American Thanksgiving Through Time

Introduction
The American tradition of Thanksgiving began as an outpouring of gratitude for survival. Living conditions in the American colonies were very difficult, and many groups of settlers celebrated thanksgiving in the tradition of ancient harvest festivals and religious observances. The Thanksgiving we celebrate today is derived mostly from the New England celebrations of the early 1600s. However, the celebration has turned into a national holiday and changed much over the years.

Lesson Description
Students will explore the five Web sites listed. Each site describes an interesting aspect of Thanksgiving and how it has evolved over time. After considering each Web site, students should answer four questions and plan a Thanksgiving celebration of their own.

Instructional Objectives:

1. Students will identify the various ways Thanksgiving has been celebrated in the past and is celebrated today, from the dinner tables of Plymouth to the streets of New York City at the Macy's Day Parade.
2. Students will consider the diversity of the United States and how this is reflected in different Thanksgiving day celebrations.

1. The symbol for most students will be the turkey. The turkey appears prominently in these Web sites, whether it be with the president in the Rose Garden or on dinner tables through history.
2. Answers drawn from the Web sites might include feasting with the community, prayer, watching the Macy's Day Parade, playing games, and feasting with the family.
3. Dinner tables might hold food reflecting the ethnic diversity of Americans. Examples from the Web sites include different food traditions for Americans of Italian, Lebanese, and Chinese descent. A Thanksgiving dinner might also be limited by economic hardship.
4. The turkey goes to Frying Pan Park's Kidwell Farm in Herndon, Virginia, a petting zoo about 30 miles west of Washington, D.C.
5. Encourage students to think about what they do on Thanksgiving Day. Their group celebration should reflect the different ways the holiday can be observed.

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