TWO TURKEY TALES

Many things go in and out of style, but a good story is everlasting. I've got two of my favorite turkey tales for you today. I first heard Timmy Turkey about 40 years ago. In the original story grandmother turns Timmy into a color that "everyone will like" and you pull out a picture of a roasted turkey on a platter. I thought that might be a little too graphic for the kiddles, so I adapted it to be "kinder and gentler." The alliteration and oral language, as well as the sequencing skills, are perfect for engaging children. I guarantee they'll want to hear the story again and again.

Directions: Download the pattern and cut the turkey's body out of the front of a file folder. Insert colors of construction paper inside the file folder according to the story. (brown, blue, red, green, yellow, purple, and multi-color) Glue the words to the back of the folder so you can just read it and remove one sheet of paper at a time.

         
*Encourage the children to join in on the chorus!  

TIMMY TURKEY                             
Once upon a time there was a beautiful brown turkey named Timmy. One day as he strutted down the road he heard a bluebird say:

Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see.
Timmy Turkey replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The bluebird answered: You should be blue like me. It’s such a peaceful color.
So Timmy went home a dyed himself blue. (Remove the brown paper to reveal a blue turkey.)

                                       
The next day as Timmy strutted down the road he heard a red hen say:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see.
Timmy replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The redbird answered: You should be red like me. It’s such a bright color.
So Timmy went home and dyed himself red. (Remove the blue paper to reveal a red turkey.)

The following day as Timmy was strutting down the road he heard a green frog croak:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see?
Timmy sadly replied: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The frog croaked: You should be green like me. Green is the color of life!
So what do you think Timmy did? That’s right! He went home and dyed himself green.
(Remove the red paper to reveal a green turkey.)

Timmy was strutting down the road a beautiful shade of green the next day when he heard a yellow cat say: Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see!
Timmy answered: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The cat laughed and said: Who ever heard of a green turkey?
You should be yellow like me. It’s such a happy color.
Yes, you’re right! Timmy went home that night and dyed himself yellow. (Remove the green paper to reveal a yellow turkey.)
 

The next day Timmy was strutting down the road again when he heard a purple parrot squawk:
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey I ever did see!
Timmy said: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The parrot squawked: Yellow’s no color for a turkey.
You should be purple like me. Purple is the color of royalty.
Timmy went home immediately and dyed himself purple. (Remove the yellow sheet of paper to reveal the purple turkey.)
 

Once again Timmy was walking down the road when he heard his turkey friends laughing. They said: Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the funniest turkey we ever did see!
Timmy cried and said: Oh, dear, oh, dear! Oh, me, oh, me!
Why am I the funniest turkey you ever did see?
The other turkeys replied: Who ever heard of a purple turkey?
You look so silly!
Timmy slowly walked home and as he walked he thought to himself, “I have dyed myself blue, red, green, yellow, and purple, and I have pleased no one.” Then he got a brilliant idea! He got all the bottles of dye and made all his feathers different colors. (Remove the purple sheet of paper to reveal the turkey with the colorful feathers.)
The next day as Timmy Turkey strutted down the road everyone laughed and cheered!
Ha, ha, ha! He, he, he!
You’re the most beautiful turkey we ever did see!
And that’s why you always see turkeys with beautiful tail colors!

                               

Timmy Turkey Download
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljdVlScjd2UlZzdGc/view?usp=sharing

Note!  To make the final turnkey I cut little feathers and glued them to make a collage as shown.

 

OWATAGOOSIAM 
This next story is a tell and draw story.  After you do it several times invite the children to retell the story and draw along with you.

Once there was a little old lady who lived out in the country.

Her house was shaped like an oval.  (head)

It had a little window that was a circle.  (eye)

She had a garden beside her house.  (beak)

And she planted seeds there.

Near her house there was a lake.  (body)

And there was a little island in the lake.  (wing)

Campers from the city would come and pitch tents by the lake.  (feet)

They would walk to the lake to look at the fish in the water.  (legs)

They would also watch the geese on the island.

But the people made so much noise they scared the geese and away they flew.  (feathers)

The little old lady heard all the commotion and went down to the lake to see what was going on.  (neck)

What do you think she saw?

When she got home she laughed and said, “OWA TAGOO SIAM!”

Say this faster and faster and it will sound like, “Oh, what a goose I am!”

Here’s a copy that might be a little easier to follow:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljTmk0bTZxTF9nNmM/view?usp=sharing

LET'S TALK TURKEY!

Let's Talk Turkey Today!

Albuquerque Turkey

(Tune: “My Darlin’ Clementine”)
Albuquerque is a turkey (Put hands on hips like wings.)  
And he’s feathered and he’s fine.
And he wobbles and he gobbles (Strut and wiggle.)
And he’s absolutely mine.

He’s the best pet you can get, (Pretend to stroke a turkey’s head.)
Better than a dog or cat.
He’s my Albuquerque turkey,
And I’m awfully proud of that.

Albuquerque is a turkey,
And he’s happy in his bed. (Lay hands on palms as you smile.)
Cause for our Thanksgiving dinner,
We’ll have pizza pie instead! (Palm up in the air like a pizza.)

Here's the link so you can download the book.  Make four copies of the song and put it in the listening center so children can follow along.

http://www.drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2007/11_Nov/1booksNov/albuTurkey.pdf

And here's a video:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQoMbLaHM8A

Turkey Handshake

One child makes a fist and sticks out her thumb to make the head and body of a turkey. The other child opens his palm, spreads the fingers apart, and puts it next to their partner’s fist to make tail feathers.

Handprint Turkey

This idea is old as the hills, but it will be new to the children in your classroom. Have children place their hand on a sheet of paper extending all the fingers. Trace. Children turn the thumb into the head of the turkey and color the other fingers to look like feathers. Add legs, and there’s your turkey! You can also do this with paint. Paint brown paint on the child’s palm, red on the thumb, and a different color on each finger. Press firmly on a sheet of paper. Add legs and other details.

Turkey Glyph

What a fun math project for a small group of a center.  Each child will need a cut out of a turkey's body. Provide them with paper feathers in the following colors. Children can add feathers to their turkey according to the foods they plan to eat for their Thanksgiving Dinner:
     green – beans or peas
     yellow – corn
     white - mashed potatoes
     orange – pumpkin pie
     red – cranberries
     purple – gravy
     blue – dressing
     brown – turkey
     black – roll

                                

*Challenge children to identify what their friends will eat from their turkeys.

Mr. Turkey and Mr. Duck
Mr. Turkey went for (Start with hands behind your back.)
A walk one day (Bring right thumb out in front of you.)
In the very best  
Of weather.
He met Mr. Duck (Bring left thumb out in front.)
Along the way
And they talked (Have thumbs look at each other.)
Together.
“Gobble, gobble, gobble.” (Wiggle right thumb.)
“Quack, quack, quack.” (Wiggle left thumb.)
“Good-bye.” (Bow right thumb.)
“Good-bye.” (Bow left thumb.)
And they both walked back! (Wiggle thumbs behind your back.)

Gobble, Gobble
Gobble, gobble. (Teacher says.)
Who is that? (Children respond.)
Mr. Turkey (Children and teacher say together.)
Big and fat!

He is big and fat and he (Spread arms wide.)
Gobble, gobble, gobbles. (Wiggle from side to side with hands on hips.)
He spreads his tail and he (Fan arms behind you.)
Gobble, gobble, gobbles. (Wiggle from side to side with hands on hips.)
But when Thanksgiving Day is here, (Point finger.)
Then it’s our turn to
GOBBLE! GOBBLE! GOBBLE! (Pretend to spoon food in your mouth!)