Monday, November 25, 2019

Three Videos for Thanksgiving Lessons

Thanksgiving is just a few days away. If you find yourself looking for a quick, Thanksgiving-themed video lesson to use this week, take a look at the following three options.

The Chemistry of Thanksgiving
The Thanksgiving Turkey Compilation from the Reactions YouTube channel explains two concepts related to the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. First, it explains how the deep-frying process works and how it helps to make a turkey more flavorful. Second, the video explains why turkey isn't the primary culprit in making you drowsy after devouring your Thanksgiving meal.

The Origins of Thanksgiving Foods
The Surprising Origins of Thanksgiving Foods is an educational video from It's Okay to Be Smart. Through the video students can learn how the most common, traditional Thanksgiving foods originated and evolved to what they are today. This lesson includes an explanation of how archaeologists and scientists determined that turkeys were one of the first animals to be domesticated in North America. We also learn why the turkeys we find in the grocery store today are so much bigger than those of just a few generations ago.

Canadian vs. American Thanksgiving
I've shared this one a few times over the years. The following, entertaining video that explains the differences between Thanksgiving in Canada and Thanksgiving in the United States.

Just a reminder, you should always preview videos before showing them in your classroom. I know many high school teachers who will not have a problem sharing this video, but teachers of younger students may want to proceed with caution.