Turkeys & Feathers

Learning goal: Turkeys (and other birds) have feathers.

• Reading: Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr, Setting the Turkeys Free by W. Nikola-Lisa and Animals Should Definitely NOT Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett. Letter of the day= T is for turkey.
  
• Science: Play with feathers (i.e., describe how they feel, drop them to the ground). Who has feathers and who doesn’t? Feathers keep birds warm, help them fly and look very beautiful. Similarly, mammals have hair to keep them warm. Use a magnifying glass to find hair on your arms and legs. We humans are mammals, but we also wear clothes to keep us warm.
• Art: Make handprint turkeys. Or, use a salad spinner, paint and a paper plate to do spin art. Use the painted plate as "feathers" for a Thanksgiving turkey. Add a brown paper body and eyes. Use pipe cleaners to make a beak, wattle, and legs. Show Claude Monet’s The Turkeys. Help children glue feathers onto their turkey projects for a final touch.
  
• Play: Give each child a paper feather cut-out when they name something they’re thankful for. While blind-folded, try to pin the feather on a turkey. Or, play a high-flying game of football!

Fun fact: Birds are feathered reptiles with adaptations for flight.