Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the US on the fourth Thursday of November. It originated from a harvest feast shared between Pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621. Today, Americans gather with family to enjoy a meal including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The document provides background on the origins of the holiday, traditional foods, and ways Americans express gratitude on Thanksgiving.

1. Thanksgiving!

2. What is Thanksgiving?
• Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrated in the
United States on the 4th Thursday in November.

3. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
People from England left their
country to live in the United
States so they could practice
their religion freely.
They were called “pilgrims.”
They came on a boat called
the Mayflower on a long,
hard journey across the
ocean.

4. Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
• When they came to
America, it was very cold
and hard to survive. Many
pilgrims became ill or
died.
• The Native Americans
helped them very much
their first year, showing
them how to use the
things they found in
nature and what crops to
plant for food.

5. • When it was time for harvest the next year, the
pilgrims had many crops to gather…enough for the
year ahead and more. They would not have survived
without the help of the Native Americans.
• So the Native Americans and Pilgrims decided to have a
large feast (meal) together to celebrate the big harvest
and “give thanks” for all they had.

6. Thanksgiving today!
• Thanksgiving is still a
time for people to gather
together, spend time
with their families and
be grateful for all they
have.
• In the U.S., most people
go to the house of a
family member and have
a very big meal together.

7. The FOOD! (then)
• When the pilgrims and Native Americans had
their Thanksgiving feast, they ate:
• Deer (venison)
• Fish, lobster and clams
• Duck or goose
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Corn
• Berries, apples and other
fruit

8. The FOOD! (now)
• Now, most Americans eat food that is much
different. But they still eat a lot of food!
• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Corn
• Cranberry sauce
• Pumpkin pie

9. Afterwards…
• Many Americans watch (American) football on
television.
• Others take a nap!
• Others sit around and talk, just enjoying being
together.

10. What are YOU thankful for?
• “I’m thankful for….”
– My family
– My friends
– My house
– My school/education
– Food to eat
– Clothes to wear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrAWXIKKZ2Y

11. Hello Mr. Turkey!
(to the tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)
• Hello, Mr. Turkey how are you?
• Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?
• Or With a gobble, gobble, gobble,
• And a wobble, wobble, wobble.
• Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you?

12. Turkey Rhyme!
• I have a turkey, big and fat.
(Make a fist with one hand-thumb Out for turkey's head)
He spreads his tail and walks like that.
(Attach "tail" by spreading Out fingers of other hand and join together)
His daily corn he would not miss.
(Poke with thumb at floor)
And when he talks, it sounds like this:
Gobble Gobble Gobble

13. What do we eat on Thanksgiving?
(to the tune of Frere Jaques)
• We eat turkey we eat turkey
Yum, yum, yum
Yum, yum, yum
Always on Thanksgiving
Always on Thanksgiving
Yum, yum, yum
Yum, yum, yum
Add other foods we eat at Thanksgiving
• Second Verse: Mashed po-ta-toes
Third Verse: Pie and Ice-cream
Fourth Verse: Home-made bis-cuits
Fifth Verse: Tur-key dress-ing

14. We are thankful
(to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle)
• We are thankful for the ways
That God's blessed us all today.
Thanks for moms and dads so dear.
Thanks for food and clothes we wear.
We are thankful for the ways
That God's blessed us all today.

15. Thanksgiving time is Here!
(to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
• Thanksgiving time is here
• Let's give a great big cheer
• For food and friends and family
• Thanksgiving time is here.

16. Turkey Limerick
• There once was a turkey named Chummy,
• Mom thought that he might be quite yummy.
• He waddled away
• On Thanksgiving Day --
• But still ended up in my tummy!

17. Thanksgiving Vocabulary
• Journey • Cornucopia
• Pilgrims • Harvest
• Native Americans • Bountiful
• The Mayflower • Feast
• Ship • Pumpkin
• Winter • Squash
• Thankful • Turkey
• To give thanks • Mashed potatoes
• Grateful • Stuffing
• Blessings • Cranberry sauce
• Tradition

19. I´M THANKFUL FOR….

21. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!