Thanksgiving Activities for Secondary ELA
That stretch between Halloween and Thanksgiving break goes fast — and if you're hunting for Thanksgiving activities for secondary ELA that are more than a gratitude worksheet and a word search, you're in the right place. You want something your middle and high schoolers will actually lean into (and something you can pull off on a short week, when half the room is already mentally on the couch). Everything below is organized by how you teach — independent reading, real-world texts and debate, and rhetorical analysis — so you can grab exactly what fits your week.
Free Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge
Send your students home with a reading challenge that feels like a game, not homework — a free, print-and-go Thanksgiving activity for secondary ELA that keeps kids reading all the way through the break.
Independent Reading for NOVEMBER in Secondary ELA
Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse to celebrate your readers — and to make sure every one of them leaves for break with a book they're excited about.
Booksgiving: Thanksgiving Book Speed Dating — students are the library: in timed partner rounds, each one shares a book that mattered to them, and everyone leaves with a want-to-read list. No classroom library required. · 📦 Resource · $6 → SHOP HERE
How to Run Booksgiving in Your Classroom — exactly how I set up book speed dating the week before Thanksgiving. · 📝 Blog · Free → READ HERE
November Independent Reading Journal — book trackers and reflections to keep the habit going all month long. · 📦 Resource · $2 → SHOP HERE
YA Books by Indigenous Authors — 67 titles highlighting Native American voices and stories for grades 6–12 (my Amazon storefront list). · 🛒 Book List · Free → SEE LIST
Want the easiest win of the month? Start with Booksgiving — it's one class period, and it's the most fun your room will have all November!
Real-World Texts & Debate for Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month
November is full of real-world conversations worth having — from honoring Native American voices all month long to the debates that pop up around every family table (pie vs. stuffing, anyone?).
Indigenous Peoples Digital Choice Board — student choice across texts, voices, and activities for Native American Heritage Month, because our students deserve more than a single lesson the week of Thanksgiving.
📦 Resource · $5.50 → SHOP HERE
Gather Round Debate Game | Hot Takes Vol. 5 — the Thanksgiving edition of my debate games series for middle and high school. Real-world argument skills, low prep, high energy, and perfect for a short week.
🎥 Video · Free → WATCH HERE
QUICK TIP: Pair the choice board with the YA Books by Indigenous Authors list above so students can keep reading these voices long after November.
Rhetorical Analysis & Argument for Thanksgiving in Secondary ELA
Every family table has a debate brewing (pie vs. stuffing, anyone?) — so why not bring that energy into class and teach students to argue well?
The Rhetorical Analysis Handprint — the turkey hand, but make it rhetoric: how I use it to teach SPACE CAT. · 📝 Blog · Free → READ & DOWNLOAD HERE
Want to keep your readers reading all the way through break?
Grab the free Thanksgiving Break Reading Challenge, and watch your students actually be eager to read for fun even when they’re not in school.
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THANKSGIVING READING CHALLENGE
A quick and easy download to print and share with students while they’re away from your classroom!
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BOOKSGIVING
A fun, community-building way to celebrate independent reading in the classroom. The week before break is crazy, so make it feel a bit more cozy and puposeful with this speed-dating activity
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![Desk with colorful colored pencils, a cup of black coffee, printed coloring pages with unicorn and pumpkin designs, a purple sign listing uses for the materials, and a notebook.]()
COLOR BY NUMBER
Figurative language practice doesn’t need to be boring! These color-by-number practice pages help build independence while reviewing skills.
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FOOTBALL SEASON
Already have your students talking about the football season? Lean into their energy with this fresh argumentation prompt.
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ENGAGE STUDENTS
Literary Polaroids are a visual hook for students to lock in the connection between observation and analysis. Use these with any text to practice writing analysis.
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TURKEY SPACE CAT
Pair the nostalgic turkey hand craft with some rhetorical analysis practice and you’ve got a fun, engaging way to enjoy the season!
