Celebrating Thanksgiving with poetry

More than a feast; Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on the blessings we've received. This Thanksgiving, explore the art of gratitude using the power of poetry with Wixie activities.

1. 5 Senses gratitude

Help students feel gratitude more deeply by asking them to connect it to each of their five senses. Use the 5 Senses Gratitude activity to assist students in developing their ideas and describing gratitude. Then, have them use the microphone button to record their ideas in the order they prefer for their poem.

Through this activity, students will be able to experience gratitude in a unique way. It's an opportunity for them to delve into the sensations that surround the concept of thankfulness.

2. Thankful acrostic poem

Most every student has done an acrostic, so assigning a poem in this style doesn’t take much, if any, instruction. And even though the lines of each student’s poem start with the same letter, the results are always unique to each student’s personality and experience.

3. Blackout poetry

A blank page can be scary for many writers, cue the blackout poem! In this unique form, poetry is created by choosing individual words from someone else’s writing. At Thanksgiving, see what your students create with the text from President Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863.

4. Magnet poem

Unleash student creativity with magnet poetry. Students arrange words and phrases to form their own unique expressions of gratitude. Assign the Thanksgiving magnet poetry activity for students to experience the joy of playing with words and creating heartfelt verses.

You can also try posting the Thanksgiving magnet poetry activity on an interactive white board before circle time, or share on a touch screen device and let students work individually or together to craft different poems.

5. Creating poetic messages

Encourage students to start from a blank page to craft a digital greeting that expresses their gratitude. Students can use the paint and image tools to design the cover and then write a rhyming couplet inside for the message.

Whether you're sending your card digitally or printing it to share in person, this homemade creation is sure to bring a smile to the faces of recipients.

Sharing the gratitude

Be sure to share poetry with family and community to help students express their thanks.

Printed projects are always appreciated. If students recorded messages, consider:

sending to parents or guardians via Family Sharing.
presenting live at a publishing party.
publishing as a PDF.
exporting to video before sharing.

Wishing you a heartwarming Thanksgiving filled with love, joy, and poetic inspiration.