A Thanksgiving Leftovers Search Lesson and Bookmarking Tip
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is eating the leftovers the next day. I enjoy a good turkey sandwich almost as much as Ross, but I do like to mix it up a bit and try other ways to use leftovers. In fact, I was doing that earlier this week (yes, I was planning […]
This Time With Four Part Harmony and Feeling…
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. And although the pandemic ended my annual tradition of watching the road race in my hometown my tradition of posting and listening to Alice’s Restaurant continues. If you’d like to join me in this tradition, here’s Arlo Guthrie performing Alice’s Restaurant. Happy listening! Happy Thanksgiving! (Did you notice that this was posted […]
STEAM Lessons About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a little tradition in my house just like it is in millions of other homes in the United States. For the last few years Macy’s has offered some hands-on STEAM lessons related to the parade. Parade 101 features four video demonstrations of hands-on activities that students can do at […]
The Science Behind My Favorite Thanksgiving Foods
American Thanksgiving is one week away. The traditional Thanksgiving meal is one of my favorite combinations of foods. My mouth is watering just thinking about turkey, potatoes, squash, stuffing and cranberry sauce from a can (I love the “shlop” sound the cranberry sauce makes as it pops out of the can). This year I’m in charge of […]
Fun Facts About Turkeys – And a Digital Turkey Project
We frequently have wild turkeys come through our backyard. And almost as frequently one of my dogs will chase them until they fly off. I was recently telling a friend about this pattern and he said, “I didn’t know that turkeys can fly.” That’s actually a pretty common response if you don’t live where wild […]
Short Lessons on the Differences Between Canadian and American Thanksgiving
Monday is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. It’s about six weeks earlier than it is here in the United States. I’ve celebrated both versions of Thanksgiving and I can tell you that there are a lot of similarities between the two. There are also some differences between them. The following videos provide a humorous look at […]
Just a half a mile from the railroad track…
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. I usually celebrate the day with my family in Connecticut watching the road race in my hometown. Unfortunately, that tradition is on hiatus again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some other factors attributed to work schedule. One Thanksgiving tradition that isn’t going on hiatus is […]
A Tip for Finding and Reading Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes
One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving is eating the leftovers the next day. I enjoy a good turkey sandwich almost as much as Ross, but I do like to mix it up a bit and try other ways to use leftovers. In fact, I was doing that earlier this week (yes, I was planning […]
A Thanksgiving Special!
As many of you know, the primary means of support for Free Technology for Teachers comes through the sales of my Practical Ed Tech courses and professional development services. This week and through next Tuesday all of my Practical Ed Tech self-paced courses are on sale for 33% off the regular price. You can register […]
My Big List of Resources for Teaching & Learning About American Thanksgiving
American Thanksgiving is later this week. All month long I’ve been sharing Thanksgiving-themed resources and ideas. This post combines all of them into one place. If you have school this week and you’re looking for some last-minute Thanksgiving resources, take a look through this list. The Science of Thanksgiving Foods The Reactions YouTube channel, produced […]
Hands-on Activities for Learning About Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Like millions of other Americans the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will be on the television in my house this coming Thursday morning. Just like last year Macy’s is providing some hands-on STEAM lessons related to the parade. Parade 101 features four video demonstrations of hands-on activities that students can do at home with their parents or in […]
How to Create Digital Thankfulness Turkeys
Last fall the switch to online and hybrid classes presented lots of challenges and required changing the way that we have done some of our “old standby” activities. For example, last fall I received a few emails from readers looking for some ideas on how to do a digital version of the classic Thanksgiving Thankfulness […]
The Suprising Origins of Thanksgiving Foods
Yesterday morning I published blog post in which I shared an ESRI Story Map of where traditional Thanksgiving foods are grown today in the United States. That story map covers where food comes from today, but it doesn’t cover the historical origins of traditional Thanksgiving foods. That’s an interesting topic of its own. It’s Okay […]
Mapping Where Food Comes From
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From? is an interactive storymap that I’ve shared in the past and still find to be a neat resource. The map displays where eight popular Thanksgiving foods are grown and harvested in the United States. The storymap includes a map for each ingredient. Each map shows the locations of commercial […]
The Science of My Favorite Thanksgiving Foods
I don’t think there’s a meal I like better than a classic Thanksgiving turkey with potatoes, squash, stuffing and cranberry sauce from a can (my mouth is watering just thinking about the “shlop” sound the cranberry sauce makes as it pops out of the can). Behind all of that deliciousness is a whole lot of […]
The 2021 Great Thanksgiving Listen
The Great Thanksgiving Listen hosted by StoryCorps is back for the seventh year in a row. This annual event is intended to get people to record audio stories with family and friends. This year there might be a lot more remote recording than in the past, but the goal of the project is still the […]
Short Lessons on Canadian v. American Thanksgiving
Monday is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. It’s about six weeks earlier than it is here in the United States. I’ve celebrated both versions of Thanksgiving and I can tell you that there are a lot of similarities between the two. There are also some differences between them. The following videos provide a humorous look at […]
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Listening
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the U.S. I usually celebrate the day with my family in Connecticut watching the road race in my hometown. Unfortunately, that tradition is on hiatus this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the travel restrictions here in New England. One Thanksgiving tradition that isn’t going on hiatus is listening […]
Parade 101 – Hands-on STEAM Activities for Learning About Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Like millions of other Americans the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will be on the television in my house on Thursday morning. In the past Macy’s has published some resources for learning about the history of the parade. This year they’ve expanded their offerings to includes some ideas for hands-on STEAM lessons related to the parade. Parade […]
The Differences Between American and Canadian Thanksgiving
American Thanksgiving is later this week. My Canadian friends celebrated Thanksgiving last month. Besides the timing of the holiday, there are some other differences between American Thanksgiving and Canadian Thanksgiving. There are also some commonalities between the two holidays. The following videos provide a humorous look at the similarities and differences between American Thanksgiving and […]
How to Make Digital Thanksgiving Thankfulness Turkeys
The switch to online and hybrid classes presents lots of challenges and requires changing the way that we have done some of our “old standby” activities. For example, this morning I received an email from a reader who was looking for some ideas on how do a digital version of the classic Thanksgiving Thankfulness Turkey […]
A Couple of Lessons on the Origins of Thanksgiving Foods
A couple of weeks ago I published a blog post in which I shared an ESRI Story Map of where traditional Thanksgiving foods are grown today in the United States. That story map covers where food comes from today, but it doesn’t cover this historical origins of traditional Thanksgiving foods. That’s an interesting topic of […]
Three Thanksgiving Science Lessons
I don’t think there’s a meal I like better than a classic Thanksgiving turkey with potatoes, squash, stuffing and cranberry sauce from a can (my mouth is watering just thinking about the “shlop” sound the cranberry sauce makes as it pops out of the can). Behind all of that deliciousness is a whole lot of […]
Mapping a Thanksgiving Meal
Earlier this week in a blog post about The Great Thanksgiving Listen I mentioned that I love Thanksgiving. So please excuse me if I get carried away with posts about Thanksgiving over the next couple of weeks. Where Does Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From? is an interactive storymap that I’ve shared in the past and still […]
Three Videos for Thanksgiving Lessons
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. If you find yourself looking for a quick, Thanksgiving-themed video lesson to use this week, take a look at the following three options. The Chemistry of Thanksgiving The Thanksgiving Turkey Compilation from the Reactions YouTube channel explains two concepts related to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. First, it explains how the deep-frying process […]
Three Thanksgiving Lessons You Can Do in the Next Week
Thanksgiving is just over a week away here in the U.S. Should you find yourself looking for some Thanksgiving-themed lessons to do, consider giving one of the following options a try. Create a Thanksgiving Story Map Where Does Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From? is an interactive storymap that displays where eight popular Thanksgiving foods are grown […]
Mapping Thanksgiving
Where Does Your Thanksgiving Dinner Come From? is an interactive storymap that displays where eight popular Thanksgiving foods are grown and harvested in the United States. The storymap includes a map for each ingredient. Each map shows the locations of commercial producers. Fun facts are included in the storymap too. For example, did you know that […]
The Great Thanksgiving Listen is Back!
For the fifth year in a row StoryCorps is hosting The Great Thanksgiving Listen. This annual event is an effort to get families to talk and record their stories around the Thanksgiving table. The project was originally developed to get high school students to record the stories of their parents, grandparents, and other older family […]
You Can Get Anything You Want… Happy Thanksgiving!
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Somewhere in the last 50 years it became a tradition that classic rock stations play Alice’s Restaurant Massacree at noon on Thanksgiving Day. And it has become a tradition for the last ten years that I post a video of Alice’s Restaurant Massacree here on Free Technology for Teachers. If […]
An Interactive Timeline of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is a tradition that millions of Americans share. This year will be the 92nd edition of the parade. What started out as a relatively simple affair has grown into an hours-long production. You and your students can see how the parade has evolved through the decades by exploring the interactive […]
5 Free Thanksgiving Lesson Plans You Can Use This Week
Thanksgiving is just a few days away. If you’re an elementary school teacher who has school this week, Storyboard That has five free Thanksgiving lesson plans that you can use. As you might expect, all of the Thanksgiving lesson plans that Storyboard That offers are centered around the use of storyboards and artwork. The five […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in Canada. As an American I was relatively ignorant of this holiday until about six years ago. If you’re an American or your just generally curious about the differences and similarities between American and Canadian Thanksgiving, watch the following videos. Both of the following humorous videos that explain the differences between Thanksgiving […]
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating the holiday today or this weekend. I hope that it is the best Thanksgiving ever! I’ll be celebrating with my family in Connecticut. One of our traditions that goes back for 30+ years is watching the Manchester Road Race. Another tradition is listening to Alice’s Restaurant Masacree. And here […]
Three Thanksgiving Activities You Can Do Today!
It’s Thanksgiving Eve here in the U.S. If you have school today and you’re still looking for some Thanksgiving-themed activities to do today, I have three suggestions for you. 1. Build a thankfulness Padlet wall with your students. Create a Padlet wall and have students share text and picture notes in which they share the […]
93 Years of Parades
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade turns 93 this year. For many Americans watching the parade is as much of Thanksgiving tradition as eating Turkey is. The parade has change quite a bit over the years. You can view those changes through Macy’s Parade History which offers an interactive timeline of the parade’s history. You can select any decade […]
The StoryCorps Recording App Gets Updated Privacy Controls
StoryCorps offers a free app for recording interviews. I’ve used the app for a couple of years. In fact, I like it enough to include it in my Teaching History With Technology class. The one complaint that people have had about it is that your recorded interviews are automatically made public in the StoryCorps archives. […]
Canadian Thanksgiving vs. American Thanksgiving
This coming Monday in the United States is generally referred to as Columbus Day. In Canada this coming Monday is Thanksgiving. Start your Saturday morning on a lighter note by watching one or both of the following humorous videos that explain the differences between Thanksgiving in Canada and Thanksgiving in the United States. You should […]
Thank You!
Good morning from Connecticut where I am watching my brother and other members of his club run in the 80th annual road race in our hometown. To borrow a line from Jim Nantz, in my family watching the race “is a tradition unlike any other.” But enough about my family… On this Thanksgiving morning I’d […]
The History of Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade
For millions of Americans watching Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning is as much a tradition as watching football after the turkey dinner. The Macy’s Parade is 90 years old this year. It has evolved quite a bit since its early days. Macy’s Parade History offers an interactive timeline of the parade’s history. You can […]
A Quick, Last-minute Thanksgiving Lesson Plan
American Thanksgiving is just a few days away. Some schools are closed this week while others are open for the first few days of the week. If you’re school is open and you’re looking for a quick Thanksgiving lesson activity, try this idea that I originally shared a few years ago. 1. Create a Padlet […]
The Origins of Thanksgiving Foods
On Tuesday I shared ten resources for Thanksgiving-themed lesson plans. This afternoon I discovered another good resource for a Thanksgiving lesson. The Surprising Origins of Thanksgiving Foods is a new video from It’s Okay to be Smart (a PBS production). Through the video students can learn how the most common, traditional Thanksgiving foods originated and […]
10 Thanksgiving Lesson Resources and Ideas
American Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Should you find yourself in need of some Thanksgiving-themed lesson ideas, take a look at the following resources. Favorite Thanksgiving dishes, like all favorite foods, vary from region to region. The New York Times has a neat site about the favorite Thanksgiving dishes served in each state (and D.C. and Puerto […]
Storyboard That Offers 5 Thanksgiving Lesson Plans
American Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away. Many of us are looking for Thanksgiving-related lesson ideas. If you’re looking for some elementary school lesson plans about Thanksgiving, Storyboard That has some ideas for you. On the Storyboard That teacher guide site you’ll find five Thanksgiving lesson plans. As you would expect, all of the lesson plans […]
Padlet for Halloween and Thanksgiving
Earlier today Jennifer Casa-Todd asked me if I had a video tutorial on how to use the new version of Padlet. I do have a tutorial about the new version of Padlet. You can see it on my YouTube channel or as embedded lower in this post. Coincidentally, I received an email from Padlet today. […]