The First Thanksgiving
and the Past Perfect Tense

This series of activities is designed for a group of students in grades 7-9 of high intermediate to low-advanced English proficiency. The goals are to get students to consider an aspect of American culture (Thanksgiving) from alternate points of view and use the past perfect form in their writing. These activities are framed according to Shrum and Glisan's Interactive Model II.

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to discuss and write about Thanksgiving from a traditional point of view.
2. Students will be able to discuss and write about Thanksgiving from an alternate point of view.
3. Students will be able to discuss and write about their own opinions on Thanksgiving.
4. Students will be able to use the past perfect tense in their writing.
   
   

Stages:

A. Preparation: students will listen to a song and review previously learned information about Thanksgiving to activiate their background knowledge.

B. Comprehension: students will read two essays written on the First Thanksgiving for their main ideas. Unfamiliar vocabulary is glossed. Each essay is followed by three comprehension questions. Following both essays is a grammar activity drawing student's attention to the past perfect form and prompting them to create a rule for it's usage.

C. Interpretation: students will confer with a partner and discuss their own opinions of the first Thanksgiving. Then students will write a paragraph summarizing the traditional and alternate points of view on the first Thanksgiving and discussing their own opinions. In this paragraph students will also use the past perfect tense.