2nd-Grade Lesson Plans on the History of Thanksgiving

Make It Pumpkin

• Talk about the first Thanksgiving and what it means in both giving thanks to God and to others. Print out the story of the first Thanksgiving. Using a pumpkin shape, have second-graders create a book, adding their own graphics and cutting the story provided into text strips to fit on different pages with their illustrations. Bring single-serving pie pans filled with pie crust. Also bring the ingredients for pumpkin pie. Together, mix the ingredients. Let each child pour pumpkin pie mix into individual pie pans. Bake.Turn a pumpkin into a turkey with paper-plate tail feathers, adding a triangular cardboard beak and drawing the rest of the features with markers.
  
  

Place Mat, Wreath and Mobile

• Provide 11 by 18-inch construction paper sheets in autumn colors such as dark green, orange, brown and yellow to use as Thanksgiving place mats. Have the second-graders add printouts of first Thanksgiving illustrations or draw their own pictures. Preserve with laminating sheets or clear shelf paper with adhesive. On a cardboard or Styrofoam wreath shape, arrange colorful cards with verses of giving thanks with characters and symbols from the first Thanksgiving or contemporary Thanksgiving scenes with food and prayer. Create a mobile using a cardboard illustration of the Mayflower and hanging from it scenes, symbols or characters that represent Thanksgiving past or present.
  
  

Sharing

• Decorate baskets with ribbon and a verse on giving thanks. Have the second- graders fill with a selection of fruit or vegetables to give to those in need either within the acquaintance of their family or church. Give the baskets to those at homeless shelters. Wrap a sheet of orange or brown sheet of construction paper into a cone. Fill with real or artificial vegetables and fruit for a cornucopia centerpiece. Make small personal-sized cornucopias. Add a verse on thankfulness. Fill with candy to give away.
  
  

Give Thanks

• Have the second-graders learn a verse on giving thanks. Create posters using the verse on giving thanks and printouts of pilgrims and other symbols of Thanksgiving. Ask the second-graders what Thanksgiving means to them. List these reasons on the board. Create a turkey using a paper plate. Use markers for features and cut around the top half edges of the plate for tail feathers. Add verses of thanksgiving to the feathers.