Turkey's Teaching

Here are a few more creative ways to integrate learning into the Thanksgiving holiday. These ideas are from the Education World website.

Language Arts (vocabulary development). Help children learn the meanings of turkey-related words: wattle, tom, hen, poult (a young turkey). Make up "turkey rhymes" using those words.

Nutrition/Cooking. Many people eat turkey leftovers. Ask children to list as many ways as they can think of to use turkey the day after. (turkey sandwiches, soup, salad, casserole, potpie)

Arts/Crafts. Make turkeys for holiday centerpieces, gifts, or greeting cards.

Paper bag turkeys. Stuff a brown paper lunch bag with crumpled newspaper. Tightly tie the open end of the bag, creating a neck for the turkey. Attach a paper turkey head. Tape or glue colored feathers to the flat end of the bag.

Circle turkeys. Attach a large, brown paper circle to the center of a bulletin board or wall. Add a red turkey head and turkey legs cut from paper. Children can cut out feathers from colored paper. Attach all feathers to the turkey. (Some children might want to write "turkey facts" on the feathers.)

Hand turkeys. Children can trace their hands on paper. (Younger children can trace each other's hands if necessary.) The hand will form the turkey's body; the thumb the turkey's head; and the spread fingers, the turkey's feathers. Children can add feet and color. They can also make a whole bunch of turkeys this way!

Coloring turkeys. Print out a "Thanksgiving Turkey" coloring picture for children to color.

Turkey Games. Play one of these turkey games with your children.

Play "Pin the Feathers on the Turkey."
Encourage children to make up their own turkey games or make up turkey names for familiar games. (How about Duck, Duck, Turkey? Ring around the Turkey? Dodge Turkey?)

www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson036.shtml