TURKEY FUN

Season/Month: Thanksgiving-November
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole, Small, Center, Individual
Materials: book, white paper, Turkey Music

1. Choose an appropriate book about turkeys to be read: 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey.
2. After the story is read, pass out white sheets of paper, having students place the paper horizontal.
3. Illustrate on the board how to draw a "Hand Turkey".  Show them how to add feathers and markings.
4. As the students are working on their turkeys, play Turkey Music in the background.
http://www.songdrops.com/funny-kids-songs-for-children/the-turkey-song-a-funny-thanksgiving-song-by-bryant-oden.html
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/t.asp?b=m&t=http://www.dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/poetry/c-albuquerque.gif
http://dltk-holidays.com/thanksgiving/aturkeysatonthebackyardfence.html
5. Talk about different environments the turkeys could be in.  Have students draw an appropriate background for their turkey.
6. Share the turkeys, telling their name, all about it....
7. This could easily lead into a writing activity.
8. The Turkey Art could be displayed in the hallway or Website.
9. After the season place turkey art/story in the student journal.
OR SEND HOME AS A MEMORY GIFT...
1.  Have the students make their turkey and glue it onto colored paper.
2.  The students copy poem (below) from the board.
3.  Encourage neatness!
4.  Glue the poem beneath the turkey.  Send this Memory Gift home for Thanksgiving, making sure to have the student sign and date it!
POEM:
This isn't just a turkey,
As anyone can see.
I made it with my hand,
Which is a part of me.

It comes with lots of love
Especially to say,
I hope you have a very
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Season/Month: Thanksgiving-November
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole
Materials: Poster board feathers, Math Facts, Turkey Stickers

1. Trace and cut out feathers as needed from the poster board.
2. Which math facts do your students need to work on for this month?
3. Write a fact on each feather, large enough for everyone to see from their seats.
4. Punch a whole at the top of each feather and connect them with a ring.
5. Make sure you have a sticker on 3 to 5  of the feathers.
6. When students see a feather with the turkey sticker, they yell "gobble, gobble".  Then they can answer.

TURKEY TOSS

Season/Month: Thanksgiving-November
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Small, Center, Paired
Materials: 6 cubes (1") Print the word TURKEY on each cube, one letter on each side

Throw all 6 cubes at once.
Spell words for points.
5 - rye 5 - yet 5 - key 10 - rut 10 - turk 25 - turkey
First person to __?__ points wins.

WE ARE THANKFUL

Season/Month: Thanksgiving-October
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole
Materials: Pilgrim Child (Copycat 1986 Nov/Dec)

1. Write on the board:
During this season of Thanksgiving, I am most thankful for __(1)___, __(2)__, and __(3)__. I am thankful for __(1)__ because ____________________. I am thankful for __(2)__ because __________________. I am very thankful for __(3)__ because ______________. I am especially thankful for __________ because __________.
2. Brainstorm what we are thankful for: parents, food, family, friends, animals, shelter, turkeys, people, cousins, being alive, our five senses...
3. Give examples of "because" additions (can have more than one) for the thankful items. The more discussion you have, the better end product you receive from the students.
4. Students copy the paragraph from the board, filling in their responses. Proofread, fix errors, write final copy on Thankful For Scroll (from Teacher's Friend).
5. Final copy is proofed by teacher for presentation, students color Pilgrim Child. You may need to discuss what colors were available during the Pilgrim's Time. I suggest using crayons, coloring very dark, and outlining.
6. Back scroll to construction paper.
7. Before you post in the hallway, color copy the items to put on your website if you wish.
8. When you take the papers down from the hallway, put them in the student's journal.

A POEM OF THANKS

Season/Month: Thanksgiving-November
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole
Materials: Example of couplet poetry

Create a class Thanksgiving Poem by asking each student to contribute a rhyming couplet. Start with your own and then ask a volunteer to add another. Or send home, as homework, and then compile the couplets. When your class is finished, place your class Thankful Poem in the hallway, adding paper so others who feel inspired can add to it, or put it on your Website for all to enjoy. It can be a Class Book to be perused all year and then be added to the Journal/Memory Books to go home.

Example:
SECOND GRADERS ARE THANKFUL FOR...
Clothes to wear
So I'm not bare

Horses to ride
With a friend at my side

TRICK OR TREAT

Season/Month: Halloween-October
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole, Small, Center, Individual
Materials: book, white paper, Halloween Song
1. Choose an appropriate book about Trick or Treat to be read: Trick or Treat by Stan & Jan Berenstain.
2. After the story is read, pass out a white sheet of paper.
3. The children draw a large picture of themselves dressed up for Trick or Treating.
4. Make sure to remind them to put in the appropriate, spooky background, covering all the white unless it's needed (clouds).
5. As the students are adding the background you may play "Trick or Treating" Music.
6. Share the pictures.
7. This could easily lead into a writing activity.
8. Post pictures in the hallway or on your website.

TRICK OR TREAT 

 Hear song on UTUBE - Donald Duck http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60IiP4Hqr5M 

(I have the students sing it much slower.)

GHOST TRAIN

Season/Month: Halloween/October
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole, Small, Center, Individual
Materials: book, white paper, Halloween Music

1. Choose an appropriate book about ghosts to be read: Ghost Train by Stephen Wyllie
2. After the story is read, show how to draw a "hand ghost" on the board.
3. Pass out white paper. Have students place paper horizontally like a shoebox.
4. Draw "hand ghosts" . Add faces, clothing....
5. Add the environment/background for your ghost: graveyard, Halloween Evening...
6. Have Halloween Ghostly Music to listen to as you are completing your drawing.
7. Share ghostly pictures with the group.
8. This could easily lead into a writing activity.
9. Post in the hallway or on your webpage.
10.  Remember to add to the Journal/Memory Book.

DRAW A MONSTER ACTIVITY

Season/Month: Halloween-October
Age/Grade: Primary
Groups: Whole, Small, Center, Individual
Materials: book, picture of monster outline, Halloween Music

1. Choose an appropriate book about monsters to be read: A Monster Under My Bed by James Howe.
2. After the story is read, pass out the monster sheet or have the students draw a monster.
3. Have students follow direction given orally or read. You can make these as difficult or easy as needed.
~ Draw a mouth with # orange teeth.
~ Draw red claws at the ends of your monster arms.
~ Draw # blue eyes above the monster's mouth.
~ Draw green hair on your monster.
~ Draw # blue horns on the monster's head.
~ Think of a name and write it under your monster.
4. After the monsters are completed, add a background (environment) for the monster.
5. As students are adding the background you may play monster music: Monster Mash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqrxW-pEq3Q
http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/m/misfits2633/monstermash473141.html
6. Share the monsters, telling the name, all about it, where it lives, what it eats...
7. This could easily lead into a writing activity.
8. Post in the hallway or on your website.