Turkeys work well as the theme for math activities.
Spice up your November math lessons by adding a Thanksgiving theme to the activities. Many students get more excited for the themed math activities because they depart from the normal activities. Adapt the focus of the Thanksgiving math activities to match your math curriculum and the needs of the students in the class.
Turkey Feather Math
The feathers of a paper turkey can be used for math problems. Create a simple paper turkey out of construction paper. Cut out individual feathers from different colors. Write a different math problem on each feather. The math problems depend in the type of concepts you're studying in math class and might include word problems, patterning or basic operations. The students figure out the answers to the math problems and write them on the feather. The feathers are then attached to the turkey body to complete him. You can make individual turkeys or a large class turkey.
Thanksgiving Patterns
Patterns incorporate a basic math concept that is often used in preschool and early elementary classrooms. You can also use patterning for older kids with numbers. You'll need several different Thanksgiving cutouts. This might include turkeys, Pilgrims, Indians, cornucopias and pumpkins. For younger kids, have them create or finish patterns based on the shapes. For example, you might start a pattern as Pilgrim, Pilgrim, Indian, Pilgrim, Pilgrim, Indian. The kids then continue the pattern using the cutouts. For older kids, write numbers on the cutouts and include the numbers in the patterns.
Thanksgiving Recipe Math
Recipes give the students a chance to practice measurements and fractions. Choose a few basic Thanksgiving recipes such as stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce and rolls. Each student or group of students needs a copy of the recipes. Have the students double or triple the recipe for a larger crowd. You can also have them cut the recipe in half for a smaller guest list. For more of a challenge, include the number of servings on the recipe. Tell the kids how many guests will attend the Thanksgiving dinner. They must determine how many batches of each recipe is necessary to feed everyone.
As an extension activity, have the students write out a grocery list for all of the recipes including the amount of each ingredient needed. Provide grocery store ads so the kids can determine the cost of the supplies. Have them calculate their total cost for preparing the meal based on the ads.
Thanksgiving Story Problems
Story problems challenge the students by forcing them to determine which information is important and solve the problem. Create several story problems with a Thanksgiving theme. The problems could relate to football, the first Thanksgiving or the Thanksgiving meal. Create a worksheet of the story problems, or ask them verbally in a trivia-style competition between the students.
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