KS1 Assemblies and Collective Worship. Something to Think About: Thanksgiving

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Ben Faulks hears from American children about the festival of Thanksgiving.

Has anyone ever been on a boat trip? What was it like? What happened to you?
Look at the picture (display it large if you are connected to the internet). Is the pic- ture of now…or long ago? How is it differ- ent from a scene today?
What might it have been like to go on a long journey in a ship like the one in the background?
Can the children see the young girl in the rowing boat and the dog? How might they be feeling about the journey?
In this programme, we’re going to hear about the American celebration called Thanksgiving. Why is it good to say thank you? What times during the year do we say ‘thank you’ to God?

Welcome and introduction: Ben introduces the programme and welcomes the children.
Feature: Some American children tell us about Thanksgiving and its importance in the USA.
Story: The Mayflower Mastiff. An original story by Lucia Cox. Merryboy and his owner, Dotty, sail on The Mayflower to a new life in America. On the way, the ship is tossed about by storms and everyone is sea sick. When they arrive life is harder than they expected, but eventually they’re able to build houses and grow food and life improves. At the end of the first year they take part in a Thanksgiving meal to which Sqaunto, a Native American who shows them how to cultivate the land, is invited.
Song: ‘New Day Beginning’ (Come and Praise Beginning, no 1). Encourage the children to join in with as much as they can.
Reflection: On being grateful and sharing good times. Ensure everyone is listening carefully. This section also includes a section from the Prayer of Thanksgiving.
Opportunity for prayer: Thanking God for all the good things in our lives and asking him for help to be grateful. The children can make the prayer their own by joining in with ‘Amen’ at the end.

Talk about the story

How do you think Dotty and Merryboy felt leaving England on this long journey?
What do you think made Dotty and Merry- boy most afraid on the journey?
How do you think everyone felt when they finally sighted land?
Who do you think the Squanto and Native people were? How did Dotty and Merryboy feel when Sqanto walked into the camp?
What did Dotty learn from Squanto? Do you think Squanto learned from Dotty? Who do you learn from?
What would you have looked forward to most at that first meal of thanksgiving?
What do you think Dotty and Merryboy said thank you for?
Why do you think pumpkin pie is one of the celebration foods at Thanksgiving?

Follow-up activities:

Listen again to the vox pops. Make a list of the things you’ve found out about Thanks- giving. Which would you enjoy the most?
Look at a map of the world and see how far it is from Plymouth to the place in America that’s now called New Plymouth. Share thoughts about the journey they made.
Take the story into a drama by ‘hot-seating’ Dotty, Merryboy and Squanto.
Find out about the different parts of the Thanksgiving meal then write and decorate a Thanksgiving Day menu.
Hold your own school Thanksgiving - not in the North American tradition, but made up of things that you are thankful for.