This week, in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday, first grade students have been introduced to our second trimester social studies topic – Native Americans. Leading up to the holiday, students have participated in several videos, read alouds and discussions about the first Thanksgiving, learning the role of Native Americans and Pilgrims.
We began learning about Native Americans by talking about the origin of the phrase “Native Americans”. We talked about what the word “native” means. Students noticed that we have heard that word before when discussing plants and animals that grow naturally in Missouri. When referring to people, “native” means someone who is original to an area or born there. We read a book about how Christopher Columbus traveled west from Europe looking for spices, gold, and other goods in The Indies (what we now call Southeast Asia). In his travels, he accidentally landed in what is now the US because he did not know there was a continent in between Europe and Asia when traveling west. We used our classroom globe to find where he began in Europe, where he was hoping to land in Asia, and trace the path he accidentally took instead. When he landed in America, he mistakenly thought he was in The Indies and gave the people living there the name “Indians” as a result. We brainstormed about how it might feel if someone came to where we lived and gave us a new name that didn’t make sense. This is why we call the indigenous people of the United States “Native Americans” rather than Indians, because we aim to be respectful and responsible when we talk about other cultures.
On Tuesday, we learned the true story of the first Thanksgiving by reading Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story. The students helped create a venn diagram to compare and contrast the first thanksgiving celebration with their families’ traditions. They defined key vocabulary terms including: traders, explorers, settlers, crops, harvest, and celebration. We discussed that, although we have seen in many movies and books that the first Thanksgiving was a wonderful and peaceful time, it also lead to many challenging and sad times for the Native Americans. When the first Thanksgiving was celebrated, it was a celebration of the first harvest for the new settlers. Now, Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on our blessings and be thankful for what we have.
Throughout the week, students thought about what they were thankful for. We read a book called “Thanksgiving Is For Giving Thanks” which helped us think about the many things in life that we have to be grateful for! Students worked together to create a thankful tree. Some of the things first graders are thankful for include: my family, my parents, sweet potatoes, my body, friends, teachers, feasts, dogs, and so much more! Ms. Ursino is thankful for all these things as well, and especially her wonderful students!
Thank you so much to each of the first and second grade families for your contributions to our amazing feast and for joining us in celebrating yesterday. It was so lovely to have the time to come together and visit! Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving break!
