Thanksgiving Teaching Resources & Printables
Thanksgiving Teaching Resources & Printables
November printables and lessons that hold up: the actual history of 1621, the Wampanoag side of it, and gratitude writing that goes further than a hand-turkey. Everything is editable, so you can pitch it to your grade.
Browse Thanksgiving resources →Resources that fit
Thanksgiving units and printables for November
A selection of the seasonal material teachers download most in the weeks before the break; tap any cover for the full preview, contents and price.
Fall Art Project: My Favorite Autumn School Day – Grades K–4
Native Americans: First Peoples of North America Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Pilgrims & the First Thanksgiving Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Autumn Tree Craft – Hands-On Fall Worksheet for Grades K–4
Explorers & the Voyage to the Americas Unit – Worksheets, Projects & Slides (Grades 1–4)
Why teachers use these
Why teachers pick these for November
Thanksgiving units age badly. Plenty of what still circulates on school shared drives leans on costumes and a friendly-feast story that leaves the Wampanoag out of their own history. These lessons teach the 1621 harvest gathering as an event with two peoples and two sets of reasons, then move on to Sarah Josepha Hale, Lincoln's 1863 proclamation and how the holiday was assembled afterward. The writing tasks still give you the gratitude piece families like to see come home.
What's covered
What is in each download
Each pack is a set of lessons and printables rather than a single coloring page.
- Reading passages at four levels
- Editable PowerPoint slide deck
- Answer keys for every page
- Gratitude and reflection writing prompts
- Printable and digital versions
Make it work for everyone
Teaching it accurately with young children
Kindergarten and first grade can handle the truth if you keep it concrete: two groups of people, a harvest, and an agreement that later fell apart. Skip the costumes and the generic headdress crafts. The lower reading tiers carry the same facts in shorter sentences, so a mixed class hears one story rather than two.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do these include the Wampanoag perspective?
Yes. The history lessons name the Wampanoag as a specific nation rather than a generic group, treat Tisquantum and Massasoit as people with their own motives, and make clear that the Wampanoag are still here today. Older grades also look at the National Day of Mourning held in Plymouth each November.
Is there anything appropriate for kindergarten?
The lowest reading tier and the gratitude writing pages work from about kindergarten upward, with picture support and short sentences. Younger classes usually do the harvest and food lesson plus a simple thankfulness book, and leave the treaty history for second grade and beyond.
Can I use these for a family night or hallway display?
Print away for your own classroom, your hallway display or a family evening at your school. The licence covers your own students and your own building. What it does not cover is passing the editable Word file to other teachers or posting it where the public can download it.
Sort November before the copier line does
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