This Thanksgiving mini-project for elementary grades is perfect for helping your students apply their reading comprehension, math, and design skills. Working both independently and in groups, they'll use measurement skills, design thinking, and a healthy dose of artistic creativity to design, and build a Thanksgiving parade float!
Students will follow the instructions to create a blueprint for the parade float using the specifications listed in the instructions Then they will use the graph paper to build a 3-D model of their float, and finally decorate it to their liking.
This mini-project is perfect for 1 or 2 class periods, or can be divided up into smaller time blocks for completion as an early-finisher or extension activity. The cross-curricular activities include measurement, area and perimeter, reading comprehension, and group collaboration.
What's Included:
- Teaching instructions with notes on materials, prep time, group work, and modeling;
- Step-by-step student instructions and worksheets for completing the design, blueprint, and decoration activities;
- Blank 1-inch grid graph paper for the design layouts;
- A 12-inch ruler (paper template) for use in designing and building the haunted houses.
Project Activities:
- Part 1 - Reading Comprehension: (independent activity); Follow the instructions to answer the questions about the Thanksgiving parade, then read the passage, and answer the reading comprehension questions.
- Part 2 - Create Your Bluepring: Using the specifications, measurement skills, and math, design a Thanksgiving Day parade float. Then, using the graph paper, create a 3-D model of your float.
- Part 3 - Decorate Your Parade Float: With your partner, fill out the questions by deciding how you will decorate your float. Then, using your answers, follow the instructions to create and decorate your parade float.
