Although Thanksgiving is typically associated with foods like turkey with stuffing or corn bread and pumpkin pie, not everyone indulges in the same meals when celebrating the holiday. Immigrants especially may have cultural differences that don’t always align with American tradition. Discuss the gap between traditional culture and assimilated culture with your students using this lesson plan.

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Type: Reading, Vocabulary

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Level: Upper Intermediate+

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Lesson Aims: Learners will read for both gist and detail, and develop their ability to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary from context from an article describing an immigrant family’s adaptation to Thanksgiving.

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Approximate Timing: 45 – 60 min.

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Note to the Teacher: Rather than a rehash of the history behind the tradition, this lesson is about the cultural misunderstandings many immigrant families face in the US when they attempt to assimilate traditional festivals such as Thanksgiving, in this case to both humorous and poignant effect.

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The text is from Salon, a news website featuring politics, current events, modern life, arts and culture. Enjoy Thanksgiving from another perspective!

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Download the lesson materials and lesson plan here: An Immigrant Thanksgiving