3 Considerations When Teaching the Thanksgiving Story

Whether Thanksgiving is a few months away, or a few days away, there are a few things to consider as you plan your lessons and prepare to facilitate conversations with your students. As with all lessons, creating the Thanksgiving lesson should be done with purpose and intentionality. This is a lesson that should be revisited often to ensure the goals and the lesson truly align. While creating or revisiting the lesson, consider the following:

What is the intention or goal when teaching the Thanksgiving Holiday?

At this point, we know that the traditional “first Thanksgiving” story that we were told in school is not accurate. So, why are we still teaching it? It can’t just be because we always have. At what point do we consider whether it is more important to maintain traditions or more important to teach truth? There are so many ways to teach students about being thankful, and the importance of gratitude without incorporating a story that is inaccurate and rooted in pain for a large number of people. How are you able to reach the same goals without sharing the “Thanksgiving Story”? How much more dynamic and engaging can your lessons become as you shift your focus away from this story and instead incorporate the many stories of celebration and thansgiving throughout American history? So, I encourage you to stop sharing this story with your students. Let’s “take it off the table” this year.

How does including the traditional “Thanksgiving Story” minimize the richness of Native American culture and history?

Many teachers begin and end their study of the Native Americans during the Thanksgiving season. The story of Native Americans hinges on the arrival of the Pilgrims and other settlers. This however, is not the beginng of their story. We are doing out students a disserive by teaching them about the Native Americans inside of this framework. In addition, we know that the “first Thanksgiving “story is rooted in false percepts and is hurtful to American Indigenous people, in particular. Why continue to share it? There are some parts of history that are painful and difficult to discuss, but they are true and need to be shared. The story of the first Thanksgiving is misleading is the interpretation of the relationship between the settlers and the Native American people. It leaves out the brutal treatment of an entire population. For this reason, the way it is traditionally presented is false and should not be shared with students.

How can student stories be included in the teaching of the Thanksgiving Holiday?

Opening up the conversation about revamping the Thanksgiving lesson creates a creative space for new ideas and greater inclusion of student stories and culture. Instead of focusing on omitting the first Thanksgiving story, think of how incredible students will feel about the opportunity to share their own stories. Let’s keep the importance of sharing stories alive. Have all the students in the classroom share what Thanksgiving is like for them. Bring in books about how people across the country celebrate Thanksgiving. Include stories about gratitude in general. What does a celebration of gratitude and thanksgiving look like around the world? Expanding the lesson in this direction allows students to learn more about themselves, their peers, and the world around them. I would love to hear about the ways you are transforming your lessons! If you would like some additional guiding questions to help as you craft your lessons, download my FREE lesson planner! Cheers!