Still searching for activities for Thanksgiving week? We’ve got you covered with these Thanksgiving apps, websites, and activities!
Scholastic: The First Thanksgiving
Best for: All Grade Levels
Scholastic’s website on the first Thanksgiving offers resources for both you and your students. Their Common Core-aligned lesson plans and teaching resources will take the pressure off of you, and your students will love exploring facts about the first feast and the daily life of the pilgrims and Wampanoag.
The videos are great lesson aids to watch as a class. Each video is over fifteen minutes long, so, while they’re full of great information, they do get a bit lengthy. Alternatively, you can break out the classroom headphones and let students pick the topic that interests them most: Plimoth Plantation, Wampanoag Homesite, Mayflower, or Pilgrim Village.
Starfall Turkey
Best for: Pre-K, Kinder, and 1st Grade
If you teach new or emerging readers, you may already have a few Starfall apps downloaded to your classroom tablets. Starfall’s learn-to-read games have been around since 2002, and this Thanksgiving-themed addition makes a great turkey week activity for younger students.
The app is $0.99, but you can acess the game for free through their website.
Recent Article: How to KonMari Your Classroom
American Indian Magazine
Best for: 4th Grade and Up
Thanksgiving usually comes with a few lessons and activities related to Native American history and culture. While you likely strive to offer your students an age-appropriate and culturally accurate overview, there’s no doubt that some Thanksgiving lessons leave students with an oversimplified or stereotypical depiction of Native American and Wampanoag history.
While it isn’t specific to Thanksgiving, American Indian Magazine is a great way to help students gain a more nuanced and accurate understanding of Native American culture and history. American Indian Magazine is a free download from the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and features both modern and historical articles.
With the app, you can access articles dating back to 2010. Assign a few specific articles or let students choose their own for sustained silent reading time.
Plimoth
Best for: 2nd Grade and Up
Plimoth.org’s Thanksgiving Interactive lets kids “take on the role of a ‘history detective’ to investigate what really happened at the famous 1621 celebration.”
While the design is certainly a bit dated, the game is still informative and fun. With quizzes, voiceover, sound effects, and games, this activity will keep kids’ attention while correcting myths about the origin of the holiday.
If you want to use the activity, be sure to plan ahead. Plimoth warns that the game tends to run slowly during the week of Thanksgiving due to high use, but you can download the game ahead of time. They also recommend having speakers or headphones ready to go so that kids can hear the voiceovers.
Need a classroom set of headphones? Our Califone E-3 earbuds are a high-quality, budget-friendly option, and our Listening First Stereo Headphone are ideal for younger students.
Thanksgiving ELA Digital Escape Room
Best for: Grades 5th-8th
While it’s not technically a website or app, this digital escape room from The SPARKLY Notebook at Teachers Pay Teachers is sure to be your students favorite Thanksgiving activity. It’s common-core aligned and teacher approved with 4/4 stars from 40 teacher reviews.
If your middle grades students have been studying the elements of a story, they’ll love this interactive Thanksgiving-themed review!
Your students are sure to be oh-so-thankful for these fun Thanksgiving activities!
We hope you, your family and your students have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you need classroom headphones for Turkey Day or any day, our customer service reps are always happy to help! Get in touch at customercare@learning headphones.com or (888) 294-1032.
