Any suggestions for a non-traditional, more inclusive Thanksgiving Read Aloud?
I love holidays. I’m not quite a let’s-decorate-for-Christmas-on-November-1st kind of holiday lover, but I am all about celebrating each holiday to the fullest.
I also grew up in a home that celebrated all of the mainstream holidays in all of the mainstream ways (turkey on Thanksgiving, Christmas trees and nativity scenes, Easter eggs, etc.) and it wasn’t until I started teaching that my eyes were opened to how complex holidays can be for students. Whether due to grief, culture differences, or family traditions - students come into holidays with all different expectations and experiences. (If you’d like to read more about how to handle holidays with awareness and empathy, check out this post.)
With that said, I think literature can be a great way to bring some inclusivity into the classroom. I love to think of books as windows and mirrors: do they allow students to see something different than their experience and/or mirror their experience? Both are beneficial and necessary.
So, here is one of my favorite Thanksgiving books that can open the door for those conversations…
An Inclusive Thanksgiving Read Aloud for Elementary Students
Get the Book: Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules, under $15 on Amazon (it also goes by the title “No Turkey for Thanksgiving” in some publication years)
Duck for Turkey Day is about about a little girl named Tuyet who, after doing some Thanksgiving crafts at school, goes home distraught informing her mom that they MUST have turkey on Thanksgiving like everyone else. Her mom is empathetic but explains why their family has duck instead of turkey.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving and it walks us through Tuyet’s day playing with cousins, talking about what they are thankful for, and eating delicious food (particularly the turkey).
Then, we see Tuyet the next week at circle time in class when the teacher is asking questions about how everyone’s Thanksgiving was with questions like “Who all saw cousins? Who’d like to talk about what they had for dinner?” Tuyet starts crying and shouts that she didn’t have turkey, but had duck instead. After a moment, multiple students shared that they didn’t have turkey either and what their families did instead (tofu turkey, noodles, etc).
The teacher helps them see that it’s not about what they eat on Thanksgiving but who they spend it with. Cue all the warm fuzzies.
(P.S. This is such a good reminder for us as teachers to be conscience of the questions we ask during holiday prep and afterward.)
Activity options:
Share about a favorite holiday food or tradition
Draw a picture of your Thanksgiving plate (and/or draw a picture of your “dream” Thanksgiving Day plate)
Research different November holidays around the world and what food they eat (and maybe even make some!)
I hope this gets your Thanksgiving holiday juices flowing and hope you have a great holiday - however you celebrate!
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