Thanksgiving Chinese Learning Activities: 3 Fun Turkey Crafts and Lessons (Free Download Inside!)
Celebrate November with some turkey-themed fun! Here are three engaging Chinese learning activities that blend creativity with Chinese language development, making Thanksgiving meaningful and educational in your classroom. Plus, don’t miss the Thankful Turkey Craft FREEBIE at the end of the post!
1. Turkey Disguise Activity
Inspired by the beloved story Turkey Trouble 《火鸡的感恩节》, students can get creative with a Turkey Disguise activity! In the story, the clever turkey tries to avoid becoming Thanksgiving dinner by dressing up in various disguises.
Activity Steps:
Read Aloud: Start by reading Turkey Trouble in English or, if available, 《火鸡的感恩节》in Chinese. Discuss the turkey's attempts to hide and disguise himself in different ways. Click here to watch a read-aloud video of the story in Chinese on YouTube.
Reading Comprehension: Use the reading worksheets below to retell what happened in the story, describe the turkey’s character traits, and make text-to-self connections by writing about what students would do if they were the turkey—all in Chinese.
3. Create a Disguise: Now it’s time for your Chinese learners to bring their disguise ideas to life! Have them choose a costume idea for their turkey, then color, cut, and decorate their turkeys. They can turn their turkeys into anything from a superhero to a mermaid, a pirate, or Santa Claus! Last, students will finish the Chinese sentence “我不是火鸡，我是…” (I am not a turkey! I am a ___) on their sheet to match their disguise. When they're done, you can display the turkeys around the classroom for everyone to enjoy!
Click here to get the Turkey Disguise packet in Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese.
2. All About Turkeys Non-Fiction Writing
Bring science into your Chinese lessons and guide students in learning more about turkeys! This activity combines informational learning with writing, giving students a chance to learn facts about turkeys and write their own non-fiction piece in Chinese.
Activity Steps:
Explore Turkey Facts: Teach students about the different parts of a turkey. Use books or videos in Chinese to introduce key facts and related vocabulary, such as “翅膀 chìbǎng” (wing) and “肉垂 ròu chuí ” (wattle). Students can label each part to on their worksheet to reinforce learning and Chinese vocabulary.
Turkeys Can/Have/Are… Graphic Organizer: Using a Chinese graphic organizer, students will categorize their new knowledge in three sections: “火鸡会...” (Turkeys can…), “火鸡有…” (Turkeys have…), and “火鸡是…” (Turkeys are…). For example: “火鸡会叫” (Turkeys can gobble), “火鸡有翅膀” (Turkeys have wings), “火鸡是鸟类” (Turkeys are birds).
Writing: Students will use the Chinese vocabulary and sentence structures they've practiced to write a simple informational piece, teaching readers all about turkeys in Chinese!
Click here to get the All About Turkeys packet in Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese.
3. "I'm Thankful For..." Thankful Turkey Craft
Let’s make a Thankful Turkey craft to express gratitude in Chinese! In this activity, students will talk and write about what they're thankful for by creating a unique turkey with personalized feathers.
Activity Steps:
Read a Thankful Story: 《感谢的味道》 and 《跟大伙儿说谢谢》 are two heartwarming read-alouds that encourage your little Chinese learners to celebrate the people and things they’re grateful for. Click on the book titles to listen to these stories on YouTube and enjoy a storytime filled with gratitude!
Write Thankful Messages: Give each student a turkey body template with 我很感谢 (I’m thankful for…) and 5 paper feathers. On each feather, students can write something they’re thankful for, such as “我的家人” (my family), “我的朋友” (my friends), or “我的老师” (my teacher).
Craft the Turkey: After writing five things they’re thankful for, students can color the turkey and feathers. Then, they can cut out and glue the feathers onto their turkey, which proudly displays “我很感谢/我很感謝... - I’m thankful for…”
Gratitude Sharing: Students will take turns sharing their "thankful turkey" with the class. It’s a lovely way to practice Chinese speaking skills and build a positive classroom community. They can show agreement by using hand gestures or adding to each other’s expressions of gratitude.