Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Lesson

Thanksgiving just isn’t Thanksgiving without a turkey on the table for most families. This gives us a great opportunity to teach our students about turkeys, both domestic and wild, and to have some fun while we’re at it. This activity is great for younger children.

Thanksgiving Hand Turkey Art Lesson Objectives

• Develop fine motor skills
• Investigate animal facts
• Build color recognition skills
• Explore shape, texture, and pattern
• Distinguish between reality and fiction

Lesson steps

1. Read a Thanksgiving themed turkey story with your students. We have plenty of recommendations below.
2. Show your students pictures of wild turkeys and domesticated turkeys. Discuss with students the difference between the two types of turkeys and the turkeys in the story you read. Students should look at colors, feather texture, size, and patterns on turkeys.
3. Ask students to compare the real world turkeys in the pictures to the turkeys in the stories. Discuss with students how the turkeys in the stories behave and how they think real turkeys behave. Compare holiday themes to real-life animals by asking students to talk about turkeys they see for Thanksgiving and turkeys in the books and photos.
4. Using paper and coloring supplies, ask students to trace one hand on three sheets of white paper. Then ask them to decorate one hand like a turkey in a story that represents Thanksgiving, one hand like a wild turkey, and one hand like a domestic turkey.

Photos

Wild Turkeys

Domestic Turkeys

Books

• • A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
  • Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
  • Run, Turkey, Run! by Mare Robbins
  • Too Many Turkeys by Linda White
  • A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
  • ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
  • Turkey Surprise by Peggy Archer

Still excited about turkeys? Check out our Turkey Lesson Plans for more ideas.