With Thanksgiving around the corner, of course we need to stop and think about all the things we are thankful for. Having students create crafts and pictures of turkeys makes for fun activities and there’s always the wonderful writing prompt: “What are you thankful for?”
But there are other things students can write about as well. This year, consider using a slide show software or app or Google Slides to create an ebook the students can share with one another and their families. Here are some thoughtful, thankful and thrilling prompts to try!
- Name three things you are thankful for this season and describe them in detail. Create a slide for each thing that includes the description and an illustration.
- Tell the story of Thanksgiving from the turkey’s point of view. How does the turkey feel about the day and all the festivities?
- If there was one thing you could change about Thanksgiving, what would it be? Describe what you would change and why.
- Tell the history of Thanksgiving. Describe the relationship between the pilgrims and Native Americans. How did they help each other on the first Thanksgiving?
- If you could invite one famous person (alive or dead) to Thanksgiving dinner, who would it be? Tell who you would invite and why and also what may happen as a result of them being there!
- Describe your Thanksgiving traditions. How does your family celebrate the holiday? What special things do you do or eat on that day? Create slides that show us 3 or more of the things you do with family.
- Do you think a turkey would make a good pet? Tell why or why not and describe what you think life would be like if you did have a turkey for a pet.
- Create a set of questions you could use to interview someone at the first Thanksgiving. Tell who you would like to interview and put a question on each slide. For extra credit, add in the answer you think that person would give.
For each assignment, students can design a cover and title slide for their ebooks and include text and illustrations on each page. You could even try assigning this as a family project to do at home!
Thanksgiving is a time for reflection as much as it is for giving thanks. Students who take the time to create an ebook will certainly be able to do both.
I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Enjoy the week!
~EMP
This is an updated version of an article that was originally published on Big Universe when Elizabeth was writing for their blog from August 2011 – January 2013.
