Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast

You Can Totally Do This!

Just follow our 6 SECRET TIPS and check out the CCSS for each station:

You can have the greatest Thanksgiving Feast Ever and it's soooo SIMPLE!

Last year, we had so much fun learning & making food for our Thanksgiving feast!
Yes, Common Core can be a huge part of your feast!

First, we planned our special day:

I made a list of all of the things we needed to make these  simple food items on our menu:  Corn muffins, butter,  fruit salad, and apple juice.

  

 Our Menu

CORN MUFFINS
SECRET TIP #1:  
Cornbread cooked right in these paper cups!
Use an electric frying pan.  Just be sure to use the cups with an
airspace at the bottom.  No flat bottom cups allowed!

BUTTER
SECRET TIP #2: 
 Butter forms faster if you
don't use a plastic container. 
(You can see the yellow clump of butter
forming in the jar and the buttermilk
all around it.)

FRUIT SALAD
SECRET TIP #3:
Don't peel the oranges.  Slice them
crosswise so students can remove the
peel and cut the orange.  If you give them
sections of the orange, the knife doesn't
cut the sections well & they get smashed.

APPLE JUICE
This year I plan to bring in my juicer so we can actually
juice our our apples, but you can just serve bottled apple juice. :)

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Each child brought home a note asking them to bring in one item.  Be sure to request items to arrive the day before you need them.  For a class of 30 you will need the following items:

(I always request organic produce & cream from cows not given hormones.)

1 pint of heavy whipping cream (liquid) (2 children can each bring in in 1 cup)

3 packages of Marie Callender's Cornbread mix (3 children can each bring in 1 package)

1 quart bottle of filtered water

For all of the fruit, each child brings in 1 piece, 1 bunch, or 1 basket)

2 apple

2 oranges

2 bananas

1 basket of strawberries

1 basket of raspberries

1 basket of blackberries

1 basket of blueberries

2 kiwis

2 pears

1 pomegranate

1 can of pineapple chunks

1 small bunch of green, purple, or red grapes

40 paper plates

30 napkins

30 plastic spoons

10 plastic knives

60 Dixie cups (5 oz size with an airspace at the bottom) (30 for juice, 30 for cornbread)

3 lg bottle of apple juice (or 30 more apples if you plan to juice them)

(10 of the plates and the 10 plastic knives are for cutting fruit.)

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Feast Day:

Before the students arrive prepare the following:

Station 1:  FRUIT SALAD

Wash all of the fruit

Set out 10 paper plates and 10 plastic knives for cutting fruit

Set out a large plastic bowl to collect all of the cut up fruit.

Crack open the pomegranate.  Children will only remove the pieces.

Chop, chop, chop!

Station 2:  CORN MUFFINS

Set up an electric frying pan in a safe place (like the teachers' staff room)

Set out 5 oz paper cups (the kind w/ the airspace at the bottom. It's OK if they have wax on them.)

Marie Callender corn bread mix 

1 quart of filtered water

1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to measure dry mix

1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to measure the water

10 popsicle sticks for stirring

1 pencil

A tray to transport the cups to the room where they will cook.

These are real "cup" cakes!  

Station 3:  BUTTER

4 pint size mason jars

Set the heavy whipped cream out so it is room temperature when the children start to shake it.

A small bowl, a dish for serving, and a spoon.

Apple Juice: If you plan to serve bottled juice, just refrigerate it.  If you plan to juice, set up station 4 where children get to toss apple slices into the juicer and watch it juice the fruit.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I ran 3 rotations for 20 minutes each: (If juicing apples, run 4 stations for 15 min. each.)

Each station will need one parent or aide to run the station and you will need an adult to take the corn muffins to the room where they will cook.

Station 1.  FRUIT SALAD

Common Core:  CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.4 Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.C.6 Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.B.3 Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.

Students wash and dry their hands.

The adult gives each child pieces of fruit to dice with their plastic knives.  (Give students slices of  apples and pears to chop, a chunk of a banana, a few berries, etc.)

The plates and knives can be re-used by the next two groups.  

I put out a book for the adult to read to the group if they finish early.
                                                                                                              Fine motor skills!

Making sets of cut fruit!  

Station 2:  CORN MUFFINS 

Common Core:  CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.A.2 Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute.

(Have an adult pre-heat your electric frying pan to the level indicated on the corn muffin package.)

Students wash their hands and the adult writes each child's name on the bottom of his/her cup.

Each students measures 2 T of corn bread mix into their cup (using the popsicle stick to level off the tablespoon) and 3 T of water.  They mix with their popsicle stick.

The adult sends the cups to the room where they will cook.  15 cups can fit in a normal size electric frying pan.  You DO NOT add any water to the pan.  Simply set the temperature to the level designated on the package it becomes an oven.  Place the cups inside, place the lid on top, and bake as normal. 

I place an activity or a book out for the adult to read to the group if they finish early.

Stirring the corn bread mixture.

Station 3:  BUTTER

Common Core:  

• CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.1 Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
• CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.2 Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).

Pour 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream into each of the 4 mason jars.  Make sure the lids are on tightly and that your group will be working in a carpeted area, no hard floors.  One jar will be the demo jar and  each one of the other jars will be for each group.

Demonstrate how to hold the jar with BOTH HANDS and shake it.

Students take turns shaking the jar and counting the shakes until the liquid becomes thick and coats the inside of the jar.

They continue to shake the jar (continue to count from the last number counted by the last student until you reach 100, then start counting again) until they can't hear the liquid any longer because it has turned into whipped cream.  

They continue to shake the jar until they hear a "clump, clump" and a "swish, swish!"  They will hear the clump of butter hitting the inside of the jar as they shake it and they will hear the buttermilk swishing.  They will also see how the white cream is turning into a yellow clump surrounded by white milk.  

They continue to shake the jar until the clump gets bigger and the buttermilk gets thinner.  

Pour the butter and buttermilk into a bowl and let the children see the yellow clump of butter in the buttermilk.  

Pour off the buttermilk into the sink and "rinse" the butter with water, pressing the back of a spoon into the butter to push out all of the buttermilk until the water runs clear.

Spoon the butter onto a serving plate.

I put out an activity (like illustrating the detail of their handprint turkey) or a book for the adult to read to them until their group time is over.

We usually go out to recess after the 3 rotations are done.  While they are gone, the volunteers put the students' costumes on their chairs and set the food on a serving table.

Shaking the cream.
Use two hands!

Our volunteer demonstrating how to shake the jar with 2 hands.

Station 4:  Optional Apple Juicing

Common Core:  

• CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.4b Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.
• CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.B.4c Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.

Students wash their hands and place a few slices of apples into the juicer.  They count as they place the slices into the juicer to understand that the last number names the number of slices placed in the juicer.  Vary the number of slices you give to each student.  They watch as the juice trickles into the bowl.  The adult reads them a story (usually a book filled with informational text about how apples grow) and they color a Thanksgiving Feast page.  

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Time to Feast!

When the students come in from recess, I read a story while the adult volunteers help small groups of students put their costumes on.  Each group goes up to the serving table to get their cornbread muffin (their names are on the bottom of each cup), a bit of homemade butter, a scoop of fruit salad, and some apple juice.  What fun!

SECRET TIP #4:

Before punching the holes for the yarn on the collars, place a piece of tape on the collar, then punch the hole.  This will reinforce the hole and prevent tearing.  

Last year, we mixed a non-dairy topping
into the fruit salad.  You can find a healthier one than Cool Whip at stores like Whole Foods. 

Yum!

Yum!

The days before our feast, we made our pilgrim collars and hats with 12"X18" construction paper.
Our Native American vests were made from grocery bags.

SECRET TIP #5:  

Use 9" X 13" paper doilies (you can find them at Michael's) for the front of the girls' collars.  They are just like the boys' collars, except they tie in the back with white yarn.  So cute!

A good time was had by all!

You got all the way down here!  Wow!

Leave a comment and tell me how YOU celebrate Thanksgiving in your classroom.

Secret Tip # 6:

I saved the best secret tip for last.

Head over to my blog for the last, and best tip of all:

CLICK HERE

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You might also like:

A Thanksgiving Counting Book

You get 2 versions

One where students write in the number after counting the sets.

The second version allows students to write in the number and the sight word "see" on each page.

                         

  

And here is a FREEBIE for you:

Here is a helpful apple template that you can use for any number of things.  I use them to help identify the parents who volunteer in my classroom.  They come in color and in a black line master.  Enjoy! 

Click the image
for the link to
the download.  

Remember to visit my BLOG:  KFUNdamentals  (It's where we keep the FUN in the fundamentals!)

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I'll see you all here on the 4th of December with a cute holiday idea!

Palma :)

3D Thanksgiving Art

We made Autumn Spoon Rests for our families for Thanksgiving!

I LOVED how these turned out!

Here is the "before" picture:

Rough, raw, and not so special looking,
but just wait until you see what I take out of the kiln in the morning!

Here is the "after" picture:

Each one was a unique work of art!

10 Steps For Making A Ceramic Autumn Leaf Spoon Rest:

This makes an awesome family gift for Thansgiving!

If you aren't lucky enough to have a kiln at your school, you can visit your local "Color Me Mine" type shop and they will help you out, for a fee.  Then, you can do this amazing project. :)

If you don't have a kiln at your school, you can
usually ask a local ceramic store to fire your clay for a fee. 

Do this first:

Order clay and lead-free glaze from a ceramic store.  I ordered 25 lbs of white clay and a small jar of yellow, orange, and maroon lead-free glaze.  

Do this second:

I use fishing line to cut the clay into 1 inch slabs.  I slap each slab down onto a piece of white construction paper at least ten times to condition the clay and work out any air bubbles.  

Then I roll it out to about 1/4" thick making sure the slab is an even thickness from end to end.

I let the kids help with this part.

Do this third:

I drew a maple leaf that measures about 6 inches in diameter on a piece of tag board.  I cut it out and used it as a template.

Do this fourth:  

Place the leaf template on the slab of clay.  I stretched out a large paper clip and used one end to cut around my leaf template.  Keep a bowl of water close by to use to smooth out the edges of the leaf.

Use the paper clip to write the child's name on the back of the leaf making sure to go less than halfway deep into the clay.

Do this fifth:

Have the child use a pencil to dray vein lines on the leaf.  Pick off any excess clay that builds up when the children draw their vein lines.  Then help the child to turn the ends of the leaf up, sideways, or up and then down to create a rim.  Make sure the center of the leaf remains flat.

I let the students draw the veins wherever they wanted to. 

Do this sixth:  

Cover a flat surface with white construction paper and place each completed leaf on the construction paper.  Then, wrap the top of each leaf with a paper towel that has been soaked in water.  This will help your leaves to dry out slowly and will prevent cracking.  Allow the leaves to dry for 3-7 days.  Check for cracks, and add water and smooth the cracks out.

Do this seventh:

After 3-5 days, fire the clay in a kiln.  Leave the kiln closed for an additional day to allow the pieces to cool completely. 

Do this eighth:

Remove the cooled pieces from the kiln and rinse them in cold water.  They will dry immediately.  

Have each child glaze their leaf with autumn colored glazes.  See directions on glaze jars.

Students painted their "bisque" pieces with lead-free glazes in fall colors. 

Do this ninth:

Fire the leaves.  Make sure each leaf is propped up on a kiln stilt and that you are using the correct kiln cone.  Allow the leaves to cool a day before removing them.

What I saw when I opened the kiln.

Do this tenth:

Wrap your leaves well and send them home as a Thanksgiving gift from your students to their families. 

Each one was so unique!

These were hot out of the kiln!

Students were able to bend and shape their own leaf. 

LOVE the fall colors!

Each one turned out so differently!

I loved taking the sample home to use at Thanksgiving time!

Didn't they turn out great?

  

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 See yo all tomorrow!

Palma :)

Halloween FUN That's On SALE Through Sunday!

Have you seen this??? 

Create Kindergarten Halloween FUN with:
                           "Sum Spiders!" 

Who wouldn't like adding spiders to compose numbers to 10?

All the ways to compose sets of three:
1 spider is touching the web. 2 spiders are NOT touching the web.
1 + 2 = 3.

You can use plastic spider rings or just use paper clips. If you use spider rings, just cut off the rings. 

You can start with the lowest numbers just to get your students familiar with the academic language: "plus" and "equal".

"Sum Spiders" AND DJ Inkers Graphics are BOTH on Sale!

How It Works:

I would begin with 2, but I have photos of a lesson I recently gave on the number 3. 

So here is how it worked using the number 3: 

I placed 3 spiders in a cute Halloween treat container. You can also just use a paper cup. 

I placed my hand over the container and shook it three times. (That reinforces conserving to three.)

I did the 1st one, then I let each child have a turn. 

I spilled the spiders onto the spider web mat and together we counted the number of spiders that were touching the web. 

I did the 1st one, then I let each child have a turn. 

Along with me, students recorded the number of spiders that were touching the web on the first blank space on their record sheet. 

You get colored or black & white masters.
I like to print the color version on card stock and laminate them so they last forever. 

Then, they recorded the number of spiders that were not touching the web on the 2nd black space. 

2 spiders are NOT touching the web.

Last, they recorded the total number of spiders we had on the 3rd blank space.

To help them recall how to write each number, I wrote the numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3  on little tombstones, which I got @ the 99 Cent Store. They were 6 for $1. These models helped the children so much! If I saw a child struggling to write any of these numerals, I just place the tombstone in front of them so they could simply copy it. 

Hint: Write the numbers on the backs of each tombstone so it's quick and easy for you to know which tombstone to use.

Do you see the cute bone-shaped number racks we made with spider rings?
They are like Rekenreks, but we used only 3 spider rings on these.
I made a set of 6 (for use with small groups) with 3 rings, 4 rings, and 5 rings.

To facilitate total group participation, I let each child have a turn shaking the container 3 times and spilling the spiders on the web mat. (If you don't have plastic spiders or cute containers, just use small paperclips in a small paper cup.) 

I also let each child make their own counting rack. 

(You can just use a pipe cleaner with 3 pony beads laced on it. Remember to curl the ends of the pipe cleaners so they don't poke little fingers.) 
I gave the students a piece of Fun Foam cut into cute shapes like a pumpkin or a bone (you can also buy pre-cut shapes), a pipe cleaner, and 3 plastic spider rings. 

If you put 2 dots on the Fun Foam where the pipe cleaners should go, students can poke the pipe cleaner into one dot on the Fun Foam, add the spider rings, poke the other end of the pipe cleaner into the other dot on the Fun Foam, and twist the back to secure the rings. 

As we counted the number of spiders that landed on the web, we moved that number of spiders across the pipe cleaner. These hands-on tools help to make math real and so much FUN. 

Since one spider is touching the web, we moved one spider to the right on the pipe cleaner.
That left two spiders not touching the web and two spiders at the left side of the pipe cleaner. 

As students get more familiar with this process, they will be able to complete the record sheets on their own. You might also want to allow each child to have their own set of spiders in containers and mats so they can work at their own pace with you observing and guiding in a small group setting. 

All set up for my small group.
We will all share one web mat and complete our record sheets together. 

You can also set this up as a center by copying one web mat and one record sheet on card stock. Laminate them and place them at a center with spiders, a container, a dry erase pen, and a soft eraser.

I LOVE my Scotch Laminator!
Click the image of the laminator for more info.

You can just use any counters and cups, but I spent $6 at the 99 Cents store and got a cute spider bowl, a bag of spider rings, a set of 6 tombstone chalkboards, and a set of treat boxes, a set of Fun Foam shapes, and pipe cleaners to make addition extra fun. 

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You can grab this set by 

CLICKING HERE

And guess what? It's on sale!

So Sum Spiders is on Sale ! 

Click the image.

I used DJ Inkers "Spook'tacular Smiles"http://www.djinkers.com/200.html graphics and fonts to create this product. 
Click the image below to grab a set NOW. 

This set is ON SALE through Sept. 30.Click the image to grab your set now. 

And, you can shop for more Halloween treats at DJ Inkers 
BY CLICKING HERE!

Use my affiliate link and start shopping 
at DJ Inkers 
& find out what all the smiling is about!
CLICK HERE
to shop. 

Use my "Sum Spiders" all year long. Use spiders in October and then again in the spring. I'll use my other DJ Inkers Graphics to create more themes to use throughout the year, so stay tuned for more FUN with SUMS!

You might also like... 
(They are ALSO on SALE!)

Green Monster, Green Monster, what do you see?

Scarecrow, Scarecrow, please come to my party.Thank you, I will, if you invite....

Have a GREAT Halloween!