Below is submitted a type program for the Thanksgiving Day Festival. This is suitable for fifth and sixth grade pupils. This type of program may be easily changed so that it may be rendered by pupils of the first grade or by students of the high school. Care should always be exercised that the plan of the program is easily understood by the class who renders it. Scenes should be molded to meet the needs and capacities of the grade that is to perform. The dialog or monolog should also be adapted to the ages of the pupils who are to do the acting. Below will be found a list of scenes which by thoughtful manipulation may be made to fall within the command of pupils from the kindergarten to the high school. The bibliography given will furnish much information.
THANKSGIVING EXERCISES
In Charge of Grade VI
Theme: The Harvest
Song—"America," by the school
Prayer
Reading—"George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1795"
Song—"Harvest Home," by the school
Act I. Getting ready for seed time
Scene I. Indians showing the Pilgrims how to plant corn
Scene II. Resting (a camp scene)
Song—"Thanksgiving Day," by the school
Recitation—"Thanksgiving," by a pupil
Act II. A corn husking bee (place, a New England barn)
Scene I. Husking corn
Scene II. The frolic
Scene III. Going home
Song—"Star Spangled Banner," by the school
The following scenes may be made appropriate for the different grades by changing the quality and quantity of the scenery. Pantomimes are especially to be recommended for use in our school programs. Many of these scenes will lend themselves to this purpose. Hints for the preparation of these scenes may be gained from the great paintings or their reproductions.
Autumn Memories
The Pilgrims
An Indian Camp
An Indian Village
Miles Standish and his Warriors
The Pilgrim's Town Meeting
The Pilgrims going to Church
The Pilgrims Hunting
The Pilgrims Fishing
The Husking Bee
The Dying Year
Thanksgiving at Home
The Harvest Home (Old English)
The Country Dance
The Love Scene of Priscilla and John Alden
Miles Standish's Home
Many Indian Scenes from Hiawatha
Many Harvest Home Scenes
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[See Bibliography] at end of monograph.