Title: Thanksgiving Holiday

Subject: Social Studies

Topic: Thanksgiving Holiday Grade: Kindergarten

Designers: Leah Dispain, Phyllis Pannell, Stacy Swenney

Stage 1: Desired Results
Standard (underline big ideas and key words) / SSK17- Identifies the purpose and customs associated with various special days including Thanksgiving and birthdays.
ELAKR5- The student acquires and uses grade-level words to communicate effectively.
ELAKR6- The student gains meaning from orally presented text.
ELAKW1- The student begins to understand the principles of writing.
Enduring Understandings (Teacher tool) / Students will understand that…
1.  The purpose and history of the Thanksgiving holiday.
2.  We acquire and use new words to communicate effectively.
3.  Writing helps us convey conceptual understanding of a topic.
4.  We use knowledge gained from orally presented text.
Essential questions
(2-5 questions)
(Student tool) / 1.  Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
2.  Why is it important to learn new words?
Elements / Utilize the standard elements to
identify knowledge and skills
Knowledge & Skills
(Comes from the elements) / Knowledge (noun)
Sequencing
Purpose
Graphic Organizer
Vocabulary
People
Places / Skills (verbs)
Identifies
Describe
Discuss
Write
Retell
Role Play
WHERETO:
Stage 2 - Assessment Evidence: What evidence will show that students met the learning goal?
Traditional Assessment (Quizzes, Test, Selected Responses)
The student will use a new vocabulary word in a sentence.
Portfolio Assessment
Read and discuss a book about family traditions at Thanksgiving. Students will depict their own family traditions in their journal.
Authentic Assessment (Performance Tasks, Rubrics, Projects, Dialogues, etc.,)
Have students share things/people they’re thankful for. Students complete a layered booklet, titled “I Am Thankful For…” Students illustrate each layer: my food, my family, my friends, my home.
Assessment Evidence (continued)
Student Self-Assessment
Stage 3 – Designing an Instructional Plan
Hook and Hold interest: pointing toward Big Ideas, Essential Questions, and Performance Tasks
Read Franklin’s Thanksgiving
Make a turkey out of an Oreo cookie.
Anchor Activities:
Family Homework Project- Each child will be given a brown construction paper turkey outline with a note indicating the instructions.
1.  Cut out turkey shape.
2.  Disguise Tom Turkey as a different animal or character in hopes of avoiding being caught for Thanksgiving dinner.
3.  Use any item you find to create your turkey disguise.
Explore the Big Ideas, Essential Questions, and Equip for final performance
Direct Instruction / Experiential Learning / Independent Learning / Indirect Instruction / Interactive Instruction
Discuss how Squanto taught the pilgrims to fertilize their crops by planting fish with corn. Students will make a booklet to remember the process. Students will write Squanto planted (fish) with (corn). Students will glue fish cut-outs and corn kernels on paper. / Native American Day learning centers. / Journal Writing:
I am thankful for…
If I had been a Pilgrim…
My favorite food is…
Use Indian symbols to create a story.
On Thanksgiving, I like to _____ with my family. / Read Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey.
After discussing the turkey’s point of view, students brainstorm alternatives to eating turkey on Thanksgiving.
Each student is given a turkey outline and a paper sign reading: “Eat more______.” Students then write/illustrate the alternative food. / Read Pilgrim Children Had Many Chores by Gina Lems-Tardif.
Students brainstorm chores the pilgrim children were required to do and chores they have to do at home now.
Teacher records these on a Venn diagram to graphically organize the information.
Rethink, Revise, Refine, Reflect, Resubmit
1.  The class will listen to stories daily that explain the purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday.
2.  Literacy centers focused around Thanksgiving traditions will be incorporated.
3.  The students will reflect through journal writing.
Encourage ongoing evaluation and student self-evaluation
The teacher will make a rubric to be used at the end of the unit. The rubric will include what students liked the best and what they did not like or understand.
Tailoring the Design for Diverse Learners
Differentiated
Activities
1.  Flexible Grouping
2.  Use a variety of materials that will accommodate different levels of learning. / Suggested Accommodations / Suggested Extensions
Organizing the Learning
1.  Begin with general information about the holiday.
2.  Teach students the specifics: who, what, when, and where.
3.  Students relate knowledge to their personal life by telling what their family does for this holiday.