Looking to spark creativity in your classroom this Thanksgiving season? These 10 Thanksgiving-themed story starters are perfect for getting your students' imaginations flowing! Designed for grades 4 and up, these engaging and open-ended prompts let students craft their own festive, adventurous, and even magical stories.
Use these story starters as:

• Bell ringers to jumpstart creative writing sessions
• Writing centers or stations for independent work
• Extension activities when students need an extra challenge
• Fun, seasonal writing prompts for November or Thanksgiving-themed lessons

Included Story Starters:

• “While preparing the Thanksgiving feast, you discover the turkey is enchanted! It starts talking and asks you to help it break a 100-year-old curse. What will you do?”
• “A UFO lands in your backyard on Thanksgiving Day. The aliens are friendly, but they want to join your dinner. What happens next?”
• And 8 more fun and imaginative prompts!

Why You’ll Love This Resource:

• Easy to Use: Simply print and go! Perfect for quick lesson planning.
• Engaging & Fun: Each prompt is designed to capture students’ attention and foster creative thinking.
• Flexible Use: Ideal for writing centers, bell work, or independent writing projects.
• Perfect for November: Add a festive twist to your writing lessons during the Thanksgiving season.

This FREE resource will keep your students engaged and excited about writing. Download today and watch their Thanksgiving tales come to life!

Looking for a fun, engaging, and low-prep activity to use the day before Thanksgiving or Fall Break? The Thanksgiving Throwdown is the perfect interactive slide deck for middle school students! This 22-slide digital resource offers a variety of fun, thought-provoking prompts that build community and keep your students engaged in the classroom. With questions like “Which topic should you NOT bring up at Thanksgiving?” and “What’s your go-to comfy outfit for lounging during Fall Break?”, this resource is designed to spark conversation, create memories, and encourage students to connect in a laid-back setting.

Ideal for grades 6-8, this resource is a non-academic break from the usual routine and is perfect for use as a whole-group activity or in small discussion groups. Your students will love the interactive format, featuring fun questions about Thanksgiving traditions, Fall Break plans, Black Friday shopping, and much more!

What’s Included:

• 22-slide deck of fun and engaging questions for middle school students
• Interactive scenarios and community-building prompts
• Perfect for the day before Thanksgiving or Fall Break
• Non-academic, lighthearted topics to keep students engaged

Use this slide deck to:

• Create a fun, stress-free atmosphere before the holiday break
• Help students bond and build classroom community
• Spark interesting discussions that students will love
• Keep students entertained with Thanksgiving-themed content

This digital resource is perfect for middle school teachers looking to end the week on a high note. Get your students excited for the holidays with the Thanksgiving Throwdown!

Dive into the heart of American tradition with our Thanksgiving Football Informational Texts, meticulously crafted for middle school students in grades 5-8. This resource, tailored to a 6th-grade lexile level, is a touchdown for any ELA curriculum, aligning with key standards that focus on the analysis of print and graphic features.

What’s Inside:

• Three Compelling Articles: Ranging from the mechanics of football to the historical significance of Thanksgiving games, and the cherished Detroit Lions' traditions, these texts are rich with educational content and football fervor.
• Dynamic Text Features: Each article is a playbook of knowledge, featuring captions, subheadings, glossaries, footnotes, maps, diagrams, sidebars, graphs, timelines, and photographs to engage students and enhance comprehension.
• Comprehensive Quizzes: Test understanding with 18 multiple-choice questions that challenge students to apply their knowledge of text features and content.
• GoogleSlides: Present information about text features before reading to build background knowledge or act as a refresher.

Curricular Alignment:

• Standards-Focused: This resource supports ELA goals, encouraging students to dissect the author's use of print and graphic elements for specific purposes, meeting key educational standards.

Easy Implementation:

• Teacher-Friendly: Designed for ease of use, this print-and-go resource includes a 12-slide Google Slides presentation to introduce text features, ensuring a smooth start to each lesson.
• Answer Key Included: Save time with ready-to-use answer keys, simplifying assessment and review.

Student Engagement:

• High-Interest Topic: By combining the universally engaging topics of football and Thanksgiving, this resource tackles the challenge of engaging reluctant readers head-on.

Holiday Relevance: Capitalize on the excitement of Thanksgiving to bring ELA standards to life.

• Rigorous & Multiskilled: Students aren't just learning about football; they're enhancing critical reading skills through a sports lens.
• No Additional Prep: Everything you need is at your fingertips, from the articles to the quizzes and presentation slides.

Perfect for the Season:

Whether you're looking to supplement your curriculum with seasonal material, add rigor to your lessons, or simply bring a high-engagement topic to your classroom, our Thanksgiving Football Informational Texts are your MVP. Score big with students and educators alike by integrating this resource into your middle school ELA game plan today!

Looking for a high-engagement, Thanksgiving-themed resource to teach author’s purpose? This Thanksgiving Author’s Purpose Unit is perfect for grades 5-7 and provides students with five unique, double-sided passages (10 pages total) to help them practice identifying and analyzing different author’s purposes—all with a festive, fall twist!

This resource includes everything you need for a whole-group lesson, centers, or intervention, and is perfect for engaging students with seasonal content while building critical reading skills.
What’s Included:

• A complete 75-minute lesson plan that guides students through understanding author’s purpose, with adaptable options for different teaching formats.
• 5 double-sided passages, each representing a different author’s purpose (Persuade, Inform, Entertain, Explain, Instruct), all tied to Thanksgiving topics!
• Interactive slides and guided notes: Use the 12-slide deck to introduce or review author’s purpose while students complete fill-in-the-blank notes to stay engaged.
• Multiple-choice and open-ended questions for each passage: Help students analyze the author’s intent, tone, and type of text.

Sample Thanksgiving Passages Include:

• A persuasive speech from a turkey asking to be saved!
• A critical speech on Thanksgiving’s environmental impact.
• An entertaining story of a Thanksgiving disaster.
• A step-by-step instructive speech on how to cook Grandma’s famous stuffing.

This resource is ideal for teaching the author’s purpose in a fun, seasonal way with relevant Thanksgiving content that students will love. Whether you use it for whole-group instruction, stations, or small-group intervention, your students will be "thankful" for how engaging this resource is!
What’s Included:

• 75-minute lesson plan
• 5 double-sided, Thanksgiving-themed passages (10 pages total)
• Slide deck and fill-in-the-blank guided notes
• Multiple-choice and open-ended questions for each passage

Help your students master the skill of identifying author’s purpose while enjoying Thanksgiving-themed content! Perfect for ELA centers, whole-class lessons, or small-group intervention.

Gobble up some fun this November with this 'Turkey’s Plea' Persuasive Writing Activity!

Do your students love a good debate? How about some Thanksgiving fun that will have them laughing and learning at the same time? In this pun-tastic activity, students will step into the feathers of a turkey and use persuasive writing techniques to convince their audience to enjoy an alternative main dish for Thanksgiving!

Perfect for grades 5-7, this print-and-go resource makes persuasive writing easy as pumpkin pie! No need to carve out extra prep time—this pack includes everything you need to help your students master ethos, pathos, and logos.

Key Features:

• Print-and-Go: Ready to use with minimal prep! Just print and you're good to go.
• Complete Lesson Plans: Two-day lesson plan included, covering notes, practice, speech writing, and optional presentations.
• Example Speech: A fun, turkey-themed example speech using ethos, pathos, and logos to help guide your students.
• Assessment Rubric: Assess students' speeches with a clear and detailed rubric, focusing on their use of persuasive techniques.
• Interactive Coloring: Students color-code persuasive techniques in the text, making learning both visual and engaging!
• Flexible and Customizable: Use with slides or handouts—perfect for in-person or virtual classrooms.
• ✍️ Perfect for November: Engaging activity for the entire month of November, incorporating seasonal themes with academic focus!

What’s Included:

• Guided notes on persuasive writing techniques (ethos, pathos, logos)
• Speech planning and final speech handouts
• Color-coded practice activity using Thanksgiving-themed examples
• Assessment rubric for evaluating student speeches
• Example turkey speech for teacher guidance
• Slides to present the material in class

Whether you’re preparing for the big Thanksgiving feast or looking for a creative way to teach persuasive writing, this Thanksgiving-themed activity will help students “carve out” their persuasive skills! Perfect for ELA and humanities teachers seeking a seasonal twist on persuasive writing.

Don't let this feather-light prep opportunity pass you by—add a little extra flavor to your November lessons and give your students something to gobble about!

Looking for a meaningful and engaging way to bring gratitude into your classroom this Thanksgiving season? This 4-Day Thanksgiving Toast Writing Unit has everything you need to help your students craft heartfelt toasts while building their public speaking and writing skills. It's print-and-go, includes interactive slides, and is loaded with fun Thanksgiving puns to keep your students motivated and inspired!

What’s Inside:

• Day 1: Kick off with a Do Now, note-taking, and brainstorming a mind map of gratitude.
• Day 2: Plan and draft your toast using a structured planning guide.
• Day 3: Revise with peer feedback and finalize the toast.
• Day 4: Present with style in a festive classroom setting!
• Bonus: Toast Awards (e.g., "Most Heartfelt," "Funniest Toast") to celebrate your students’ creativity!

What Makes This Resource Special?

• Complete Package: Includes detailed lesson plans, printable guided notes, slides, and awards.
• Flexible & Easy-to-Use: Print-and-go resources allow you to spend less time prepping and more time enjoying the activity.
• Interactive and Fun: Engage students with brainstorming activities, video clips, and a celebratory presentation day featuring pie and sparkling juice.
• Real-World Skills: Students practice public speaking, writing, and expressing gratitude—skills they’ll use for a lifetime!

Perfect For:

• Thanksgiving week lessons
• Middle school ELA or Speech classes
• Public speaking units

Teacher Tips for Maximum Impact:

• Bring in sparkling juice and pie to create a “Thanksgiving Toast Table” for presentation day.
• Set up a festive classroom with fall-themed decorations and soft background music.
• Use the included Toast Awards to celebrate students’ creativity and confidence.

Looking for a high-engagement, standards-aligned resource to teach argumentative writing? This Thanksgiving Argument Writing Unit is perfect for middle school (grades 6-8) and provides four unique Thanksgiving-themed writing prompts that help students practice developing claims, providing evidence, and addressing counterarguments and rebuttals.
This resource includes:

• A full lesson plan designed for a 75-minute class, guiding students through argument writing with structured slides and engaging activities.

• Four thought-provoking Thanksgiving debate topics, including:

• "Should Black Friday be banned due to its impact on society?"

• "Is it ethical to celebrate Thanksgiving given the historical conflicts with Native Americans?"

• "Should Thanksgiving Day parades be canceled due to their environmental impact?"

• "Should Thanksgiving football games be banned on the holiday?"

• Slides and Guided Notes: Step-by-step instruction on writing an argumentative essay using claims, evidence, counterarguments, and rebuttals.

• Practice Activities: Hands-on exercises to help students identify and write each part of an argument.

• Templates for Writing: Easy-to-use templates for students to organize their essays and develop their writing.

This unit is ideal for teaching the basics of argumentative writing in a fun, seasonal way, with relevant and engaging Thanksgiving topics that students care about. It's also perfect for debate prewriting, essay interventions, or building towards state assessments like STAAR.
What’s Included:

• Complete 60-minute lesson plan
• 4 Thanksgiving-themed argument writing prompts
• Guided notes and practice passages
• Slide deck covering key writing components (claim, evidence, counterargument, rebuttal)

Help your students develop strong, clear arguments while engaging with Thanksgiving traditions in a meaningful way. Perfect for teaching argumentative writing and improving students' ability to express their ideas logically and persuasively!

Celebrate Thanksgiving in your classroom with an engaging and educational coloring activity designed to help students in grades 5 through 7 master the art of identifying text structures in informational texts. This unique resource combines the festivity of the holiday with essential ELA skills, perfect for a 55-minute class period.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and understand seven common text structures: Description, Compare and Contrast, Problem-Solution, Question-Answer, Sequence, Chronological Order, and Cause and Effect.

What's Included:

• A 10-slide presentation (Google Slides) for direct instruction.
• Three coloring pages with a total of 60 prompts that reinforce text structure knowledge.
• A comprehensive note-taking graphic organizer to accompany the lesson.

How It Works:

1. Introduction (15 mins): Kick off the lesson with the presentation, using the graphic organizer to define each text structure, identify signal words, and discuss the author’s purpose.
2. Practice (30 mins): Students pair up to read prompts and determine the text structure, using colors to categorize each one correctly.
3. Review (10 mins): Reconvene as a class to go over the answers, allowing students to correct their work and solidify their understanding.

Perfect for Busy Teachers:

• Print & Go: No prep needed! Simply print the materials and you're ready for an interactive class.
• High Engagement: Students will love the combination of coloring and learning, making it a memorable Thanksgiving activity.
• Versatile Use: Ideal for an introduction to text structures, a refresher course, or as a review, quiz, homework, or choice board activity.

Unique Selling Points:

• Thanksgiving Theme: Incorporate the holiday spirit into your ELA curriculum with Thanksgiving-themed prompts that students will enjoy.
• Comprehensive Coverage: With prompts for every major text structure, students will leave the lesson with a well-rounded understanding.

Bring a blend of holiday cheer and educational value to your middle school classroom with this Thanksgiving Informational Text Structure Coloring Activity. It's the perfect way to keep students engaged before the holiday while ensuring they're learning and practicing key ELA skills!

Inspire your middle school students to craft vivid narratives with this autumn-themed essay planning guide. This resource includes 10 high-quality, fall-themed photos, from a turkey taking a trip, to a mysterious ghost family feast, to a lone parade float on an abandoned street, perfect for sparking imagination and guiding students through the narrative writing process.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop the ability to plan and draft a narrative story that captivates and engages.
• Foster creativity and ensure narratives include all essential elements of a well-structured narrative text.

What's Inside:

• A structured 5-day cycle for each picture prompt, guiding students from initial brainstorming to the final draft.
• Detailed graphic organizers are designed to help students explore the setting, characters, conflict, and resolution in depth.
• A GoogleSlides presentation with each high-interest photo for classroom projection, making it easy to introduce each new writing prompt.

How to Use:

• Day 1: Project the photo prompt using the slides and encourage students to brainstorm ideas with the help of the graphic organizer.
• Day 2: Begin drafting the narrative, drawing inspiration from the projected image.
• Day 3: Continue the narrative, weaving in details and developing the plot.
• Day 4: Conduct peer or teacher feedback sessions, followed by revisions and editing.
• Day 5: Publish the final narrative piece, celebrating the students' completed work.

Standards Alignment:

• Aligned with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3 through W.8.3, ensuring that the resource meets educational standards for narrative writing.

Formats Available:

• A ready-to-use PDF for printouts and a Google Slides for easy classroom display.

Usage Scenario:

• Ideal for middle school teachers to use as a standalone writing unit, an extension activity, or as part of a choice board for students.

Highlights:

• Engaging and diverse photo prompts: Each image is selected to appeal to middle school students, with themes including technology, society, animals, aviation, and more.
• Ready for the classroom: With the PowerPoint slides, you can easily introduce each writing prompt, while the print-ready PDFs make preparation quick and effortless.

Transform your classroom's approach to narrative writing with this engaging, standards-aligned essay planning guide. Watch as your students' creativity takes flight with each captivating photo prompt!

Engage your middle schoolers with a festive dive into informational text skills using the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade as the backdrop. This comprehensive resource is designed to captivate students while reinforcing critical reading skills over two to three class periods.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and analyze the central idea in informational texts.
• Understand and evaluate the author's purpose.
• Recognize and interpret various text structures.
• Determine the meaning of academic words in context.

What's Included:

• Five high-interest informational texts centered on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
• A four-question multiple-choice quiz for each text, complete with an answer key.
• A Google Slides presentation to introduce and review key informational text skills.

How It Works:

• Day 1: Kickstart the lesson with a Google Slides presentation to refresh students on each skill's definition. Then, dive into the first two texts with guided annotation and strategic multiple-choice question approaches.
• Day 2: Continue with the remaining texts and quizzes, followed by a comprehensive review of the answers, solidifying students' understanding.

Perfect for Busy Teachers:

• Print & Go: No prep needed! Simply print the materials or share them digitally for an interactive class experience.
• Highly Engaging Material: The vibrant history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade keeps students interested and learning.
• Holiday Themed: Bring the Thanksgiving spirit into your classroom with content that's both educational and festive.
• Rigorous & Multi-Skill Focused: Challenge students with texts that are rigorous and cover multiple ELA standards.

Usage Scenario: Ideal for ELA, special education, and interventionist teachers, this resource serves as an excellent review of priority standards. It's adaptable to various student abilities and can be used after teaching the skills explicitly, ensuring that all students can participate and learn effectively.

Highlights:

Holiday Material: Students will enjoy learning with content themed around a beloved national holiday event.

• Engagement & Rigor: Not only does this set engage students, but it also challenges them to apply multiple literacy skills in a cohesive manner.

Elevate your ELA curriculum with this ready-to-use Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade informational text set. It's the perfect blend of holiday cheer and academic rigor, designed to keep your students engaged and on track with their literacy skills!