Thanksgiving is such an exciting time. Why not using it to teach English? If you choose the right activities your students are bount to be engaded!
1-Parts of Speech Sort
No one would ever describe English as an
easy language to learn. However, it is a useful one. When it comes to parts of
speech (nouns, verbs and adjectives, for example), it can be tricky to teach.
However, sorting cards can make it an active lesson, and therefore, one likely
to be remembered. These Thanksgiving
sorting mats are perfect. Once the students have successfully sorted the
words, they could then use them in sentences incorporating the language from
the mats.
2-Write the Room
Passive learning rarely sticks. Active
education is far better suited to the majority of kids out there. Write the
room is a wonderful activity where words are placed around the classroom (or
another space), and children walk around, copying the words. Get out the
clipboards and allow the children to investigate. Continue learning about parts
of speech linked to Thanksgiving with this Write
the Room set. Alternatively, create your own using the key vocabulary that
you are focusing on within your classroom.
3-Food for Thought
When we think of Thanksgiving, often, our
minds drift to daydreams of delicious food. One great way of using this food to
help with learning English linked to this celebration is by printing off
pictures or flashcards
of a wealth of different items. Children should pick a few and stick onto a
paper plate, labeling each food. Another simple way of teaching the vocabulary
is by giving them the same pictures of all the different Thanksgiving food and
asking your students to sort them into their likes and dislikes. Use this
information to convey their opinions to a friend e.g., I like turkey, but I
don’t like greens. Alternatively, if you are teaching the food pyramid, you
could use typical Thanksgiving dishes to help you with that.
4-Taboo
For more advanced learners, a game like Taboo
can really help kids to practice their newly learned vocabulary. Children pick
a card. At the top is the word that the other players must guess. Beneath that
are the ‘taboo’ words i.e., the ones that they are not allowed to use when
giving the other players clues. It is such a fun game that you can be sure your
kids will be begging for more.
5-Songs
We all know that songs are a great way to
learn another language. How many songs do we get stuck in our head which are in
a foreign language? We might not have them word perfect, but when they are
catchy, the key words stick. Here is a great example of a Thanksgiving song is:
If You’re Thankful and You Know It
(To
the tune of: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If
you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands
If
you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands
If
you’re thankful and you really want to show it
If
you’re thankful and you know it clap your hands
More ideas?
Picture or find picture cards that represent Thanksgiving-related items such as turkey, pumpkin, cornucopia, pilgrims, and Native Americans. Show the cards to your students and have them guess the word in English.
Storytelling: Tell a simplified Thanksgiving story using key vocabulary words. Encourage students to listen and then retell the story using the new words they've learned.
Thanksgiving Books: Read Thanksgiving-themed children's books or short stories that use Thanksgiving vocabulary. After reading, discuss the story and ask students to identify and explain the new words they encountered.
Thanksgiving Crafts: Engage your students in Thanksgiving-themed craft activities. You can teach vocabulary words as they create crafts like paper turkeys, pilgrim hats, or cornucopias. Use labels or flashcards to reinforce the vocabulary associated with each craft.
Vocabulary Bingo: Create Bingo cards with Thanksgiving-related words and images. Call out the words in English, and students can mark the corresponding images on their cards.
Word Walls: Create a "Word Wall" display in your classroom with Thanksgiving vocabulary words and their corresponding images. You can refer to this wall during lessons and encourage students to use the words in sentences.
Thanksgiving Menu: Discuss and create a simplified Thanksgiving menu with your students. Include vocabulary words like turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. You can even bring in food items or pictures to make it more engaging.
Role-Playing: Have your students engage in role-playing scenarios related to Thanksgiving, such as planning a Thanksgiving dinner, inviting guests, or expressing gratitude. This will help them practice using the vocabulary in context.
Videos and Songs: Show videos or play Thanksgiving-themed songs with lyrics to help students associate vocabulary with the visuals or music. Discuss the lyrics and the meaning of the words used in the video or song.
Gratitude Activity: Encourage your students to write or discuss what they are thankful for. This can be a great way to introduce words like "grateful," "thankful," and "appreciate." You can create a gratitude tree or poster where students can add their thoughts.
Remember to adapt these activities to the language proficiency level of your ESL students, and gradually increase the complexity as they become more comfortable with the vocabulary.
How do you celebrate Thanksgiving with your ESL students?
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