Thanksgiving Thoughts

 "Thanksgiving Thoughts" was a fun, fill-in-the-blank assignment my "Budding Authors and Artists" did right before Thanksgiving.  It was wonderful to see the thoughts of my young students as they pondered what Thanksgiving meant to them.  

Here is Zachary's (2nd grade) essay:

        Thanksgiving is a thankful and wonderful holiday.  It is in the month of November.  Thanksgiving is about thanking, being grateful, and getting together as a family.

        I like Thanksgiving Day because my family and I get together with my whole family and sometimes go on vacation.  We are also thankful and grateful.

        Here is a list of things I am most thankful for, and why:

1. My family- They make me feel loved.

2. My house- It makes me feel warm and safe.

3. My friends- They make me happy.

4. My teachers- They help me learn.

5. God- He made me.

6. Math- It helps me learn.

7. School- I get together with my friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Poetry

 My online classes recently enjoyed a poetry writing lesson.  The theme was "Thanksgiving" and the five senses.  What are we thankful for in our day-to-day lives that we can see, hear, feel, touch, and smell?  Some of my students attempted to rhyme; others just went with the words on paper, not worrying about rhyme.  Poetry is meant to be felt, and heard.  Read these poems aloud, and enjoy!

Thanksgiving, by Kevin (6th grade)

I am thankful for what my eyes can see,

Every animal, human, sunrise, and tree.

 For the dark blue ocean with the little fish,

And the food my mom cooks; each and every dish.

I am thankful for what I can hear,

The laughter of children from the playground I am near,

For the music playing on the radio,

And the music I play on the piano.

I am thankful for what my hands can touch,

For the tanbark in the playground, but not too much,

For basketballs and soccer balls,

And for the giant tree way too tall.

I am thankful for what my nose can smell,

Freshly cooked food coming from the kitchen I know so well.

For the salty scent of the beautiful sea

And for the scent of pine in the forest trees.

I am thankful for what my tongue can taste,

Donuts, sugar, rice, and toothpaste

For the food my mom cooks every day,

And for the food she gets from restaurants.  Yay!

Thanksgiving, by Claire (6th grade)

Thank you for all that I can see

Clear blue skies and 

Swaying trees

The dances of the dandelions

The buzzing of bees

Thank you for all that I can hear

The trickle of a gentle stream

Thuds of falling rain

Soft pads of neighborhood cats

Moans of the swishing wind’s pain

Thank you for all that I can feel

The warmth of sun’s rays against my skin

Roughness of playground bark

The crunch of leaves beneath my feet

How love can light the dark

Thank you for all that I can smell

The scent of air before a storm

The humid atmosphere

Stench of smoke left over from fires

Sweat of volunteers

Thank you for all that I can taste

Lusciousness of bright red strawberries

Ripeness of fresh-picked pears

A mug of steaming hot apple cider

Sweetness of gummy bears

Thanksgiving, by Jessie (4th grade)

I am thankful for my sight, and for reading good  book,

 the beautiful flowers, and their good looks

       I am thankful for being able to hear calm soothing voices , 

the sound of cheerful piano music and the rustle of nature noises.

I am thankful for my touch, like smooth cold surfaces, 

flowy straight long unbraided hair, 

touch of nature, and the clothes we wear.

  I am thankful for my smell, like fragrant roses, soup on the stove, 

and the smell of tree groves.

I am thankful for my taste, like my grandma’s chicken soup, 

plain, but fresh water, warm milk, soft fruit,

 a healthy salad made with some shallot.

Gratefulness

By Vivian (4th grade) 

I am grateful for the things I can see-

The blue sky, stretching across the horizon,

The soft fluffy clouds, imitating cotton candy,

Leaves, blowing and rustling in the wind.

I am grateful for the things I can hear-

The eerie howl of a calm wolf,

The quiet buzz and hum of a busy bee,

The wind whistling through the dense trees.

I am grateful for the things I can feel-

The silky fur of playful puppies,

The slight breeze changing directions,

The fragile petals of a blooming rose.

I am grateful for the things I can smell-

The tropical scent of a remote rainforest,

The aroma of a sweet meadow,

The smell of earthy, rich soil.

I am grateful for the things I can taste-

Fresh air entering my lungs, 

Sweet fruit juices squeezed by hand, 

The delicious flavor of holiday dishes.

I am grateful for many things.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I love this simple, fill-in-the blank writing prompt about Thanksgiving!  Enjoy this sample by Audrey (3rd grade).

Thanksgiving Time

To celebrate Thanksgiving, I read this poem to my classes, and gave them a copy to keep:

Thanksgiving
Thank You
for all my hands can hold--
apples red,
and melons gold,
yellow corn
both ripe and sweet,
peas and beans
so good to eat!

Thank You
for all my eyes can see--
lovely sunlight,
field and tree,
white cloud-boats
in sea-deep sky,
soaring bird
and butterfly.

Thank You
for all my ears can hear--
birds' song echoing
far and near,
songs of little
stream, big sea,
cricket, bullfrog,
duck and bee!
Ivy O'Eastwick

I love this poem because of its harvest theme in stanza one and the emphasis on nature overall.  Ivy O'Eastwick focused on three out of the five senses when she thought about things she was thankful for.  The students discussed the fact that the poet is not thankful for modern day inventions or material things, but rather beautiful and healthy things in nature.

So, this assignment was very open-ended.  My younger students were given a small poster with the words, "I am thankful for" at the top of the page, and were instructed to draw a scene depicting things they were thankful for.  They came up with some beautiful works of art.

This one is by Zara, 3rd grade.  Such wonderful things to be thankful for!

 This one is by Alexandria, 1st grade.  I love the scene she drew!

My older students were given an even more open-ended assignment.  They looked at me slightly in shock when I said they could do a writing and art assignment of their own choice, inspired by the poem and what it made them think about.  Some chose to make posters, others wrote poems, and some even wrote paragraphs on the five senses.  Their work was fantastic, and I hope you enjoy these fabulous pieces.

Touch

     I am thankful for my ability to touch because I love to play and pet my dog's fluffy, smooth, soft fur.  I enjoy running my fingers through the wet, slick grass.

Smell

     I am thankful for my ability to smell because I love to smell a fresh hot waffle with warm maple syrup.  I also am jubilant when I catch the aroma right after it has rained.

Taste

     I am thankful for my ability to taste because I love to eat new, pure, and nutritious tomatoes.  The taste is fabulous.  I love the taste of sweet, tangy, juicy pineapples.

Hear

     I am thankful for my ability to hear because I love to hear my mom vacuuming.  I also have the pleasure of hearing my friends laughing at my funny jokes.

Sight

     I am thankful for my ability to see because I love to see my pets' faces.  I enjoy seeing myself do something useful on my sport's team because it makes me feel fabulous!

Thank you!

By Ellery (5th grade) 

 

  
Thanksgiving
By Abby (5th grade)

I am thankful for everything and everyone my pair of eyes can see-

My dogs, my family, who keeps me safe and free.

My house, my school, the places where I learn,

The sunlight, the ocean, and plaints like a fern.

Thank you.

I am thankful for everything my one nose can smell- 

My favorite fruits, nature, on the beach the shells.

The trees, dictionaries, and the smell of Major's fur,

Pineapples, my grandma, how she smells when I hug her.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my ability to taste sweet foods.

Strawberries and blueberries put me in a good mood.

Corn, apples, cucumbers, and figs.

Rice, potatoes, and melons extra big.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my ability to touch many things.

Dog fur, pencils, and books for reading.

Soccer balls, basketballs, and volleyballs as well,

Cherries, flowers, they make me feel swell.

Thank you.

I am thankful for my hearing ability.

Talking, laughing, the sounds of the city.

Music, sizzling, the strum of a guitar.

Lyrics, the tide, and wind from afar.

Thank you. 

Thanksgiving Poem

By Mira (3rd grade)

I am thankful for feeling the cool breeze on a hot day,

the touch of the engraved smooth tree trunk,

as I run my hands over it.

I am thankful for seeing the bright, blue sky,

the sight of the hummingbird gathering pollen.

I am thankful for the sound of the rushing waves 

on the seashore,

the flutter of a ladybug's wings.

I am thankful for the taste of tomatoes, apricots, bananas,

the flavor of orange and ripe pumpkins, melons, and squash.

I am thankful for the smell of minty pine leaves,

the aroma of the fresh morning dew

glistening on the leaves.

Thank you.