Thanksgiving in ESL is always a good time to explore language, especially vocabulary (the most common ESL Thanksgiving words) and culture!
Thanksgiving is a popular holiday in the USA and Canada.
Many countries around the world celebrate Thanksgiving in their ESL classroom so that students think about what they are most thankful.
Besides, it is always a good occasion for the students to share a little bit about what this holiday means. And it’s nice to be able to do it in the classroom among peers with their teachers.
Thus, you can think of engaging activities to have students think about their lives and what they have!
This is the year to do it!
As the name implies, THANKSGIVING is a time to give thanks… At this time most people reflect on what they’re grateful for.
Things are so hard and difficult around the world not only for families in general but also for schools and teachers that this is the right moment to BE THANKFUL for what we have accomplished until now!
For what we have.
For those we have by our side.
In addition, your students will certainly learn new words that they’ve never seen before!
9 ESL Thanksgiving Activities
So let’s get to the 9 easy activities I’ve prepared for you to celebrate Thanksgiving in the classroom or online!
Don’t forget they are great for keeping social distancing inside the classroom too!
#1 Brainstorming Time
#2 Remember-All-Or-Nothing
You can download these prompt-pictures activities HERE.
#3 Captions’ Factory
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#4 Set The Scene
Download the 3-page FREE document to use in your lessons.
#5 Daytime Stories
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#6 The 3 Words Game
I came up with this vocabulary game idea and figured out 6 different ways of playing it. This game doesn’t involve students sharing resources or getting too close.
For more info check my post Powerful Reasons For Playing Games In ESL.
#7 Thanksgiving Bingo
I’ve prepared this template where students can write themselves the words and prepare the bingo they are going to play. You can find the list of words below.
#8 Thanksgiving Stories
Great activity for students to practice their writing skills and develop imagination! Download HERE.
#9 I’m Thankful For…
Lesson Plan Ideas For ESL Thanksgiving
Here’s how you can do it:
- Introduce the topic of Thanksgiving. Brainstorm THANKSGIVING related words by using activity #1 or activity #2 to help you out with the vocabulary.
- After introducing the topic use one of the suggestions for #3 and give students some thinking time allowing them to write a few notes. If their speaking skills are good, try activity #4 instead. These picture prompt activities are excellent as quick warmer activities too!
- Explore the topic with task #5 (older students can write down and practice writing skills too). Instead, put students in pairs and allow them to have some time for free-talking (social distanced activity)
- Finally, invite some students to share some thoughts with the entire class. This procedure can be done with #3, #4 or #5.
- To explore and discover more vocabulary about Thanksgiving #6 will be perfect! You can divide the class into teams and they play against each other.
- With resource #7 you can have some fun! Each time you say a word, get students cross off each word on the copy with an X so that you can check answers later.
- To do some follow-up activities, carry out #8 or #9. Students can write a paragraph about things they are thankful for. Put students in pairs again if you wish and allow them to have some time for free-talking.
- Activity #8 is great for homework, they could write a short story or a paragraph depending on the level.
- Task #9 is great as a warm-up activity or to end the topic of Thanksgiving. It can be done as a speaking or written activity.
- Whenever necessary, provide extra information.
ESL Thanksgiving Vocabulary
Things To Be Grateful For…
Books | Family | Home | Pets |
Children | Flowers | Hugs and kisses | Police officers |
Clothes | Freedom | Imagination | Savings |
Democracy | Free time | Jesus Christ | School |
Doctors | Firefighters | Life | Sunshine |
Employment | Friends | Love | Teachers |
Good health | Food | Memories | The World |
Good weather | Football | Nature | Water |
Grace | Happiness | Nurses | Wealth |
Faith | Holidays | Parents | Wisdom |
ESL Thanksgiving Words To Explore
American/Canadian holiday | Colonists | Festival | Home | Oven | Roast turkey | Thankful |
Apple cider | Cook | Football | Indian | Overeating | Rolls | Thanking |
Apple pie | Corn | Friends | Leaf, leaves | Parade | Sail | Thanksgiving Day |
Autumn/Fall | Corn salad | Gathering | Leftovers | Patuxet Indians | Sauce | Thursday |
Acorn | Cornbread | Get-together | Mayflower | Pie | Scarecrows | Tradition |
Bake, baking | Cornucopia | Gobble, gobble | Mashed potatoes | Pilgrim | Settlers | Travel |
Banquet | Cranberry, cranberries | Gravy | Meal | Pilgrim hats | Squanto | Turkey |
Biscuits | Cranberry sauce | Grateful | Meat | Plymouth Rock | Stuffing | Vegetables |
Candles | Creamed corn | Gratitude | Melting Pot | Potato(oes) | Sweet corn | Wampanoag Indians |
Canoe | Dinner | Ham | Massachusetts | Pumpkin | Sweet potato | Wheat |
Carve, Carving | Fall floral arrangements | Harvest | Native American/Canadian | Pumpkin bread | Tablecloth | Wreath |
Celebrate, Celebration | Family | Harvest festival | New World | Pumpkin pie | Taste | Wreath |
Centerpiece | Feast | Holiday | November | Recipe | Tasty | Yam |
You can do lots of things to make these celebrations FUN, FUN, FUN!
If you haven’t tried out this kind of teaching, Thanksgiving may be the best “celebration” to start!
If you need more ideas about vocabulary work in the classroom, read my related posts:
- How To Learn New English Words Every Day
- ESL Vocabulary And Ways To Enlarge It and
- Vocabulary Learning And 9 Things A Learner Needs.
For more ideas from other sites and teachers, visit my Pinterest account and follow me there!
Check out the following if you’re looking for other activities related to celebrations in ESL:
- And here you can know more about the HISTORY OF THANKSGIVING!
That’s all for now! Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you usually celebrate ESL Thanksgiving in your classroom?
Leave a comment below and tell me all about it!