Thematic Unit: Thanksgiving

Kindergarten
Meghan Mastroianni and Emma Simmers
Language Arts:
The teacher will read the story The First Thanksgiving to the class as a whole
Teacher will ask the students to retell the events of the story when the story is
complete
As an entire group, the teacher and students will categorize the events into a
Pilgrim list and a Native American list
Once the list is created, the teacher will hand out a blank piece of paper and ask
the students to draw one event from the story that they remember the most.
These will be hung up in the class and used for another lesson involving seriation
(ordering events from first to last and reverse seriation).
Social Studies/Science:
Teacher will bring in a pumpkin for students to observe. The teacher will have
already cut open the top. They will use all 5 Senses to observe the pumpkin (sight,
touch, hear, taste, smell)
As a class, everyone will observe the pumpkin and the teacher will walk around
and allow students to feel it inside. The teacher will also bring in pumpkin seeds for
children to taste.
The teacher will provide the parts of the pumpkin to the students: pulp, skin,
seeds, stem
Students will be split into 4 groups and each be given a paper plate pumpkin (that
the teacher put together), a bag of labels, glue stick, pumpkin seeds, and string.
The students will have to label their paper pumpkin as they learned about the real
pumpkin
The teacher will walk around to help and then assess students on their knowledge
of the parts of a pumpkin
Mathematics:
Unit: Patterns (2 Weeks)
1. Day 1: What is a pattern?
Introduce the unit with sound patterns (pat, clap, pat, clap)
Teacher will perform it again and ask the students to do what is next.
Ask the students what is something that repeats over and over again.
2. Day 2/3: How many ways can you make the same pattern
Recognizing patterns in different contexts
Help students understand that red, red, green is the same as blue,
blue, orange and the same as big, big, little
Will create several patterns and hang them around the room. Given
math tools and a partner, students will have to go around and create
the patterns on the wall
3. Day 4/5: Can you give your pattern a name?
Teaching different types of patterns.
Give the items in the pattern a letter (ex: AABAAB or ABAB)
We will go on a nature walk and collect leaves to create patterns with
leaves


4. Day

5. Day

6. Day

7. Day

8. Day

The next day we will make a picture of our leaf patterns by gluing them
on
6: Can you make a number pattern?
Ask students to make patterns with numbers
Using manipulatives, students can create their own patterns with
number of tens and ones blocks or with coins
One color are Pilgrims and the other are Native Americans
7: Review of material
Use lesson attached below!
Creating turkeys with the hands of the students. They will get to
choose 6 feathers and have to create a pattern with them on their
turkey.
Once finished, students will complete the missing item of a
Thanksgiving pattern (these will be a bit challenging because the
missing pattern will be in the middle of the sequence)
8: Solving a word problem
Read the problem, discuss it and provide tools to solve the problem
Create problems about food you eat at Thanksgiving dinner (ex: turkey,
pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes)
Problem: I put 1 piece of turkey on my plate and 1 piece of turkey on
my brothers plate. I put 1 piece of pie on my plate and 1 piece of pie
on my brothers plate. I put one scoop of mashed potatoes on my
plate, what would come next?
Students should draw out how they solved the problem.
9: Adjust the numbers and difficulty of the problem
Extend the problem with more numbers and items
10: Review of material!
Assess the students

SETON HILL UNIVERSITY

Lesson Plan Template

Pre-Planning
TOPIC
Name
Subject
Grade Level
Date/Duration
Standards/
anchors/
competencies
PA/Common
Core/Standards
(Plus any others
as may be
required)
Objective
A-B-C-D

DETAILS
Meghan and Emma
Math/Patterns
Kindergarten
1 day
CC.2.2.3.A.4: Solve problems involving the four
operations and identify and explain patterns in
arithmetic

CK

In large groups, students will create patterns using

everyday objects, through a class discussion and
activity 1/1 times.
In small groups, students will correctly display patterns
by placing and gluing feathers on a turkey in their own
pattern 1/1 times.
Individually, students will complete 2/2 patterns by
using a fill-in-the-black picture worksheet.

Step-by-Step Procedures
RATIONALE for the
Learning Plan
DETAILS
Introduction
Activating Prior Knowledge
A pattern is anything that keeps happening over and
over again: colors, lines, movements, people, sounds
Hook/Lead-In/Anticipatory Set
Have a bag of objects (bananas, apples, oranges, pears)
that students will come up and select from.

CK

Each student will then place their object on the correct

color-coordinating circle on the poster board.
After each student has placed an object, the teacher will
ask the students what they notice about the objects and
how they appear.
The pattern will be by color but also by fruit; the teacher
will look for students to recognize both
Explicit
Big Idea Statement
Instructions
Patterns exhibit relationships between objects.
Big Ideas
Essential Questions
How can we create a pattern?
Essential
Key Vocabulary
Questions
Pattern
Lesson Procedure Lesson Procedure
Must include one
The lesson will begin with students coming up in groups
modification and
of three to pick objects out of the mystery bag.
accommodation
Each student will then place their object on the correct
for students with
color-coordinating circle of the poster board.
special needs
After each student has placed their object, the teacher
will ask the students what they notice about the objects
Transitionshttp://w
and how they appear.
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Both sets of directions for the next two activities will be
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given while the students are still at the floor.
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To transition to the next activity, students will be called
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upon according to the sticker on their nametag. (Ex: if
you have a turkey, fly up and go to the assigned table)
The students will each be given a piece of paper and a
basket of feathers to chose from.
The students will trace their hand, getting help from the
teacher if need be, to create a turkey.
The students will be directed to choose 6 feathers and to
create a pattern on their turkey with them.
Before they can glue the feathers on, they must ask the
teacher/work study for approval.
Students may also color their turkey, draw a face and
legs, etc.
When finished, students must complete the fill-in-theblank worksheet; each student will complete 2 patterns.
Students will select from the given pieces to complete
both patterns.
Once the students receive approval from the
teacher/work study, students may glue their pieces onto
the page where they belong.
They will then return their activities to their assigned
locker.
Transition
Students will transition from the floor to the tables by
the directed action: flying like a turkey, gobble like a

Materials
(reading,
technology,
equipment,
supplies, etc.)

Closure

Other(This area
is to be
determined by
instructor OR
student as
needed)
Supervising
teacher
comments and
signature
Teacher
Self-reflection
What
worked?
What would
you
change?

turkey, flap your wings like a turkey, etc.

Adaptations/Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Some students that may need help with the pattern
activity can work directly one-on-one with a work-study
or teacher.
Bag of objects
Cut-out Thanksgiving-themed pieces
Poster-board
Construction paper
Crayons/Pencils
Feathers
Glue Sticks
Summary & Review of the Learning
Before you can put your activities away in your cubby,
you must get approval from the teacher at your table.
Homework/Assignments