Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to teach not only English vocabulary and sentence structures, but also values like gratitude and kindness. This year, our Grade 5 and 6 students explored the theme of thankfulness, learned new words, and created their own Thankful Turkeys to express appreciation for the people and things that matter most to them. 

To wrap up the lesson, students created their very own Thankful Turkeys!

For Grade 5, each feather on the turkey included a sentence about someone or something they’re thankful for. As for Grade 6, I challenged them to also explain why they’re thankful!

A big shoutout to Crafts on Sea for the awesome template—be sure to visit her website!

After the craft, students shared their turkeys with the class. It was a great way to practice speaking, boost confidence, and listen to each other’s thoughts with kindness and curiosity. 

This Thanksgiving activity wasn't just about crafts or vocabulary—it was about helping students notice the good in their lives and express it in English. The classroom is now filled with cheerful turkeys and heartfelt messages that remind us all how much we have to be thankful for.

Thankfulness is a powerful lesson—and one they’ll remember far beyond Thanksgiving