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November 21, 2009

First graders celebrate the first Thanksgiving

Anonymous The Corsicana Daily Sun Sat Nov 21, 2009, 05:06 PM CST

By Deanna Brown

Daily Sun

Chicken legs, cranberries and mini-pumpkin pies were the fare for some first grade Pilgrims and Indians at Fannin Elementary Friday.

Students in Kelly Moore, Dennis Parker, Cindy McCary and Annette Straubing’s first grade classes celebrated the week prior to Thanksgiving by reading, learning about the first celebration of Thanksgiving, and the culmination of the week was the feast.

The Pilgrims and Indians sang several songs of Thanksgiving, including this one: (to the tune of “Oh, My Darling Clementine”)

Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey,

Are you getting nice and fat?

We are waiting for Thanksgiving,

Now what do you think of that?

Mr. Turkey, Mr. Turkey,

Do you ever wonder why

People eat you at Thanksgiving,

And not chicken pot pie?

Teachers provided food for the feast, which in Parker and Moore’s classes included chicken legs, rolls, pumpkin muffins (made by Beth Parker), popcorn (to represent the corn), cranberries, cheese, carrots, mini-pumpkin pies, and apple juice.

“We are working together, these Pilgrims and Indians, to make a new country,” Parker said.

“Mr. Parker,” said one boy named Jordan, “These grapes are sour.”

“That’s because they are cranberries,” Parker replied.

“We tried to stay close to the traditional foods. We read several books about Pilgrims and Indians, that the Indians were here first, and we were the guests. We enjoyed reading about Squanto, who had gone to England, learned English, then returned to the colonies.”

Indeed, the Pilgrims wore collars and proper Pilgrims hats for men and women, while Moore’s Indians wore “leather” vests, highly decorated, and feather (the manila paper variety) headdresses. The children learned about symbols and hieroglyphics during the decorating of their Indian attire.

“We also talked about community, and about being good citizens,” Moore said.

“This special stuff is a reward for how hard the children have worked,” Parker said. “We are trying to instill the importance of our founding fathers.”

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Deanna Brown may be contacted via e-mail at deanna@corsicanadailysun.com. Want to “Sound Off” on this story? E-mail soundoff@corsicanadailysun.com.

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First graders celebrate the first Thanksgiving

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