Carve and Dress a Turkey

Turkey Carving is an activity I remember from my own fifth-grade experience. Just before Thanksgiving, my teacher handed each of us a graham cracker and challenged us to carve it into a turkey silhouette—using only our teeth!

It was a unique and tricky challenge. Many classmates needed a second cracker, either because the first one broke or they ended up nibbling too much off.

Once time was up, each student placed their carved cracker creation on the overhead projector. Most of our "turkeys" looked more like abstract art than actual birds, but that made it even more fun. It was hands-down one of my favorite fifth-grade memories.

You may not have an overhead projector, but you can still give this activity a try. You could turn off the overhead lights and use a flashlight to cast shadows on the wall. Or, take photos of the “carvings” and apply a filter to make them look like silhouettes!

After carving their graham crackers, students can insert a photo of their handiwork into Google Slides, PowerPoint, or Canva. Students then add elements to dress their turkeys. Perhaps they dress the turkey as a favorite book character, as a historical figure, as a community helper, or in a disguise.