If you’re looking to bring fresh ideas into your lesson plans, these favorite books for November are a great way to connect to history, gratitude, and the fall season while tying in engaging cross-curricular activities. I’ll even show you how to make some of your favorite Thanksgiving books connect with a hands-on STEM challenge.

I’ve also included a link to my November activities opt-in, connecting a popular read-aloud, Plump and Perky Turkey. Whether you’re planning for close reading, writing time, or some creative morning work, these books will give you plenty of options that are both fun and purposeful.

Why Favorite Read Alouds for November Matter

Using favorite read alouds for November is a great way to add depth to your classroom routines without overloading your schedule. This time of year naturally invites conversations around gratitude, family, and national holidays. This can lead to powerful connections in your classroom. I love taking these themes and helping my students explore them through character traits, story elements, and meaningful discussion.

Books like The Poppy Lady, which tells the story of Moina Belle Michael, offer a good introduction to Veterans Day and provide context in a kid-friendly way. Others, like Squanto’s Journey, help highlight the Native American culture often left out of the more traditional history of Thanksgiving lessons (more on this below!). Both are wonderful books for helping our students think critically and empathetically.

Maybe it’s your students’ first time learning about the first Thanksgiving, or maybe they’re revisiting a familiar character like the old lady who swallowed a pie. Either way, these books support older students and younger ones alike in developing a richer understanding of seasonal traditions.

Favorite Read-Alouds for November That Spark STEM and Storytelling

One of my favorite ways to bring the fall season to life in the classroom is by combining stories with STEM. These Thanksgiving STEM activities help my students think critically, work collaboratively, and connect what they read to what they create. And. . . the last week or two before the Thanksgiving break is the perfect time to pair some hands-on STEM with a great November book. Whether it’s designing a table or building a turkey launcher, there’s something about hands-on problem-solving that takes a great read-aloud to the next level.

Here’s how each STEM activity works, including favorite read-alouds for November that pair well with each activity:

STEM Challenge 1: Thanksgiving Feast – Build a Table That Can Hold the Most Food

In this challenge, your students design and construct a Thanksgiving table using classroom supplies that can support the most weight. This is tested by placing books on top. It’s a perfect opportunity to introduce concepts like balance, load distribution, and measurement. It’s also fun to see whose table holds up and whose topples over!

Pair this activity with Stone Soup, a classic picture book and great story about strangers who teach a village the value of sharing. The message connects beautifully to the idea of a Thanksgiving dinner where everyone contributes. It’s also a great setup for talking about story elements, like setting and theme, while tying in teamwork from the STEM challenge.

STEM Challenge 2: Mayflower Voyage – Build a Boat That Can Carry Pilgrims Across the Ocean

In this challenge, your students create a boat that can float and hold as many “Pilgrims” (pennies, bears, or small cubes) as possible before sinking. It’s a great time to explore buoyancy, surface area, and trial and error through building and testing. You can guide your students through redesigns based on what worked and what didn’t.

I recommend reading If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 to lay the groundwork. This great book gives students a solid foundation for the journey the Pilgrims took to reach Plymouth Rock. It answers common questions, includes detailed information on the first Thanksgiving, and works well as a good introduction to the broader historical unit. For a more reflective tone, Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac adds meaningful insight into Native American culture and cooperation during the early settlement.

STEM Challenge 3: Native American Homes – Design a Weatherproof Shelter

In this activity, your students are tasked with building a Native American home that can stand up to simulated weather. To make the different elements, I make wind from a hair dryer, rain from a spray bottle, or snow from crushed ice. It connects to science concepts, like insulation and structural design, while honoring family traditions and survival strategies of the past.

Before building, try reading The Very First Americans by Cara Ashrose. It gives a kid-friendly look into Native Americans, exploring the different materials and homes used by tribes across the country. It’s a great way to bring authenticity and respect to the conversation, especially for upper elementary students who are ready to think deeper. You could also read The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola to explore themes of bravery and weather through a cultural lens.

STEM Challenge 4: Turkey Escape – Build a Turkey Launcher

This one’s a student favorite! Tom the Turkey needs to escape town and fast. Your students need to design a turkey launcher that propels him to safety. Once they launch him, they practice measuring how far he can go and improving their designs with each test.

The perfect read-aloud for this? Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano. In this adorable book, a turkey disguises himself as a variety of different animals to avoid becoming the main course at the Thanksgiving feast. It’s filled with humor, has a familiar character, and inspires so many creative writing responses. It’s also a great way to spark brainstorming before your students begin planning their escape strategies for Tom.

More Favorite Read-Alouds for November

If you’re teaching younger readers or looking for titles that are just right for your kiddos, these favorite read-alouds for November are sure to bring laughter, learning, and plenty of seasonal charm to your classroom. These books celebrate friendship, gratitude, history, and the joy of family traditions. All things that make this time of year so special.

Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

This nonfiction book has beautiful illustrations that introduce your students to Tony Sarg, the creator of the balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. With vivid artwork and a playful tone, the book shows how one inventor’s imagination helped shape a treasured national holiday tradition. It’s a fantastic way to blend history, art, and STEM. Plus, your kiddos will love hearing the story behind the parade they’ve seen on TV.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson

This great book shares the true story of Sarah Hale. She spent decades writing letters and campaigning to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Her persistence finally paid off when President Lincoln made it official. The book is both empowering and entertaining. It shows that even one voice can make a big difference. It’s a great introduction to persuasive writing and history all at once.

The Littlest Pilgrim by Brandi Dougherty

This adorable story follows Mini, a little girl who wants to help prepare for the Thanksgiving feast but keeps being told she’s too small. The gentle message about kindness and finding your purpose is perfect for your younger readers. Plus, it’s a sweet jumping-off point for writing prompts about how we help our family members or show kindness to others.

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Told in rhyme, this sweet book follows Bear as he wants to throw a big meal for his friends. He realizes he has nothing to offer. Luckily, all his woodland pals arrive with food, creating a heartwarming story about friendship, community, and gratitude. It’s a cozy choice for any morning meeting or reading circle during the fall season.

The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

This hilarious book is a seasonal spin on a classic format, with the old lady swallowing everything from a pie to a turkey to a pot. It’s silly, repetitive, and packed with language patterns perfect for story element discussions or sequencing activities. Your students will be quoting it for the rest of the week!

Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie by Jack Bishop

Peyton is a picky eater who’s dreading Thanksgiving until she discovers a perfect pie that just might change her mind. This adorable book is full of rich vocabulary and subtle messages about trying new things and keeping an open mind. It’s a great lead-in to class pie graphs, descriptive writing, or even a classroom taste test.

Grab Your Free November Activities!

Ready to bring even more fun and learning into your classroom? You can get a whole set of ready-to-use activities when you sign up for my free November Activities resource! This pack is designed to give your students a chance to respond through writing, creativity, and critical thinking. Inside, you’ll find an open-ended “How to Make…” activity that lets your students share family food traditions and a pie graph practice page.

One of my favorite pieces in the pack is the How to Catch a Plump and Perky Turkey writing prompt. It’s a student favorite every year! After reading a favorite Thanksgiving book, like A Plump and Perky Turkey (it’s the perfect book for this writing activity), your students use the fun template to write their own plan for catching a sneaky bird. It’s perfect for morning work, writing block, or a quick and meaningful close reading follow-up.

Help Your Students Make Connections With These Favorite Read-Alouds for November

Whether you’re reading about a clever turkey, exploring the history behind the first Thanksgiving, or diving into a STEM challenge that brings the story to life, these favorite read-alouds for November offer so many opportunities to engage your students in meaningful, memorable ways. The fall season is full of chances to spark curiosity, celebrate kindness, and connect through shared stories. I hope these book pairings and related activities help you create a classroom filled with joy, laughter, and so much fun learning for November.

Save for Later

Don’t let these ideas slip away! Save this post to your November classroom ideas or Thanksgiving activities board on Pinterest so you’ll have a go-to list of favorite read-alouds for November right when you need them. Whether it’s planning for next week or next year, you’ll be glad you saved these fall picture books!

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The post Favorite Read Alouds for November for Teachers and Students appeared first on Elementary Island.

How do teachers take on such a BIG task?  Here are a few ideas that you can use to cultivate a grateful student in the classroom.

1. GRATITUDE CHAINS

After doing some research, it seems the simplest way to teach gratitude in the classroom is to have the students THINK about what they are grateful for.  That’s it.  One of the easiest ways I have found to incorporate this into the classroom is through gratitude chains.  Each day the students come into the classroom and they write down ONE thing they are grateful for on a chain link.  At the end of the day, I will staple them all together.  This will be displayed all around the classroom for the month of November! It would also look cute draping down the hallway or on your bulletin board!  This is a great visual on the many items we are thankful for.

Although this turkey is not a chain, it has the same idea.  Instead of writing what you are grateful for on a link, during the month of November, you can incorporate it on a feather of a turkey!  This Grateful Turkey Freebie is always a fun activity to do to get students thinking about what they are grateful for and makes a cute hallway display!

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2. GRATITUDE JOURNALS

Sometimes I like my students to get a little more in-depth with their thoughts.  The chains are great for a simple approach, but I incorporate these 22 journal prompts into bell work or our writing time.   Prompts are great to show students that there is more in the world to be grateful for besides your family and toys!  Have you looked outside lately?  What about the talents you possess?  These are all topics that children should explore either verbally or through a journal to help develop their sense of gratitude for themselves and the world around them!  

3. THANK-YOU NOTES

Another great way to teach gratitude in the classroom is through thank-you notes.  Thank-you notes allow the students to think about how an individual has positively affected their lives.  It’s also a great way to show students that you can be thankful for ANYTHING big or small.  Did someone help you on a problem?  Did someone find something you lost?  Did you have a presenter come to the school to teach something?  Did your parents help you today? Challenge your students to find someone to write a thank-you note to daily.

4. VISUALS

One of the most powerful ways to show students how grateful they should be for what they have is through social media.  There are so many images out there that show children in 3rd world countries that lack the basic necessities to survive.  Find pictures to share.  Discuss what the children are lacking? What do they need? Why don’t they have it?  Then have students write an “I Am Grateful” prompt for their house, clothing, food (even the food they don’t like), etc…  Children are unaware that many do without!


An example would be this picture from whiteclouds.com

The post Teaching Gratitude in the Classroom {with a FREEBIE} appeared first on Elementary Island.