Thanksgiving Bundle With Writing, Reading Comprehension & STEM Story Stations

2nd Grade Thanksgiving Activities Bundle including Reading Comprehension, Writing, Social Studies, and Math with Molly's Pilgrim, Reading Comprehension around Thanksgiving Symbols, and STEM Story Stations around Thanksgiving Books.

What's Included:

1. Molly's Pilgrim Thematic Unit: A mini-literature unit on Molly's Pilgrim with the following items:

Reading:

- Before reading activity

- During reading comprehension activity

- After reading essay questions

- A Venn Diagram activity

- A "Design a Pilgrim" activity

Math:

-Thanksgiving-themed math games and activities

- Turkey Trot game where students practice addition and subtraction facts to "trot" across a farmer's field

- Thanksgiving Word Math Problems

- Harvest Doubles, Addition, and Subtraction games where students use knowledge of facts to capture the biggest and smallest numbers.

- Colorful Turkeys activity, where students attempt to discover

how many different color combinations they can use to color

turkey feathers

- Facts Orchard games where students use knowledge of

basic facts to "harvest" the most apples

Social Studies:

- Mayflower Compact Social Studies and Writing Activities

- Using Molly's Pilgrim as a springboard, your students will

write a class "compact" that outlines how they will behave and

treat one another, similar to the Mayflower Compact written by

the Pilgrims

- A Create a Character activity that helps students see how

unkind words can hurt others

Writing:

- Thankful Writing Activities

- Thankful Writing activity, students will use a thesaurus and

other reference materials (including technology) to find synonyms for thankful

- Many Ways to Say Thanks activity, students will write 5 new

ways to thank someone

2. Thanksgiving Nonfiction (Thanksgiving Symbols):

Thanksgiving reading comprehension passages contain 4 short pieces written to introduce 4 different Thanksgiving symbols:

• The Cornucopia
• The Pumpkin
• The Turkey
• The Pilgrim

Each page is filled with a few paragraphs about a Thanksgiving symbol and is focused on two standards. The standards addressed in this packet are:

• RI.1 (Questions)
• RI.2 (Main Idea)
• RI. 4 (Word Meaning)
• RI. 6 (Author's Purpose)

3.Thanksgiving STEM Story Stations

Thanksgiving in your classroom or media center takes a great deal of engagement and problem-solving if we want to keep students focused and under control. Teachers often feel on edge when Thanksgiving is close by. Students can get a bit excited. Yet, Makerspace task cards/ STEM challenges are perfect for community building, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration while engaging students at a busy time of year.

What's Included:

• 10 Thanksgiving Open-Ended Makerspace/STEM Challenges focused on 10 stories using simple materials
• Lesson plans for Makerspace Stations
• Makerspace Resources
• Engineering Design Process Think Sheets
• Digital Version on Google Slides
• Digital Choice Board with links to stories read aloud on YouTube
• Directions for Digital Use

Books Featured: (Not Included)

• Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano(Read on YouTube)
• Turkey Goes to School by Wendi Silvano (Read on YouTube)
• How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallance & Andy Elkerton (Read on YouTube)
• 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
• Thankful by Eileen Spinelli (Animated on YouTube)
• Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
• Turkey Tot by George Shannon (YouTube)
• The Best Thanksgiving Ever! by Teddy Slater (YouTube)
• A Turkey For Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting (YouTube)
• A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman (YouTube)

Having a set of diverse and well-structured resources for Thanksgiving can be incredibly helpful for teachers for several reasons:

1. Curriculum Integration: By incorporating resources such as a thematic unit around "Molly's Pilgrim," teachers can seamlessly integrate literature, social studies, and math into their November curriculum. This holistic approach not only reinforces the thematic content of Thanksgiving but also allows for cross-curricular connections, making learning more cohesive and meaningful for students.
2. Engagement: Thematic units and story-based STEM activities are often more engaging for students than traditional instruction methods. Engaged students are typically more motivated, participate actively in class, and demonstrate better retention of the material. By using a variety of resources, teachers can cater to different learning styles and interests, which helps keep all students interested and involved.
3. Differentiated Instruction: A mixture of resources provides opportunities for differentiated instruction, which is the practice of tailoring instruction to meet individual needs. For example, the Thanksgiving STEM story stations may appeal to hands-on learners, while the nonfiction reading work might be better for those who excel in verbal-linguistic intelligence. This helps teachers address the diverse abilities and learning styles within their classroom.
4. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: The STEM story stations that challenge students to solve problems with simple materials can develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These are crucial 21st-century skills that students need to develop to be successful in future academic and professional endeavors.
5. Assessment and Feedback: Having before, during, and after reading resources allows teachers to assess students' comprehension and analytical skills over time. Additionally, with the nonfiction reading passages and questions, teachers can evaluate students' information processing and retention. This variety in assessment forms can give teachers a more comprehensive understanding of each student's learning progress.
6. Time Management: November can be a busy month for teachers, with the end of the first semester approaching and the holidays. Having ready-to-use, quality resources saves teachers considerable planning time, which they can then invest in addressing individual student needs, providing feedback, or even managing their personal work-life balance.
7. Community and Culture Building: Resources like building a class compact have the potential to foster a sense of community and teach about democratic principles and civic responsibility, which are important aspects of social studies. They also provide a platform for students to discuss and reflect upon the historical and cultural aspects of Thanksgiving.
8. Resource Availability and Flexibility: Having multiple resources at their disposal allows teachers to adapt to any last-minute changes in the schedule or curriculum needs. If one activity is not resonating with the students or there are unexpected time constraints, teachers can pivot to another resource without losing the thematic thread.

In summary, these resources solve the problem of curriculum planning and delivery by providing a diverse, engaging, and integrated set of tools that teachers can use to cover academic standards, cater to different learning styles, and save time on preparation. They also enhance the learning experience by fostering skills like critical thinking and problem-solving and by creating opportunities for cultural and community discussions around the theme of Thanksgiving.