Activity Overview:Objective:- Explore Thanksgiving traditions as a cultural phenomenon.Audience:- Intermediate students in a diverse classroom.Steps:1. Discuss: Groups share personal and familial Thanksgiving traditions.2. Research: Each group explores specific Thanksgiving customs.3. Present: Groups present findings on cultural significance and practices.4. Engage: Quiz reinforces learning; lunch shares traditional foods.Educational Focus:- Cultural exploration, critical thinking, and collaborative learning.

Module 13 of the 16 modules of the ESL course is all about Places to visit in America. Verbal and written discussions, and group activities provide opportunities for students to share their experiences travelling in America. Prepositions are infused into the discussions and worksheets on propositions give further practice for students. Students also get an opportunity to do presentations of their travels in America. Reading and comprehension skills are offered through “The Story of the First Thanksgiving”.

This course explores connections between what we eat and who we are through cross-cultural study of how personal and collective identities, social relations, and economic inequalities are formed and maintained via practices of food production, preparation, and consumption. Discussions are organized around critical discussion of what makes “good” food good (tasty, healthy, authentic, ethical, etc.), and draw on anthropological studies as well as recent writing and films on the politics of food and agriculture. A primary goal of the course is to provide students with conceptual tools to understand and evaluate food systems at local and global levels. Instruction and practice in written and oral communication is provided.

Gratitude Tree
A Copyrighted Activity Re-Posted with Permission from Gretchen Miller MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S www.gretchenmiller.wordpress.com

Objectives:
The participants will:

1. Reflect on the blessings they have in their lives

2. Create art elements using line, color and symmetry with nature as their inspiration

Audience:

This activity can be enjoyed by all age groups.

The Thanksgiving unit is divided into three separate lessons, Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians, Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story, and Thanksgiving 3—Traditions. In planning this first lesson, consider whether you wish to cover this material in one or two class sessions. It introduces the Pilgrims’ arrival and first year in North America as well as the life of the American Indians who helped them. On the handouts, you will find Reading Paragraphs and Word Banks with visuals to help illustrate the teaching points and to engage the students in discussion. There is new vocabulary that your students will not need to know for the Civics Test. For example, the readings cover historical background to the Thanksgiving story but these details are not on the test. The story of the Pilgrims’ experience presented here will be explored further in, “Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story,” when the students have an opportunity to share their own stories. Covers civics test items 58, 59, and 87.

The Thanksgiving unit is divided into three separate lessons, Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians, Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story, and Thanksgiving 3—Traditions. In planning this first lesson, consider whether you wish to cover this material in one or two class sessions. It introduces the Pilgrims’ arrival and first year in North America as well as the life of the American Indians who helped them. On the handouts, you will find Reading Paragraphs and Word Banks with visuals to help illustrate the teaching points and to engage the students in discussion. There is new vocabulary that your students will not need to know for the Civics Test. For example, the readings cover historical background to the Thanksgiving story but these details are not on the test. The story of the Pilgrims’ experience presented here will be explored further in, “Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story,” when the students have an opportunity to share their own stories. Covers civics test items 58, 59, 64, 96, and 100.

The Thanksgiving unit is divided into three separate lessons, Thanksgiving 1—Pilgrims and American Indians, Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story, and Thanksgiving 3—Traditions. In planning this first lesson, consider whether you wish to cover this material in one or two class sessions. It introduces the Pilgrims’ arrival and first year in North America as well as the life of the American Indians who helped them. On the handouts, you will find Reading Paragraphs and Word Banks with visuals to help illustrate the teaching points and to engage the students in discussion. There is new vocabulary that your students will not need to know for the Civics Test. For example, the readings cover historical background to the Thanksgiving story but these details are not on the test. The story of the Pilgrims’ experience presented here will be explored further in, “Thanksgiving 2—The Pilgrim Story and My Immigrant Story,” when the students have an opportunity to share their own stories. Covers civics test item 100.

In this activity, students will practice using basic travel vocabulary like ‘to take’ and ‘to go on vacation’, constructing sentences with a wide variety of possible nouns. They will then transition into an open discussion about travel and holidays in general, with questions provided to guide the discussion. They will wrap up the discussion by sharing things or people that they are thankful for.