Thanksgiving Writing for Primary Grades

Thanksgiving Writing for Primary Grades

Hey, y'all! Thanksgiving is right around the corner and when your little turkeys start acting like, well, turkeys, it's time to change out the writing centers. These Thanksgiving themed writing pages will have your little writers back on track and feeling the gratitude. 

One of my favorite Thanksgiving activities is the turkey in disguise prompt. Students disguise their turkey into something else ( a policeman, a superhero, etc.) to keep it from being the Thanksgiving feast. Then, they write a description about it so that others can try and guess which one is theirs. 

Of course, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving unless we talked about what we're thankful for or wrote the steps for "how to cook a turkey." I like to let the kids loose on the later one, just to see what they say. :) 

To make a friendship mix, each student brings in a little something to add to a class trail mix--dry cereal, dried fruit, pretzel sticks, chocolate pieces, etc. We put all the things together in a big bowl and mix it up. In the end, a little bit of each of us is in the mix. Then, we write the steps we took to make our "Friendship Mix."

Of course, students need independent writing time, too. There are write the rooms, an acrostic, and a Thanksgiving story writing page that are just right for literacy center time. 

In our district, we are supposed to teach opinion writing around Thanksgiving time. What better way to integrate writing and social studies with opinion writing about their favorite food or the best part of Thanksgiving overall? There's even space for students to draw what they are thinking--a great starting point for your emerging writers. 

And finally, we have five senses writing. You could turn it into a science lesson, focusing on what the senses are and how we use them. You could turn it into a descriptive writing lesson if you have students ready for that level of writing. Or you could turn it into a mindfulness activity where students have to imagine they are Thanksgiving dinner with their families and describe what all they notice. I love this last one because it requires students to imagine, slow down, and pay attention to their surroundings. 

You can find this entire unit in my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. While you're there, be sure to follow me on TPT for all the latest ideas, resources, and freebies. I hope you found some new writing ideas for your classroom. Have a wonderful week and I'll talk to you soon. 

Stay cozy,