ceciliafelsenstein As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s the perfect time to incorporate festive themes into your English Language Arts (ELA) lessons. This holiday not only brings the opportunity to reflect on gratitude but also allows us to engage students with creative and interactive activities. Here are some Thanksgiving ELA Activities for middle and high school I offer that will enrich your classroom experience and inspire your students’ learning.
1. Narrative and Descriptive Writing
One of the most effective ways to encourage creative writing is through narrative and descriptive writing. This Thanksgiving, why not have your students write about their unique family traditions or create a fictional story centered around a Thanksgiving feast?
2. Haiku Poem Writing
Poetry is a wonderful way for students to express their thoughts and feelings, and what better form to explore than the haiku? This Thanksgiving, introduce your students to the art of haiku writing, focusing on themes of gratitude, nature, and family.
3. Idioms with Activitities
Idioms can be tricky for students, but they’re a fun way to explore language! Introduce idioms related to the holiday and engage students with activities that reinforce their understanding. You will find a Slides presentation with meaning, origin and example of 10 idioms plus two activities to learn them!
4. Vocabulary with Activities
A rich vocabulary is crucial for effective communication. Enhance your students’ word banks this Holiday with targeted vocabulary lessons. You can assign them our list of Thanksgiving terms and ask them to do our suggested activity as a game, and also, to reinfonce vocabulary. You can also check our vocabulary games post to find more activities for this list of words!
5. Taboo Game
Introduce an element of excitement and competition with our Thanksgiving-themed Taboo game! This activity is perfect for reviewing vocabulary and concepts while encouraging teamwork and quick thinking. Students will take turns describing Thanksgiving-related words without using specific “taboo” terms, prompting them to think critically about language and expression. This engaging game not only reinforces vocabulary but also fosters a lively classroom atmosphere, making learning enjoyable.
ELA Thanksgiving Projects
Choose one of these projects and ask your students to use Thanksgiving or Gratitude as a prompt, as the topic for their work. You can also assign stations and have different groups of students working on each one!
As you prepare for the Thanksgiving season, consider incorporating these engaging activities into your ELA lessons. Not only will they enhance your students’ skills, but they’ll also make learning enjoyable and memorable. Check out the resources available and give your students the gift of creativity and knowledge this Thanksgiving!
Happy teaching, and may your classrooms be filled with joy and inspiration!
