Connecting the Past With the Present

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. Nan Richardson and Nana Lang were gracious enough to share with us stories of their journeys through life and some important lessons they've learned along the way. We were all ears.

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

It is important to listen and learn from our elders because they can inform you about some things you are interested in. They can inform you about your relatives, about life, and give you advice about school. They can maybe even help you with hard decisions you have to make.    - @sunflower

It is important to listen to our elders because we can learn about our culture and traditions. We can learn about our ancestors - who they were and the languages they might have spoken. This lets us pass down traditions to our own families one day and maybe they can pass it down to theirs, too.    - HockeyKitty

It's important to learn from your elders because they teach us about important family traditions. In my family we have a fun tradition at Greek Easter called Tsourgrisma and a special Greek food that we eat called Lukumades. I'll need my elders to teach me how to make it.    - @softballpiggy

Something I have learned from one of the elders in my family is that as long as you believe someone is with you wherever you go, they are, and they will never actually be gone unless you make them be gone; make them disappear from your mind and your heart. I learned that from my grandmother and no matter how long my grandfather is gone - how many days, how many months, how many years - it doesn't matter. He will always be with me in my mind and in my heart.   - @writingmachine

It is important to listen and learn from our elders because they learned from their mistakes and now they can teach us how to do things better. They can tell us how to do stuff that won't get us hurt or involved with bad people.    - @Bob

It is so important to listen and learn from our elders because we can learn new things about other people's cultures. It is also good to listen to our elders because since they're now old and wise, they have more experience and know what we are going through and they always have the right answers to our problems.   - @JerrysApples

Something that I learned from my elders is that my grandpa was in the military and he fought in the Vietnam War. My Pop Pop fought in a war as well. I learned that they used gases and my Pop Pop breathed it in. He got really hurt from it and had to go to the hospital a lot. I hope they don't use those gases anymore.    - @BobMcPickleson

Something I have learned from an elder is how to throw a football. I learned this from my grandfather. I like spending time with him. He also taught me how to catch a football and how to throw, catch, and hit a baseball.    - RV17

There are lots of reasons why it's important to listen and learn from our elders. First of all, the main reason is to learn about our religion and the traditions passed down for generations. Second, I think everyone's elders have shared at least some funny stories with us that are so heartwarming to listen to.    - @FireDragon5

The reason why it is important to listen to our elders is that they've been alive longer and have experienced way more stuff than us kids. Take my great-grandmother (Nana) for example. She's 82 years old and no doubt, she has some very interesting stories (some good experiences and some bad). If elders tell us about mistakes the world has made over history, maybe we won't make the same mistakes again.    - @WritingGod

It is important to listen and learn from our elders because their stories could help us learn more about history. It's good to know how things like cars, towns, and buildings were made. It's also good to know why we celebrate holidays and have certain traditions.   - @PotatoMonitor