At Acton we are critical thinkers, so when it comes to something like Thanksgiving, we don’t just go with what people around us are saying. Instead, we have a rigorous conversation. After all, there are a lot of opinions about what really happened on the “first Thanksgiving” and how we should feel about it. Last week our learners opened their businesses to customers. Session 2: Entrepreneurship is a wrap, but the lessons gained will be with these children for a lifetime.
We know from Civilization Time that history is full of different cultures trying to understand one another, failing to understand one another, and fighting over land. We know that there are winners and losers, and that tough ethical choices are a big part of people throughout history.
Knowing that eventually, Native Americans lost and the new country--the United States of America, won, how do you feel about the story of the “First Thanksgiving,” an account of pilgrims and native Americans sharing a meal together and feeling thankful for one another at that moment in time?
-sad
OR
-thankful
OR
-confused
Do you think it’s more important to feel grateful for the good things that have happened in the past OR feel guilty about the things that have gone wrong in the past?
Making time for early experiences of wonder and beauty are part of what cultivates an "attitude of gratitude" in young people.
From what you understand so far about Thanksgiving, what do you think is most important:
-getting the story of the “first Thanksgiving” right
OR
-being thankful for the things you have?
Elementary learners were asked these questions and more last week. I could see the gears in their heads turning as they pondered these questions, responded, and listened to the next person agree or disagree with them. Most learners brought up how they are really more drawn to gratitude over guilt, and connected the conversation to our question of the year: "Does the past determine the future?" Some said that the past determines the future, so being thankful for the good things in the past is a way of being thankful now. Others said getting the story right is the hardest and most important part.
Want your child to be in a school that prompts them to think critically and be humbled by the nuance of everything--even Thanksgiving? Schedule a tour or just give us a call (214-868-6686).
Wishing you all a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving with your families!
