Our November-themed Classroom

The door is where students can learn important holiday-related words. For Thanksgiving, our holiday words include: a pilgrim hat, sun symbols, an ear of corn, a cornucopia, a turkey, the Mayflower, a buffalo, a tepee, a totem pole, & a headdress. (For those of you who beg historical accuracy, I'm fully aware that the Native American tribes in New England did not live in tepees. I'm also fully aware that totem poles were invented by Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest during the 18th century. Ho hum.)

Our classroom window depicts a charming colonial scene. The Mayflower floats in the distance, as a father & son are reunited at last. Pilgrims in the village wave hello to the newcomers. Meanwhile, a pilgrim woman sneaks into the Native Americans' corn field, while two armed gunmen stand watch outside the tepee village. The Native Americans are oblivious of these transgressions for the most part, & Squanto puts a fish into the soil in order to start growing corn. However, an wizened Native American cannot be fooled by the settlers' ruse, & sits horseback looking out upon the scene with an expressionless face.

Our chalkboard is bordered by an array of various Autumn-themed pictures, including apples, squash, leaves, & ears of corn.

Here is one page of tracing paper upon which I painted with watercolors. The tracing paper was then laminated with clear packaging tape, & the shapes cut out to make sun-catcher window ornaments.

Here, you can better see some of the players in our little Thanksgiving colonization window scene!

Here, you can better see some of the tepees that make up the Native American village, & other players on our window stage!