Thanksgiving Day (B1-C1)

Thanksgiving Day

Epicurus (341 – 270 BC), Greek philosopher

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

Thanksgiving Discussion

1. What does 'Thanksgiving' mean?
2. What do you know about the holiday? Where is it celebrated?
3. Do you celebrate Thanksgiving in your country? If not, is there any similar special day?
4. What food do people traditionally eat on Thanksgiving?
5. If you were at a Thanksgiving meal, what would you say you were thankful for?
6. Do you know anything about the origins of Thanksgiving?
7. What is the day after Thanksgiving called? What happens?
8. The first Thanksgiving was said to have happened in 1621 when Pilgrims who had arrived in the American colony shared a feast with Native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims through a difficult winter by giving them food. Do you think the European settlers and Native Americans really were friendly with each other in the American colonies?

​Thanksgiving Vocabulary

• harvest (noun) – the process of collecting crops; the crops collected. • gratitude (noun) – a display of thankfulness. • thankful* (adjective) – describes a feeling of being pleased and relieved for something. • grateful* (adjective) – describes a feeling of appreciation that one shows for something. • blessed (adjective) – describes a feeling of fortune or good luck for something. • to take [someone/something] for granted (verb) –to fail to appreciate the value of something.

​ * although these words are slightly different in meaning, they are often used synonymously

Drag and Drop

Using the vocabulary words above, complete the following sentences (remember to use the correct form of the word, e.g. verb conjugation or plural noun):

1. I'd be very ​

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you could pick up the kids from school today; I have to work late.

2. I feel like my boss​

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; he never thanks me for any of the work I do, and this week he expects me to work until 9pm every day.

3. The unusually cold winter is going to mean a severely reduced ​

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this year.

4. I'm ​

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to have been able to travel to over 50 countries.

5. He's so ungrateful; he never shows his​

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for anything.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

grateful/thankful

takes me for granted

harvest

blessed

gratitude

Thanksgiving vocabulary comprehension questions

1. Does your country have a harvest festival to give thanks for the crops that have been grown?
2. How do you show your gratitude to those you are thankful to?
3. What are you most thankful for?
4. Who are you most grateful to?
5. What do people take for granted in their everyday lives?
6. Which life experiences are you blessed to have had?

Vocabulary:
turn out - make, produce;
origin - beginning, where something came from;
deplete - to have less of something;
colony - a group of people who settle in a new land
Pilgrims - colonists who emigrated to North America in 1620;
voyage - a long journey, often by sea;
line up - to form a queue, or line of people.

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbzIiSPI-4s

The History of Pumpkin Pie

Multiple Choice

Famous Fat Dave says that the Thanksgiving is his favourite time of year because it is ...?

• the father of all festivals

• "the mother of all feasts"

• the video doesn't say

Multiple Choice

The name of the pie company that Dave visits is called ...?

• The Big Pie Company

• The Little Pie Company

• The Pumpkin Pie Company

Multiple Choice

How many pumpkin pies does the pie company produce every year?

• the video doesn't say

• 9,000

• 5,000

Multiple Choice

Was pumpkin pie eaten at the first Thanksgiving celebrations in 1621?

• yes

• no

• we don't know

Multiple Choice

Which of the following ingredients is NOT added to the pie mix?

• eggs

• salt

• cheese

Multiple Choice

The pie crusts are made from ...?

• frozen dough

• freshly made dough

• The video doesn't say

Multiple Choice

The pies need to be cooked for ...?

• 1 hour, at 375 degrees fahrenheit

• The video doesn't say

• 3 hours, at 175 degrees fahrenheit

​ Thanksgiving Conversation Questions

1. Which people do you think are thankful for you?
2. What are some things you take for granted?
3. Do you think people take you for granted? Who do you take for granted?
4. Do you always say thank you? Do people always thank you for what you have done for them? How does this make you feel?
5. Are there any well-known people you are grateful to?
6. Which lessons in life are you most thankful to have received?
7. What were you thankful for this week? 8. Why should we show gratitude for things?

Open Ended

Write about some of the things you are thankful for. Try to use some of the vocabulary you learned earlier in this lesson. In your answer, you could include some of the following topics:

• What they are.

• Why you are thankful for them.

• Whether or not you, or other people, ever take them for granted.

Extra question

Some people say that the younger generation of today take everything for granted and do not show gratitude for anything. Do you agree or disagree with this?