THANKSGIVING DAY WEBQUEST

Thanksgiving Day
Task 1: How much do you know about it?
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in the USA and Canada. How much do you already know about it? Answer these questions in pairs or small groups:
1. When is Thanksgiving?

2. Why do you think people celebrate Thanksgiving?

3. What foods are associated with Thanksgiving?

TASK 2: The history of the Thanksgiving celebration listening exercise
Click on the image below to watch a video. Decide if the statements are TRUE or FALSE.




1.   Pilgrims invited local Native Americans to share a meal with them.
2.   Thanksgiving become an annual tradition until two hundred years later.
3.   The first Thanksgiving was in 1621, it was a 5-day festival.
4.   Rabbit was given to the colonists by the Indians as a gift.
5.   Thanksgiving menu was originally venison, Indian corn, fowl and pumpkin.
6.   Turkey was not in neither the menu nor pumpkin pie nor potatoes.
7.   Pilgrims repeated the November celebration in subsequent years.
8.   In 1989 president George Washington enabled the first Ever National Thanksgiving Holiday which took place in Thursday 26th December.
9.   Thanksgiving became an annual tradition till the 19th century.
10. Modern Thanksgiving meals are turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed potato, stuffing and cranberry sauce.
11. During the Great Depression, President Abraham Lincoln scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November.
12.   Beginning in the mid-20th century and perhaps even earlier, the president of the United States has “pardoned” one or two Thanksgiving turkeys each year, sparing the birds from slaughter and sending them to a farm for retirement.

Discussion
Is harvest celebrated in Mexico? If so, how is it celebrated?

TASK 3: A traditional Thanksgiving meal
Visit the webpage. Read the descriptions of typical Thanksgiving dishes and find the answers to these questions. Discuss the answers with your partner.

1. Which dish with an exotic background got a sweet addition in the twentieth century?

2. Which sweet nut dish has ancient origins?

3. Which food helped make a brand of soup more popular?

4. Which food is made from different ingredients, depending on the origins of the people cooking it?

5. Which food is very good for you and can be stored for a long period?

6. Which food made one woman very rich?

7. Which food got its name by mistake?

8. Which food probably wasn’t eaten at the first Thanksgiving meal because of lack of technology?


Discussion
Which dishes have you already tried? Which would you like to try? Are there any which you wouldn’t like to try? Why not?

TASK 4: Thanksgiving traditions
You are going to read about some typical traditions in North America at Thanksgiving. Before you read the information on the website, decide whether you think the statements below are true (T) or false (F).

1. Many people watch tennis at Thanksgiving every year.

2. Shops often sponsored Thanksgiving parades.

3. Washing neighbours’ cars is the most popular way to help others in the community at Thanksgiving.

4. The White House is given three turkeys each Thanksgiving – two are dead and one is pardoned and not cooked.

5. The turkey that is kept is given a name chosen by the president’s family.

6. The president announces the official date of Thanksgiving every year.

Now visit and check your answers.
Discussion
Are any of these traditions similar in your country?


Activity 5: Thanksgiving in other cultures
Your teacher will assign you a student number. Read your section and make notes using information from the website.

Student 1

Go to The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations and read the sections on the Ancient Greeks. Make notes on how they celebrated harvest time. Consider the following questions. Which god did they honour? What was the name of their festival? How did they celebrate it?

Student 2

Go to: The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations and read the sections on  the Romans. Make notes on how they celebrated harvest time. Consider the following questions. Which god did they honour? What was the name of their festival? How did they celebrate it?

Student 3

Go to: The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations and read the sections on the Ancient Chinese. Make notes on how they celebrate(d) harvest time. Consider the following questions. Which god did they honour? What was the name of their festival? How did they celebrate it?

Student 4

Go to: The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations and read the sections on the Hebrews. Make notes on how they celebrate(d) harvest time. Consider the following questions. Which god did they honour? What was the name of their festival? How did they celebrate it?

Student 5

Go to: The History of Thanksgiving and its Celebrations and read the sections on the Egyptians. Make notes on how they celebrate(d) harvest time. Consider the following questions. Which god did they honour? What was the name of their festival? How did they celebrate it?

When you’ve finished, explain the traditions you looked at. Discuss any similarities and differences with your partner.


TASK 6: Let´s talk about it


Discuss the following questions as a whole class.
1. How much did you already know about the tradition of Thanksgiving?
2. What information surprised you?
3. What are the most important festivals and celebrations in your country or culture?
  • ·         How are they celebrated? What do people eat and drink?

  • ·         What are the origins of the celebrations? Have they changed over time?

  • ·         What celebration are you most looking forward to?


TASK 7: Round-up

Now that you know why Thanksgiving is celebrated, comment on the following webpage what you are thankful for this year.

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