As Thanksgiving approaches, many teachers start looking for ways to bring the holiday spirit into their classrooms. But let’s be honest—by this time of year, high school students are tired, ready for Thanksgiving break, and maybe even a little restless. That’s why it’s important to have high school English Thanksgiving activities that are both engaging and meaningful.

(Ok, ok. Maybe you’re ready for a little fun, too!)

The Thanksgiving season is the perfect time to balance review, writing practice, and fun activities that keep students motivated without adding to your workload. In this blog post, you’ll find a mix of ideas that work well at high school levels (but many can also be adapted for middle school students or even elementary students).

Need more seasonal ideas? I have October teaching ideas right here!

A Note About Ambiance

Look, I’m a basic white girl. We’re all about vibes here. 

As you dish out your fun Thanksgiving activities, don’t forget to set the mood! It is so important when we’re trying to bring seasonality into the classroom.

There are plenty of cozy, autumn setting videos on YouTube. Find one you like and project it while students work on gratitude letters or grammar worksheets. 

If you have the time, money, and inclination, consider picking up some faux leaves from the dollar store and decorating the borders of your bulletin boards.

We don’t need to go crazy here, but changing the environment will boost engagement and your students’ attitudes.

Ok, back to the lessons!

High School English Thanksgiving Activities #1: Write a Gratitude Letter

This one is a classic, right?

One meaningful Thanksgiving writing activity is asking students to express gratitude by writing a letter to a member of the school staff. This is a great way for secondary ELA students to practice audience awareness, tone, and clear writing while doing something kind.

A favorite teacher is always a winner, but you could encourage students to choose someone who doesn’t always get recognized—like a custodian, lunch staff member, or bus driver. Have them handwrite the letters on construction paper or type them up with graphic organizers for planning. This small act can make someone’s day and helps promote mental health for both writer and recipient.

Students can hand-deliver their letters or leave them with you for distribution. (I promise, your colleagues are going to love you for doing this!)

If a student is giving you pushback, they don’t have​ to choose a staff member. You could let them choose anyone–a parent, a friend, a member of their church–who has helped them in some way during the past year.

Not only is this activity the perfect opportunity for some seasonal gratitude, but it offers the chance to cover tons of ELA topics: formatting a letter, tone, writing for a real audience, grammar, and more!

If you want a no-prep lesson for teaching the art of writing a letter (and addressing an envelope!), check out my done-for-you lesson: How to Write a Letter and Address an Envelope Lesson.

It includes a presentation, worksheets, examples, and more–allowing you to turn a quick gratitude letter into a full-blown English lesson.

High School English Thanksgiving Activities #2: Thanksgiving-Themed Grammar Worksheets

If you want something low-prep that still reinforces skills, try Thanksgiving-themed grammar worksheets.

While you could probably find some free worksheets online for nearly any topic, you’ve probably discovered that the quality of these worksheets is hit or miss. 

I recommend my Fall Themed Grammar Review Worksheets to keep in your filing cabinet. While three of these worksheets are Halloween-related, this pack also includes:

• A leaf-themed worksheet on compound subjects and compound predicates
• An apple-themed worksheet on independent and dependent clauses
• A Thanksgiving-themed worksheet on identifying comma splices.

These worksheets are a fun way to keep students practicing grammar while sneaking in a Thanksgiving theme.

They’re especially great to keep on hand for those weird days around Thanksgiving break. You know, the days when an assembly cuts one class in half, but extends the other class periods? You can use a Thanksgiving-themed grammar worksheet to give your longer classes more review without shortchanging the shorter class of any new content.

(If you’re looking for other Thanksgiving grammar ideas, check out this post!)

High School English Activities #3: Create a Thankful Tree or Gratitude Chain

Don’t have time to teach a letter-writing lesson and give students time to write? Try a gratitude chain instead!

Bring a little Thanksgiving craft energy into high school with a thankful tree or gratitude chain. Using construction paper, students can write one thing they’re thankful for on a leaf or link. Connect each of these with a little dab of glue or tape. 

Over the course of the week, you’ll have a growing visual reminder of gratitude that doubles as a bulletin board display. (Any other lazy classroom decorators out there relieved?)

This fun Thanksgiving activity works well with students of all ages—younger students might decorate with coloring sheets or hand turkeys, while older students can write more thoughtful reflections.

High School English Activities #4: Thanksgiving Short Story Writing Prompts

Another creative way to get students writing is with short story or writing prompts inspired by Thanksgiving. Try prompts like:

• Describe the chaos of preparing a big meal like a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
• Have students explain how to cook their favorite Thanksgiving Day dish.
• Write a short story where a family Thanksgiving dinner goes completely wrong (burnt pumpkin pie, forgotten common Thanksgiving foods, or awkward family drama).
• Imagine you’ve been chosen to deliver the presidential turkey pardon. How would you make your speech stand out?
• Write from the perspective of a dish at the big meal—what would the mashed potatoes or stuffing say about being part of the Thanksgiving traditions?
• Create a futuristic Thanksgiving in which people no longer celebrate with food, but with technology. How would a Thanksgiving meal or Thanksgiving game look in 100 years?

Prompts like these not only strengthen writing skills but also encourage critical thinking about history, traditions, and culture. 

High School English Activities #5: Read and Discuss Thanksgiving Nonfiction

Make those cross-curricular connections to social studies with some interesting nonfiction.

Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to build background knowledge and encourage critical thinking. With so many myths and simplified stories around the first Thanksgiving, it’s valuable for high school students to dig into informational texts that offer more context.

Consider assigning a short article or excerpt about:

• The experiences of Native Americans and native people connected to the holiday
• The origins of the Plymouth Colony and its ties to the native land
• The history of Thanksgiving becoming a national holiday
• The modern presidential turkey pardon tradition

Pairing nonfiction reading with writing prompts or graphic organizers is a fun way to help secondary ELA students connect English skills with history and social studies. You could even show a short video clip or educational video to spark discussion before reading.

This makes for a great lesson that not only reviews comprehension and analysis but also honors the Thanksgiving holiday with honesty and depth.

CommonLit is a great place to find some of these texts! Just search Thanksgiving in the search bar.

High School English Activities #6: Integrate Thanksgiving Into Journaling

Not in the mood for super structured writing? Have students do some open journaling instead!

Encourage students to keep a gratitude journal for the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. Each day, they can jot down one thing they’re grateful for, a favorite Thanksgiving picture book from childhood, or even reflections on Thanksgiving traditions like paper bag turkeys or Thanksgiving meal memories. (Ask them to share what they’re thankful for every day and learn a little bit more about your students!)

This can be a great opportunity to foster mindfulness and give students an optimal experience for their mental health during what can be a stressful season.

(When I was in the classroom, everyone at my school started their classes with “good things.” You’d pick two kids randomly, and ask them to share a “good thing.” Thanksgiving week can be a great time to pilot something like this in your class!)

Why These Activities Work for High School ELA

All of these ELA Thanksgiving activities strike a balance between rigor and fun. Whether you’re reviewing grammar, practicing writing, or simply celebrating the national holiday, you’re giving students a great lesson in gratitude and creativity.

Plus, these ideas can be adjusted for middle school grades, elementary school, or even younger students, making them Thanksgiving ideas that work for students of all ages.

Look, as burnt out as our kids might be during November, we teachers are burnt out, too! We could all use a little more fun during what can be a stressful month. 

(That said, if your fun, ELA activity is showing a Charlie Brown special, no shade!)

So, as you’re planning your classroom activities for the Thanksgiving holiday, remember that it’s a great time to incorporate both creative activities and a fun Thanksgiving activity or two. From Thanksgiving crafts to short story prompts, you’ll find that this season can bring just as much learning as it does turkey and pie.