Connecting the Present With the Past

As we embark on our learning journey through the early civilizations of North America, we'll explore how Native Americans lived and worked together in families and communities.  Concern and respect for others, particularly elders in the family and community, was central to their daily life. Elders in ancient Native American communities played an important role in sharing knowledge, wisdom, and an understanding of people and the world around them through strong oral tradition and storytelling. To help make this topic relevant, we explored how we might connect the past with the present. Learners paid tribute to the elders in our own community, gaining new respect and empathy for the wisdom these elders can share with us as we navigate through life. 

As an entry event to a much-anticipated project-based learning experience, we invited some familiar elders into our classroom to share their own wisdom and life lessons with us. Grandpa, Grandma, Grandad, Nana, and Pepèré were gracious enough to share with us stories of their journeys through life and important lessons they've learned along the way. We were all ears.

This week's guest bloggers share their takeaways with us. Enjoy!

One thing I learned from Will's grandparents' visit is that many years ago when they took a bath, they only had a little bit of water. We don't have to worry about that today. I think that is kind of crazy!    - @GoatLover

I learned from Grandad that anything is possible and if you believe in yourself, you can expect success. Another thing, don't tease, mock, brag, or be cocky - winning doesn't mean you are better than everyone else.   - @TheBeeGuy101

I enjoyed hearing how Grandad grew up in Ireland and how different his life was back in the day.     - @WaterBottle1

Something I remember Will's grandad said is "different is good". I think that is such a good saying because it's so true and just because you may be different does not mean that's bad.    - @Strawberry

The highlight was when Will's grandad did a little Irish step dance for us, especially because his leg hurt. I would have politely said 'no', but he did it anyway. It looked fun and complicated at the same time.     - @Ham

I thought it was really cool that Nathan's grandfather got to learn so much about making things from maple syrup. He even brought in maple syrup candies for us so that we could share his experience with us.    - @EarthySmurf

I learned from Pépère that no matter what gets in your way, you can achieve your goals as long as you believe in yourself.    - @TheBeeGuy101

A highlight for me was hearing Nathan's grandfather's memories he made as a kid. I enjoyed hearing about his French Canadian customs and traditions, like making maple taffy! He taught us that if you heat maple syrup to 235 degrees Fahrenheit and then pour it over snow, it makes maple taffy!    - @M&M

I liked hearing about Nathan's grandfather's family history and traditions and that each second he spends with his family is something special.    - @Venom

I think something important to highlight is that Isla's grandfather talked about how it took such a long time to come to America and how much work it took to get here. Perhaps they did that so their family could be happier.    - @Pineapple

I thought it was really cool that Isla's grandfather brought in a homemade map that explained how they got to America.    - @Koala333

It was nice to learn that Isla was named after an island in Scotland where her Nana's family is from.    - @G-Money