Thanksgiving Jeopardy

The 1621 feast, turkey trivia, the Mayflower, and gratitude fill this November classroom game. It is free to copy and plays over phone buzzers.

6 categories · 30 clues · Final Jeopardy · everyone buzzes in from their phone

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Every clue on this board

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The First Thanksgiving

$200
In the fall of 1621, colonists in Plymouth shared a harvest feast with members of this Native American nation, who had helped them survive their first year.
Who are the Wampanoag?
$400
This colonial settlement in present-day Massachusetts was the site of the famous 1621 harvest feast.
What is Plymouth?
$600
This Wampanoag man taught the Plymouth colonists how to plant corn and served as an interpreter between the two groups.
Who is Squanto?
$800
This Wampanoag leader formed an alliance with the Plymouth colonists that helped keep peace between the two groups for decades.
Who is Massasoit?
$1,000
Historians believe the 1621 feast lasted about this many days, much longer than a modern one-day holiday.
What is three?

Turkey Time

$200
This large bird, known for its gobble, is the traditional main dish served at most American Thanksgiving dinners.
What is a turkey?
$400
Only male turkeys make this loud, distinctive sound to attract mates and warn off rivals.
What is a gobble?
$600
This fleshy, wrinkled flap of red skin hangs from a turkey's neck and can change color depending on its mood.
What is a wattle?
$800
A turkey served at a typical American Thanksgiving dinner weighs about this many pounds, according to industry estimates.
What is fifteen?
$1,000
This American statesman is credited with a legend claiming he wanted the turkey, not the bald eagle, to be the national symbol.
Who is Benjamin Franklin?

On the Table

$200
This orange root vegetable is often mashed, roasted, or made into a pie for Thanksgiving dinner.
What is a sweet potato?
$400
This bright red, tart berry is often served as a sauce alongside turkey.
What is a cranberry?
$600
This orange, round fruit is traditionally baked into a spiced pie for Thanksgiving dessert.
What is a pumpkin?
$800
This dish of cubed bread mixed with herbs and butter, baked or cooked inside the turkey, is a classic Thanksgiving side dish.
What is stuffing?
$1,000
This starchy vegetable is often boiled and mashed with butter and gravy as a classic Thanksgiving side dish.
What are potatoes?

The Mayflower

$200
This is the term for the group of English colonists who sailed to the New World seeking religious freedom in 1620.
Who are the Pilgrims?
$400
This rocky spot on the Massachusetts coast is traditionally said to be where the Pilgrims first stepped ashore in 1620.
What is Plymouth Rock?
$600
This agreement, signed by 41 men before landing, established a basic framework of self-government for the new colony.
What is the Mayflower Compact?
$800
This man served as the first governor of Plymouth Colony and helped organize the 1621 harvest celebration.
Who is William Bradford?
$1,000
Though it was originally bound for Virginia, storms and rough seas pushed the ship off course, and it first anchored off this hook-shaped Massachusetts peninsula in November 1620.
What is Cape Cod?

Thanksgiving Traditions

$200
This televised event, featuring giant balloons of cartoon characters, takes place in New York City every Thanksgiving morning.
What is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
$400
This American sport features college and NFL games that many families watch together after Thanksgiving dinner.
What is football?
$600
Two people each pull one end of this small, forked turkey bone, and whoever gets the bigger piece is said to get their wish.
What is a wishbone?
$800
This is the common name for the sleepy, drowsy feeling some people blame on eating too much turkey, though scientists say the size of the meal is the more likely cause.
What is a food coma?
$1,000
Held the day after Thanksgiving, this shopping event is considered the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season.
What is Black Friday?

Gratitude and Giving

$200
This is the word for feeling and expressing thanks for the good things in your life.
What is gratitude?
$400
Many families choose to spend part of their Thanksgiving volunteering here, serving warm meals to people in need.
What is a soup kitchen?
$600
Collecting canned goods and other non-perishable items for families in need is a common act of this around the Thanksgiving season.
What is charity?
$800
Many families pause before eating their Thanksgiving meal to say this, expressing thanks for their food and loved ones.
What is grace?
$1,000
Writing down things you are thankful for in one of these notebooks is a habit some people keep all year, not just on Thanksgiving.
What is a gratitude journal?

Final Jeopardy — 1620

In 1620 this ship carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic to Plymouth.

What is the Mayflower?

How to run this board

The week before Thanksgiving break is not the week for new material, and this board fills it well. Categories mix history with fun: the 1621 harvest feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, turkey facts, traditional foods, holiday traditions like parades and wishbones, the Mayflower voyage, and gratitude.

The history categories are a chance to include the Wampanoag side of the story, so make room for it when you host. Finish with the gratitude category last; it sets the tone you want walking into break.

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