This ready-to-go lesson is designed for grade 5-6 learners, but if you have strong students, it can also work in grade 4 if their level is a bit high. This lesson was designed with Chinese in it as the L1 of the learners, but after purchase and download the PowerPoint can be edited, so all Chinese can be removed or changed into any language.
🍁 Grade 5–6 ESL Lesson – Thanksgiving (History, Culture & Gratitude Writing)
Target Vocabulary:
Pilgrims · Native Americans · harvest · parade · tradition · thankful
Target Language:
• Thanksgiving is celebrated on…
• The Pilgrims were from…
• I’m thankful for ____ because ____.
Lesson Overview:
This upper-level Thanksgiving lesson introduces the history, culture, and modern traditions of the holiday in a clear, age-appropriate way. Students learn when and where Thanksgiving is celebrated, why it started, and how Americans celebrate today. The lesson includes a built-in quiz, bilingual key vocabulary, and structured speaking practice using “I’m thankful for…” sentences.
Students finish with an important writing task: a Thanksgiving letter using either the intermediate or advanced template, which they must keep and show during the final exam.
Includes:
✅ Thanksgiving history, timeline, and cultural background
✅ Vocabulary with English–Chinese support
✅ Food, parade, and American football visuals
✅ “I’m thankful for…” sentence models
✅ 10-question comprehension quiz
✅ Intermediate & advanced Thanksgiving letter templates
Perfect for:
• Grade 5–6 ESL/EFL learners
• CEFR A1–A2+ students
• Holiday lessons requiring speaking + writing
• Teachers who need a structured, ready-to-teach PPT
Created and classroom-tested by Teacher Matt. Fully editable PPTX included.
🎥 Watch the full teaching walkthrough:
https://youtu.be/ikPi1n7BMno
Watch the video to see the full lesson and how to teach it.
Slide total: 72
