My students have become big fans of the author Mo Willems' exuberant character, Pigeon. They enjoy reading Willems' series of stories that center around Pigeon and his persistence in convincing the reader to let him drive the bus or have a puppy. So, for Thanksgiving I read "Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog". In this story Pigeon finds a hot dog and he can't wait to devour it but he becomes pestered by a little duck who, in turn, wants a little of the hot dog himself. It is so adorable the way Pigeon tries to resist sharing the hot dog only to give in in the end.
I used this story as a spring board for a persuasive writing in which Tom Turkey disguises himself as Pigeon and tries to convince others to eat hot dogs instead of turkey for Thanksgiving. The students thought of several reasons why a hot dog would be a better choice for Thanksgiving dinner. Then they made a replica of Pigeon but dressed it with sunglasses and a few turkey feathers. They enjoyed making the character and they were proud to add their persuasive paragraphs. This activity was an excellent way to motivate the students to write! This idea can be found on my
Thanksgiving Pinterest board.
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