Lets Talk Turkey!

Here are my favorite turkey projects and Thanksgiving related stories.

First, the turkey building station is an addition to my dramatic play. I got this idea at a workshop and it's brilliant. You take colanders of various sizes and attach a turkey head to one of the holes. The students put different colored feathers through the holes to create a colorful turkey.
This is a great way to develop fine motor skills and cooperation.

This turkey was given to me by Merie Elise Silkey. You need paper plates, brown construction paper, feathers,glue and wiggle eyes. The teacher pre-cuts the paper plates to shape. Student color the plate and add feathers. Then the students trace and cut the head and feet.

This is the recycled materials turkey. You will need toilet paper tubes, paper plates, crayons, glue, feathers and wiggle eyes. The teacher cuts the paper plates in half. Student draw the turkey face including wiggle eyes. Then student glue the tube to the paper plate. Add the feather last and viola! A turkey!

Here are my Thanksgiving must reads.

Silly stories:

I Know and Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie! by Alison Jackson Illustrated by Juith Byron Schachner (I started collecting the series of I know and Old Lady books. Each one ends with a surprise! These are great for predicting.)

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston Illustrated by Rick Deas (rhyming)

T'was the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey (Also a fun series great for predicting)

Fiction:

Gracias, The Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley Illustrated by Joe Cepeda (A multicultural community helps solve a turkey dilemma.)

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes Illustrated by Doris Barrette (Counting blessings with family)

Thanksgiving Day by Ann Rockwell Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell

Historical Fiction:

Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation by Diane Stanley Illustrated by Holly Berry (Get the real dirt, literally, on life in historical Plymouth Plantation in a fun, interactive comic book style)

Non-fiction:

Feeling Thankful by Shelly Rotner and Sheila Kelly Ed.D. Photos by Shelly Rotner

Gathering the Sun An Alphabet in English and Spanish by Alma Flor Ada, English by Rosa Zubizarrets Illustrated by Simon Silva