Learn how Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Each educational video on the history of Thanksgiving is paired with three extension activities to use in your classroom.
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History of Thanksgiving Videos and Activities

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Watch these videos to learn about the holiday's history and traditions.

History of Thanksgiving Day

Appropriate Grades: K-5

Elementary students will review the history of Thanksgiving and learn how it became a national holiday.

Source: Studies Weekly on youtube.com

Length: 5 minutes 22 seconds

Extension Activities

A Brief History of Thanksgiving

Appropriate Grades: 6-8

Give middle school students a brief look at the history and traditions of Thanksgiving.

Source: GeoBeats on youtube.com

Length: 45 seconds

Extension Activities

History of the Holidays: History of Thanksgiving

Appropriate Grades: 9-12

High school students will learn about the history of Thanksgiving celebrations and the eventual declaration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

Source: History Channel on youtube.com

Length: 3 minutes 25 seconds

Extension Activities

Please preview the Closed Captioning (CC) to ensure it is appropriate for your students. These captions are provided by the video publisher and may not represent the spoken content.

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Wampanoag Thanksgiving Lesson

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The Wampanoag: A Thanksgiving Lesson

ObjectivesStudents will understand the Wampanoag people.

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ACTIVITIES

Wampanoag Thanksgiving Worksheet

Wampanoag Thanksgiving WorksheetName:__________________________________________ Date:_______________________ Plimoth Pla...

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TEACHING RESOURCE

Pilgrim Fact Cards

Pilgrim Fact CardsThese Fact Cards were designed to be used with the Pilgrim Study Unit.

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LESSON PLANS

Aboard the Mayflower - Pilgrim Study Unit (Lesson 2 of 7)

ObjectivesStudents will be able to identify the difficult and the pleasant aspects of the voyage of the Mayflower.

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REFERENCE

Brief History of Thanksgiving

"After gathering in a plantiful harvest to tide them over the next long winter, the Pilgrims dedicated to Providence a p...

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ACTIVITIES

Wampanoag Thanksgiving -- Answer Key

Wampanoag Thanksgiving -- Answer KeyI. Go to the page “Who Are the Wampanoag?”: http://www.plimoth.

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