November is the perfect month for cozy learning days, hot cocoa, and themed lessons that blend gratitude, change, and discovery. Whether your homeschoolers are reading by the fire or exploring outside, here are some fun November learning themes that mix literature, math challenges, science labs, and history connections for unique learners.
📚 1. Gratitude & Giving Thanks
Children’s Books:
- Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson
- The Very First Thanksgiving Day by Rhonda Gowler Greene
- Stone Soup by Ann McGovern
Math Idea:
Create a Gratitude Graph. Have kids collect thankful responses from family and friends, then chart them as bar graphs or pie charts. Discuss percentages and data interpretation.
Science Connection:
Study the Science of Baking! Thanksgiving is full of chemistry—test how yeast works, or experiment with baking soda and vinegar to see how chemical reactions make food rise.
History Activity:
Host a mini “Living History Feast.” Assign each child a historical figure (Native American, Pilgrim, or colonist). Have them research what that person might have eaten and present a short monologue during dinner. You may also want to create a “Stone Soup.” All you need is a stone!
🍁 2. Changing Seasons & Weather
Children’s Books:
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
- Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
- The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
Math Idea:
Track local weather for two weeks and calculate averages, highs, and lows. Challenge students to find patterns and graph temperature changes.
Science Hands-On:
Explore the water cycle—make a mini condensation lab using plastic wrap, a bowl of hot water, and ice cubes to show how rain forms.
History Idea:
Connect to early meteorology and inventions. Research Benjamin Franklin’s weather studies or how early farmers used almanacs to predict weather.
🦃 3. Harvest & Agriculture
Children’s Books:
- Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman
- Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Work, Trade, and Farming Through the Ages, by Fiona MacDonald
Math Idea:
Try Harvest Fractions: Divide recipe ingredients for half or double batches, or calculate the ratio of seeds to sprouts in a germination experiment.
Science Hands-On:
Dissect fruits and vegetables to examine seed structures. Start an indoor lettuce or herb garden using recycled containers.
History Idea:
Study farming through the ages—compare tools and techniques from Native American agriculture to modern hydroponics. Have students design their own “farm of the future.”
🕯️ 4. Light, Darkness & Exploration
(November days get shorter—perfect for STEM creativity!)
Children’s Books:
- City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
- The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
- Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science by Diane Stanley
Math Idea:
Calculate angles of light and shadow. Use flashlights and protractors to measure how shadow length changes through the day.
Science Hands-On:
Make a DIY lantern or explore circuits using small batteries and LEDs to connect with inventions and discovery.
History Idea:
Tie in Inventors and Innovators Month (November!)—study Thomas Edison, Ada Lovelace, or Katherine Johnson. Let students create an “Inventor’s Notebook” of their own designs.
🦉 5. Native American Heritage Month
Children’s Books:
- The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
- If You Were at the First Thanksgiving by Anne Kamma and Bert Dodson
- The First Thanksgiving: What the Real Story Tells Us About Loving God and Learning from History by Robert Tracy McKenzie
Math Idea:
Explore Native American patterns and symmetry. Use geometry to create bead or weaving patterns with repeating designs.
Science Hands-On:
Investigate traditional uses of native plants—how indigenous people used natural resources for dyes, food, and medicine.
History Idea:
Create a Tribal Nations Map Project. Have students research different tribes in their region and mark them on a large wall map with art and facts.
✨ Wrap-Up: Cozy, Connected, and Creative
November’s themes invite gratitude, discovery, and imagination. By combining books, math, science, and history through meaningful hands-on experiences, you’ll help your upper-elementary and middle school learners connect deeply with both the season and the stories behind it.
