Thanksgiving : A Short History

Teach your students about the history and traditions of the Thanksgiving holiday. Reading sheets cover the following topics:

EARLY HISTORY

Students learn about ancient harvest/autumn festivals celebrated around the world.

THE PILGRIMS

Covers other examples of thanksgiving services in colonial Virginia and also tells the story of the early Thanksgiving celebrations in New England. Here's a short text example:

"The most famous early thanksgiving took place at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621.  A group of settlers, known as the Pilgrims, had arrived on the coast just as winter was beginning.  Without enough food, around 50% died over the next few months.  The local Massasoit Native Americans helped the Pilgrims by giving them food and showing them how to use fish as a food for growing corn.  After the harvest there was a feast at which around 50 Pilgrims and 90 Massasoit ate corn, ducks, geese, swans, venison, fish, and oysters as well as fruits and vegetables.  The Pilgrims held another thanksgiving feast in 1623 after weeks of rain had ended a long drought which was killing many of their crops.  Over the next 150 years many other people in New England began holding their own thanksgiving celebrations but at different times of the year.  These celebrations were especially important because, in many parts of New England, Christmas celebrations were banned."

THE 1700s & 1800s

Informs students about how and why the celebration of Thanksgiving expanded in both centuries, especially the period of the Civil War

THE 20th CENTURY

Students learn about the impacts of World War One and World War Two on the celebration of Thanksgiving as well as how improvements in road and air travel made family celebrations easier.

ACTIVITIES

Students can use the information they learn to create an illustrated timeline showing the history of Thanksgiving. The timeline sheets come in a blank and illustrated version depending on your students' needs. There are also materials to create a poster version of the project as well.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

The file also contains a fun crossword activity and coloring pages. There is also a PowerPoint to help guide teachers and students through each part of the unit.

Reading Sheets

Timeline and Poster Materials

PowerPoint Presentation

Crossword

Image Sheets