In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares her favorite picture books and classroom activities for teaching kids about gratitude. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to help students slow down, notice the good around them, and practice thankfulness in simple, meaningful ways.

You’ll learn:

✔️ Why teaching gratitude helps reduce entitlement and negative attitudes in the classroom

✔️ How books like Thank You, Omu! and Those Shoes make thankfulness relatable for young children

✔️ Creative ways to turn these stories into fun, hands-on classroom lessons and discussions

✔️ How to build a year-round culture of gratitude—not just at Thanksgiving

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with practical, ready-to-use ideas for bringing gratitude to life through your read alouds. Your students will learn to appreciate the people, places, and small moments that make every day special.

Resources Mentioned:

Thank You Omu resource - https://firstieland.com/thankyouomu

Gratitude Activities For Kids - https://firstieland.com/gratitude

Gratitude Jar Activities - https://firstieland.com/gratitude-jar

Books Mentioned:

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora - https://amzn.to/47avuv7

The Gratitude Jar by Katrina Liu - https://amzn.to/3L7ME4U

Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts - https://amzn.to/4olWa2U

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña - https://amzn.to/3KP2VeX

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson - https://amzn.to/42CNaxS

Freebie:

The Thankful Game - Free for listeners who leave a review! Send Molly a message on Instagram @firstieland or email molly@firstieland.com to get your copy.

Visit our website: www.firstieland.com

Need classroom resources? Visit our TPT store here: https://firstieland.com/TPT-store

Need more help or ideas? Send me a message on Instagram @firstieland

To check out all the resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the show notes – https://firstieland.com/podcast

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Creating Thanksgiving Magic With The Turkey Hands By Susan Fairchild

In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab sits down with author Susan Fairchild to chat about her playful and imaginative picture book The Turkey Hands. This fun Thanksgiving story takes a creative twist on a classic classroom activity - those adorable turkey handprint crafts we all make in November! But in Susan’s story, the turkey handprints come to life at night and cause all kinds of mischief around the classroom.

Susan shares what inspired her to write The Turkey Hands, how she created the colorful illustrations, and what teachers can do to bring this story to life with their students. You’ll get ideas for turning the book into a full Thanksgiving classroom experience — from creative Thanksgiving writing prompts and craft ideas to ways to spark students’ imaginations as they become detectives trying to solve the mystery of the turkey handprint mischief.

Whether you’re looking for a new Thanksgiving read aloud, a fun way to connect literacy and writing, or an activity that gets your students giggling, this episode will help you create some true Thanksgiving magic in your classroom!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✔️ What inspired Susan Fairchild to write The Turkey Hands

✔️ How she created the imaginative illustrations for the story

✔️ Ideas for using The Turkey Hands in your Thanksgiving lessons

✔️ Ways to combine art, writing, and creativity for an engaging classroom experience

Mentioned In This Episode

Book – The Turkey Hands by Susan Fairchild – https://amzn.to/47rJ7XS

Turkey Detectives writing resource – https://firstieland.com/detective

Guest Connections

Connect with Susan Fairchild - @susankfairchild

Let’s Stay Connected

Visit our website: www.firstieland.com

Need resources? Visit our TPT store here: https://firstieland.com/TPT-store

Need more help or ideas? Send me a message on Instagram @firstieland

To check out all the resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the show notes – https://firstieland.com/episode20

Enjoying The Podcast?

Be sure to tap the follow button so you don’t miss an episode.

How To Rate And Review

If you’re enjoying this podcast and it’s helpful to you, I’d love it if you’d leave a review.

APPLE PODCAST – Head to this link and then scroll to the bottom of the page to rate and review – https://firstieland.com/apple

SPOTIFY – Head to this link and then click the 3 dots (…) to rate and review – https://firstieland.com/spotify

Have a wonderful day and remember to make learning feel like play… see you next week!

💜 Molly

Full disclosure: Amazon links in my descriptions are usually affiliate...

Thanksgiving Activities for Elementary Students Using Balloons Over Broadway

In this episode of The Firstieland Podcast for Elementary Teachers, your host Molly Schwab shares how to bring the magic of Balloons Over Broadway into your classroom. This inspiring picture book tells the story of Tony Sarg, the inventive puppeteer who created the giant balloons that float through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Perfect for November lessons, you’ll discover how to connect this book to reading, writing, STEM, and even social studies.

You’ll learn:

✔️ How to teach reading comprehension strategies with Balloons over Broadway

✔️ Ways to tie Balloons Over Broadway into Thanksgiving history and traditions

✔️ Creative STEM activities that explore design and engineering,

✔️ Writing prompts and art projects that help kids imagine their own parade balloons

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a collection of ready-to-use ideas that will make the story Balloons Over Broadway an engaging, hands-on, and unforgettable experience for your students.

Mentioned In This Episode

Balloons Over Broadway TPT resource - https://firstieland.com/balloons

Book – Balloons Over Broadway – https://amzn.to/46LR2Om

Let's Stay Connected

Visit our website: www.firstieland.com

Need resources? Visit our TPT store here: https://firstieland.com/TPT-store

Need more help or ideas? Send me a message on Instagram @firstieland

To check out all the resources mentioned in this episode, head over to the show notes – https://firstieland.com/episode19

Enjoying The Podcast?

Be sure to tap the follow button so you don’t miss an episode.

How To Rate And Review

If you’re enjoying this podcast and it’s helpful to you, I’d love it if you’d leave a review.

APPLE PODCAST – Head to this link and then scroll to the bottom of the page to rate and review – https://firstieland.com/apple

SPOTIFY – Head to this link and then click the 3 dots (…) to rate and review – https://firstieland.com/spotify

Have a wonderful day and remember to make learning feel like play… see you next week!

Molly 💜

Full disclosure: Amazon links in my descriptions are usually affiliate links, which means if you purchase through that link, I receive a very small percentage of the sale.