Essential Question

In collaboration with Yulia Bondarenko

How is Thanksgiving Day celebrated around the world?

Is it provocative? Yes, it is. On the 15th of January of 2016 the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, signed the amendments in the decree about professional and other holidays in the Republic of Kazakhstan, so, now, there is Thanksgiving Day in our country.

Is it open-ended? Yes, it is. Thanksgiving Day is national holiday in the USA and Canada, but it is celebrated not only in these countries and not only in Kazakhstan. Thanksgiving Day has not the same history and traditions of celebration in different countries.

Does it go to the heart of a discipline or topic? Yes, it does. The project that based on this Essential Question is made in English; it includes reading, writing, listening and speaking activities in this language.

Is it challenging? Yes. It is. The process of answering this Essential Question assumes the research as there is not the ready-made list of countries where Thanksgiving Day is celebrated. Also it assumes looking back at history of this holiday in different countries.

Does it arise from real world dilemmas that students find interesting? Yes, it does. There is Thanksgiving Day in Kazakhstan since 2016, but not everybody knows about it. Also not everybody knows about the history of this holiday, though it is celebrated in many countries. Students will find these theme interesting because they might see the process of celebration of Thanksgiving Day in various American films and TV shows that are so popular nowadays.