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Session 6: Thanksgiving Innovation 🦃

Overview

Grades: 5-6 | Duration: 45 minutes | Session: 6 of 17

Students apply design thinking to create innovations that serve others, expressing gratitude through action.

Session 6: Thanksgiving Innovation

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students will:

  • Connect gratitude to service

  • Apply design thinking to a real problem

  • Create a service-oriented innovation

  • Plan implementation of solution

Session 6: Thanksgiving Innovation

Materials Needed

  • 📋 Design thinking worksheets

  • 📦 Prototyping materials

  • 📓 Engineering journals

  • 💻 Research tools

Catholic Integration

Saint Connection

St. Katharine Drexel — Wealthy woman who gave everything to serve others. Gratitude led her to innovative service!

Scripture

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded." — Luke 12:48

Opening Prayer

Dear God, thank you for all the blessings in our lives. Help us turn gratitude into action, serving others with the gifts you've given us. Amen.

Lesson Procedure

Opening Circle (7 minutes)

  1. Gratitude & Responsibility:
  2. "With blessing comes responsibility"
  3. We have many gifts—how do we share them?
  4. St. Katharine Drexel:
  5. Inherited fortune
  6. Instead of keeping it, started innovative schools
  7. Founded missions, served Native Americans and African Americans
  8. Gratitude → Action!
  9. Today's Challenge:
  10. Design an innovation that serves others
  11. Use our skills for good!

Main Activity: Service Design Sprint (30 minutes)

Part 1: Identify Need (8 minutes)

Community Scan:

  • Who in our community needs help?

  • Categories:

  • Elderly/homebound
  • Hungry/homeless
  • Lonely/isolated
  • Environmental
  • Educational
  • Healthcare

Choose Focus:

  • Select one need area

  • Research: What's being done? What gaps exist?

Part 2: Design Innovation (12 minutes)

Apply Design Thinking:

  1. EMPATHIZE (2 min):
  2. Who specifically needs help?

  3. What's their experience?

  4. DEFINE (2 min):

  5. "How might we..." statement

  6. Clear problem frame

  7. IDEATE (3 min):

  8. 5+ possible solutions
  9. Technology-enhanced options

  10. Simple and complex ideas

  11. PROTOTYPE (5 min):

  12. Choose best idea
  13. Create prototype/plan:
    • Sketch or model
    • Implementation steps
    • Resources needed

Part 3: Pitch Preparation (7 minutes)

Create a Pitch:

  • Problem you're solving

  • Your innovative solution

  • How it helps

  • What you need to implement

  • Call to action

Part 4: Pitch Presentations (3 minutes)

  • 30-second pitches

  • Class votes on ideas to pursue!

Engineering Journal (5 minutes)

  1. Write your "How Might We" statement
  2. Sketch your innovation
  3. Write implementation plan
  4. Write: "Gratitude leads to action because..."

Closing Circle (3 minutes)

  1. Action Commitment — "What will you DO?"
  2. Gratitude Practice — "What are you thankful for today?"
  3. Closing Prayer — "God, thank you for everything. Help us turn our blessings into service for others. Amen."

Assessment

Observation Checklist:

  • Identified real community need

  • Applied design thinking

  • Created viable innovation concept

  • Developed implementation plan

Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Join group project

  • Scaffolded design process

  • Focus on single aspect

For Advanced Students

  • Complete implementation plan

  • Research existing solutions

  • Lead project team

Wonder at Home 🏠

Family Activity: Discuss family blessings and how to share them! Choose a family service project. Research St. Katharine Drexel. Practice gratitude daily—and pair it with action!

Teacher Notes

  • Connect to school Thanksgiving service

  • Follow through on promising ideas

  • Consider partnering with parish outreach

  • St. Katharine Drexel feast: March 3

Previous: Session 5 — Scratch Advanced
Next: Session 7 — Christmas Electronics