Thanksgiving "Unit"

We don't usually do unit studies, but I do tend to create projects and choose read-alouds based around holidays. It's mainly because I get bored quickly doing a whole unit on any one topic, but a few days of focused reading and art projects for a holiday is short enough to hold my interest. I know, I know, our homeschool should be planned around the kids' interests, not mine. But the reality is that if I'm bored the kids are bored. It's hard to enjoy a unit study if mom is reading in a monotone and drinking gallons of coffee just to keep her eyelids open. I admire all you Unit Study Moms, I do. But keep it far away from me. I'm bored just thinking about it. Pass the coffee.

So here's our short Thanksgiving "unit":
 

 Read-Alouds

Cranberry Thanksgiving

by Wende & Harry Devlin

Cranberry Autumn

by Wende & Harry Devlin

 The Thanksgiving Story

by Alice Dalgliesh

 

Who Were the First North Americans?

 On the Mayflower

by Kate Waters

If You Were At...The First Thanksgiving

by Anne Kamma

And because our "turkey day" is vegan:

 That's Why We Don't Eat Animals

by Ruby Roth

Crafts

Pilgrim Place Cards 

Thankful Turkey

Mapping

The voyage of the Pilgrims, England, Plymouth, and their original destination in Virginia.

Memorizing

Over the River and Through the Woods(This was Bess' idea. She loves to sing.)

Cooking

Bess and Max are learning how to make a vegan pumpkin pie from scratch.

Watching

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

And that's our "unit". We're having a lot of good discussions from our readings, even a few about how shopping is replacing Thanksgiving and how hard won labor rights are being slowly destroyed by corporations and greedy shoppers. (Mom on her soapbox.)

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends!