Some Thanksgiving learning snacks that leave room for the main meal!
The Thanksgiving story is well-known by American children and so well-rehearsed that it can be told in under a minute. I found this video explanation about Thanksgiving on PBSLearningMedia to sum up what you probably already know about Thanksgiving – how close is it to what you were taught? This is a comforting story, but it’s not true.
How much of what you know about Thanksgiving is actually fluff? Odds are – a lot. This 400-year-old tradition has been recast as a joyous and bountiful occasion, but for Native Americans and Colonial Americans alike it was also a time of sadness and grieving. Learn the true story of the first Thanksgiving.
If the story you learned about Thanksgiving in grade school is a myth, then its perpetuation – like most misinformation – is harmful, especially to the Native people whose perspective is often left out. In 1970, a Wampanoag elder – Tall Oak – and other activists started The Day of Mourning, also on the 4th Thursday of November, to tell the story of how his and other Native people were subjugated by the first settlers. We bet your social studies text book was published more recently than 1970, so why was this part of the story left out? Use the 5 Key Questions/Concepts of Media Literacy to explore some possibilities.
Objects on display in museums often have long and complicated histories of ownership. Artworks can be purchased, exchanged, and given as gifts, but they can also be stolen or looted. During the era of Colonialism, European powers claimed vast lands and enslaved large populations; they also took ownership over cultural objects. Many consider these artworks stolen and believe they should be returned to their original cultures. Others argue these artifacts can have a more profound educational impact on a wider audience if they remain in Western museums. The question remains, who owns these historical objects?
Gratitude and giving thanks – regardless of this American holiday – are important ways to remember the best parts of life. And Thanksgiving has a way of bringing out storytellers, nostalgia, and hand-me-down life lessons. Every year, StoryCorps conducts a Great Thanksgiving Listen to encourage families to record stories. Check out this heartwarming story about Saboor Sahely who opens his doors to the community every Thanksgiving for a free meal.
If you’re an educator who wants to expand your students’ and own understanding of Thanksgiving as a historical event, check out this PBS NewsHour lesson plan. Or, if you love oral history, journalism, storytelling, and giving your learners an authentic audience – here’s the library of materials for participating in The Great Thanksgiving Listen!