Celebrate fall with reading and writing activities that hit the standards and keep your students interested and engaged! These activities are perfect to use with upper elementary and middle school students during the month of November.

Fall Reading and Writing Activities

November Reading & Writing Activities

Fall Word Games

Use the engaging vocabulary activities listed below to have fun with fall-themed words! The activity ideas are perfect for small groups, literacy centers, early finishers, class competitions, and more!

-Wordsmith: Have your students try to spell as many words as possible using the letters in AUTUMN. It’s fun to divide the class into teams and play with different fall-themed words.

-A to Z: Students think of a word related to fall for each letter of the alphabet. Make it more challenging by assigning different point values to each letter. When students are finished, they add up their points to get a total score.

-Word Search: Use an online word search maker to create a fall word search puzzle. Use these fall-themed words to create your puzzle: ​​apple pie, sweater, candy corn, gourd, hayride, thankful, bushel, cranberries, sunflower, foliage, turkey, leaves, pinecone, cornucopia, deciduous. 

-Word Scramble: Use the following words to create a fall word scramble: autumn, acorn, cider, rake, squash, harvest, scarecrow, football, gobble, costume, cornstalk, pumpkin

Like the idea of vocabulary activities, but don’t have time to create them yourself? Click the link below to download printable fall vocabulary activities. No prep required! 

Fall Vocabulary Activities

Fall Word Games

“Students enjoyed these word activity sheets during our Fun FALL Friday the day before our Thanksgiving Break. Students love word searches and word puzzles”. -Maria G.

Interactive Fall Word Wall

Focus on challenging fall vocabulary with a word wall. Create your own word wall cards or click the link below to download them for FREE! Make your word wall interactive with activities like I Have, Who Has…, BINGO, or 20 Questions. Click here for more interactive activity ideas for your classroom word wall. 

Fall Word Wall Cards | Printable |Free

Free Fall Word Wall Cards

Veterans Day Compare & Contrast 

Teach students about the similarities and differences between Veterans Day and Memorial Day with a compare and contrast activity. This article from the USO explains the significance of each holiday. Here’s how you can set up your lesson:

  1. Pull Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary from the article for your students to define and apply.
  2. Read the article with students, pause to ensure understanding throughout.
  3. As a class, complete a double-bubble map with two differences and two similarities between Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
  4. Have students use their double-bubble maps to write a compare and contrast paragraph about Veterans Day and Memorial Day. 

*If you want a printable and digital version of the compare and contrast lesson plan described above, click the link below. Everything is done for you! 

Veterans Day vs. Memorial Day Compare and Contrast 

Veterans Day Compare and Contrast

“My students really enjoyed comparing and contrasting Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day. This product led into some very rich discussions on the differences!” -Emily H.

Veterans Day Pennant Flags

Use this FREEBIE to celebrate Veterans Day with two themed writing activities. First, students complete a paragraph frame about the purpose and meaning of Veterans Day. Next, students write an acrostic poem using the word “veteran.” The activities can be completed using the pennant flag templates or the one-page worksheet.

Veterans Day Paragraph & Poem | Free

Veterans Day Writing Activity

Thanksgiving Craft and Writing Activity

Include a small amount of writing practice with your Thanksgiving craft this year! Your students will create an adorable turkey with space to write a sentence about being thankful. This quick and easy Thanksgiving craft is perfect for combining creativity and writing. It also provides students with something meaningful to take home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Click here to download the free turkey craft template today!

Thanksgiving Craft & Writing Activity

Free Thanksgiving Printable Craft

Thankful Guided Writing Activity

Use the Thanksgiving holiday to focus on expository writing skills. Have students write a short paragraph about three things for which they are thankful. Click here for the step-by-step lesson plan. 

I Am Thankful For Guided Writing Activity

Summarizing with Thanksgiving Picture Books

Use the Thanksgiving picture books listed below to provide students with a meaningful and relevant source for summarizing skills practice. The books are appropriate for all ages, and each one offers something different for students to enjoy.

Thanksgiving Close Reading

Use a reading and writing activity to teach your students about the history of Thanksgiving. Pick and choose the skills you want to reinforce with a close reading of informational text focused on the Thanksgiving holiday.  Use each reading of the text to focus on a different reading and/or writing skill. Click the link below to download a NO PREP differentiated close reading focused on the first Thanksgiving. 

The First Thanksgiving Reading & Writing Activities 

Thanksgiving Close Reading

“This was great for discussing the first Thanksgiving. My students found the text engaging. I love the differentiation piece as well. The comprehension questions were great!” -Sarah Z.

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November Reading and Writing ActivitiesNovember Reading and Writing ActivitiesNovember Reading and Writing Activities