ask students to write their names on the back of each leaf.

4. After grading each completed worksheet, return them to students.

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Turkey Coloring Page

Thanksgiving Day Draw

© 2000 - 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved www.TeacherVision.com 8

Make a “Wooden” Mask

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans 10

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 35 #615 Multicultural Holidays 11

• Copy pattern on brown

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 37 #615 Multicultural Holidays 12

Paper Weaving Instruction Sheet

STEPS TO PAPER WEAVING

Making the paper loom

Weaving into the paper loom

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

1. The small hand drum which could be carried into battle

Quick and Easy Drums

#615 Multicultural Holidays 228 © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 14

Native American Musical

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 229 #615 Multicultural Holidays 15

Quick and Easy Rattles

Soda Pop Can Rattle

Native American Musical

Quick and Easy Rasp

Traditional Rasp (needs adult help and supervision)

New England Food & Cooking

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

New England Food & Cooking Worksheet

Three Earliest Foods:

Common meat dish:

Common seafood dish:

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans 20

#607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans © Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 21

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. #607 Interdisciplinary Unit: Native Americans 22

© Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Thanks Around the World

Arabic: shoukran Serbo-Croatian: hvala

Czech: dékuji Spanish: gracias

Danish: tak Swahili: asante

Dutch: dank Swedish: tack

Esperanto: dankon Turkish: tesekkür

Estonian: deküi Yiddish: dank

Indonesian: terima kasih

Guest List Food List

1. Ralph is at the head of the table, and he doesn’t like corn.

Name: ___________ Name: ___________ Name: ___________

Name: ___________ Name: ___________ Name: ___________

© Teacher Created Resources, Inc. 13 #3351 Holiday Brain Teasers—Intermediate 26

Name: _____ Name: _ Name: _______

Name: _____ Name: _ Name: _______

1. because ___

2. because ___

3. because ___