Thanksgiving Lesson Plans from a Native American Perspective

A friend of mine shared this resource on Facebook recently and I think it’s great, whether you are in a classroom teaching about Thanksgiving or just want to give a broader perspective to your kids.

This PDF is from the Oklahoma City Public Schools Native American Student Services, and it’s aimed especially at pre-K to 4th grade, but the facts and activities are great for a range of kids (and adults if you didn’t learn this stuff when you were in school).

It includes facts about the Wampanoag and the English settlers, myths and stereotypes around their relationships and the first Thanksgiving, activities and crafts that are more appropriate than paper bag vests and headbands with feathers sticking out.

There are book recommendations, links to other resources and more.

[Photo: Oklahoma City Public Schools.]

Looking for more Native American Resources? Check these out.

Next Plan Idea:

Learn about Indigenous People Who Made a Difference

There are so many fun things to do with fall leaves, which is a good thing because they are everywhere. We have more than a dozen trees in our yard so I would always try to do some leaf crafts when my daughter was younger. We made rubbings and preserved leaves and did a ton of jumping in leaf piles, but if you’re looking for more activities to do with leaves, read on.

If you have a lot of different kinds of trees in your yard, on the playground or at the park, you can make leaf mandalas like these from Red Ted Art. They’re inspired by Andy Goldsworthy, who makes temporary art with natural materials (learn more about him at the link).

Leaves are art all by themselves, but you can make them an even lovelier display by combining leaves with other natural materials in a collage. Or make a little natural weaving loom like this one from Woodlark to hold a bunch of leaves and other fall pretties in a way that can continuously be changed.

Another way to turn leaves into art is by using markers or pens to trace the veins on a leaf. This idea is from Go Science Kids, and it’s a simple thing that makes really pretty leaves to display while also giving you can chance to talk about why leaves have veins and what is happening when leaves change colors.

Kids Craft Room has a great idea for making leaf luminaries, which would be fun to decorate the table from now through Thanksgiving. The best thing about these is that you don’t have to use any glue, so it’s easy for kids to make (with some supervision since cutting is involved).

This one does use glue, but it’s so cute it’s probably worth the potential mess. Our Kid Things shows you how to make an adorable hedgehog with fall leaves using their printable template and a paper plate.

I also love this fall in a bottle project from The Crazy Outdoor Mama. It’s like a snow globe with leaves and has the added cuteness of a kid’s photo inside. This would be a fun one to make at school to give to parents or grandparents, and it’s so easy and cute!

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