First graders had a busy week learning about Thanksgiving, the fourth American holiday we have studied this year.  Throughout   centers, Thanksgiving related activities were integrated into reading and writing.

At the beginning of the week, students learned about Squanto, a famous Native American.   After partner reading Squanto:  A Friend to the Pilgrims, emphasis was placed on vocabulary and letter writing.  Using the glossary, students wrote definitions for the following terms:  crop, harvest, settler, trader, and Wampanoag.   It was challenging to write sentences using these new words.   Focusing on parts of a letter (greeting, body, closing, and signature), students  wrote a letter to Squanto thanking him for his help.

Making connections to personal experiences, students created thank-you lists of people who have helped them through difficult times.  Following the writing process, they selected one individual and wrote a thank you letter to him or her.  In addition to discussing things we are thankful for, we also discussed family traditions.   After sharing examples, such as having a turkey dinner with family for Thanksgiving, students selected one family tradition and wrote about it.   When we return from break, we will rewrite our final drafts and publish them in a class book.

In addition to these larger writing projects, students read books about Pilgrims, completed Pilgrim activity books, worked in pairs to assemble given words into sentences, and made turkeys complete with feathers listing things for which they are thankful.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!