Thanksgiving on Mars - Primary & Secondary Sources Activities - Google Digital Resources
This Thanksgiving on Mars lesson explores holiday traditions through engaging primary and secondary source activities. The activities are designed to be engaging for students, and the guided 5-E format makes it easy for teachers to implement.
Start with a “Say Something…” warm-up activity, then review the differences between primary and secondary sources of information. Next, students will imagine it is the year 2038 and they are living in the first American colony on Mars. They will be challenged to identify primary and secondary sources that Martian children could use to learn about Thanksgiving traditions on Earth.
After that, students will identify example sources that Earthlings can reference to understand how colonists on Mars celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Creativity is encouraged throughout the process! A fill-in rubric is included for easy grading.
Both printed and interactive digital versions of the materials are provided, making it suitable for traditional in-class learning or digital 1:1 classrooms. Everything you need for this lesson is included!
Includes Google Resources: Digital & Print
- Guided 5-E Slides Lesson
- Thanksgiving Sources Activity
- Fill-In Rubric
- Answer Keys
- Teacher Reference Guide
5-E Guided Lesson:
- Engage: “Say Something…” Warm-up Activity
- Explore: “Big Ideas” Primary vs. Secondary Sources
- Explain: “Thanksgiving on Mars” Activity
- Elaborate: “Life in a Mars Colony” Video Activity
- Evaluate: Fill-in Rubric
Aligned with Social Studies Standards: CCSS, TEKS, ELPS, and NCSS
Total Pages: 28
Time: 60 minutes
Grades: 4-10