Thanks for the giving

I love the new Walgreen's commercial with the phrase "Thanks for giving."  It took me awhile to get the flow of it. 

The power of change!

Things have been stressful....coming off a full moon and end of the grading period.....
So for this Thanksgiving I am trying to be more thankful for my students and all that I learn from them.  In addition, I want to try to help them realize more of how they can be thankful, grateful for what they have and can be.

 I read:
         
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 These are short stories that put the concept of thankfulness in the kids' perspective.  From the stories, I introduced the pie craft for them to illustrate what they are thankful for.

The "I am thankful for pie" craft  project is easy to do.  I made a circle and flood-filled it and drew a pie shape to cut out.  The children cut out the circle and pie piece.  On a paper plate that was premarked in six sections, the children trace the edge of the circle line and inside the triangle shape they draw a picture and on the outer bumpy edge they 'sound-out' the word.  We attached the pie with a paper fastener so the wheel can turn to show one piece of the pie.  I am impressed by their ideas and effort.


The First Thanksgiving fingerplay

When the Pilgrims came (one arm out for 'land' and other palm flat with thumb up for the Mayflower ship)  


to this new land (ship turns into person walking up on the land)    


They met the Indians (hands flat with
                      thumbs up for people meeting
And shook their hands (shake hands)
 They made a feast (gesture hands out to    

             show food on the table)
  With turkey (link thumbs together finger 
                     spread for turkey feathers)
   And corn (imitate eating corn-on-the-cob)

And that's the way (gesture hands out again)
Thanksgiving was born! (put palms
                    together as in a 'prayer' motion) 

 I hope you have time to try these.