Thanksgiving

Turkey, pumpkin pie, parades and family gatherings: discover America's favourite holiday, its history, and how real Americans celebrate it.

These videos and activities are designed to support teachers, who can include them in their own lesson sequences.

Thanksgiving for beginners (A1)

When is Thanksgiving, and what do Americans eat? Start here!

Watch the video A short, simple video to discover Thanksgiving.
Matching game 1 The fourth Thursday of November, a big fat turkey... match each sentence with its French translation.
Matching game 2 Now put the two halves of each sentence back together.
Crossword Check you remember the key words with a crossword.

Tyler tells us how his family spends Thanksgiving Day.

Listen to Tyler Listen to the whole recording once, just to get the gist.
Listen and answer, part 1 Where does Tyler's family go, and what do they do?
Listen and answer, part 2 Hugs, kisses, a glass of wine: what happens when they arrive?
Listen and answer, part 3 Turkey, stuffing, corn on the cob... tick the dishes you hear.
Listen and answer, part 4 What is Tyler thankful for?
Listen and complete Now complete the whole text with the word list.
Crossword Check you remember Tyler's words with a crossword.

No school, a parade on TV and a huge turkey: Thanksgiving through a child's eyes.

Listen and complete Use the word list to complete Kim's story.
Listen and type the words No word list this time. Can you still catch every word?

Cranberries, sweet potatoes, pecan pie... learn the words of the feast.

Vocabulary 1 Corn, stuffing, squash: match the dishes with their French names.
Vocabulary 2 Harvest, Pilgrim Fathers, to gather: the words behind the tradition.
Drag and drop 1 (H5P) Practise the vocabulary with a drag and drop game.
Drag and drop 2 (H5P) One more game to remember the words.
Listen and spell 20 words to listen to and write. Can you spell them all?
Crossword All the words of the unit in one crossword.

Who were the Pilgrims, and why did they celebrate the first Thanksgiving in 1621?

Read and find the words Read the story of the first Thanksgiving and find the English words in the text.
Summary Choose the right sentences to build a summary of the story.
The verbs Celebrated, fled, arrived... put the verbs back in the text.
The key words England, the Netherlands, North America... put the key words back in the text.
Grammar: was, were or had? 10 sentences about the Pilgrims to practise the past of be and have.

A shorter version of Katherine's story, to warm up.

Macaroni and cheese, kale, gravy and a parade: Katherine's family feast.

Shrimp cocktail, roast turkey and a house full of family.

Listen to Kevin Listen once without stopping.
Listen and complete Who hosts the feast, and what's on the table? Complete the text.

An American in France explains a holiday that doesn't exist here.

Listen and complete Use the word list to complete Lindsey's explanation.
Listen and type the words No word list this time. Can you still catch every word?

Grandpa's mashed potatoes, Mum's corn casserole… and why pumpkin pie haters are crazy!

Listen and complete Every family has its own traditions: complete Molly's story.