Upper Elementary - Honest History and Honorable Harvest

On Monday, we spent time examining the history of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  As we explored the significance of each, we focused on an important theme - the necessity for complete and honest history.  This is the only way to make truly informed decisions about how we feel about a topic.  

We learned about the Native American practice of honorable harvest, which encourages a reciprocal relationship with nature.  Some of the principles include taking only what you need, using all of what you take, never taking the last of something and always expressing gratitude.  

As we gathered materials to make dreamcatchers, inspired by the traditional Native American craft, we connected with a dogwood tree on campus. We observed the tree as it is changing at the beginning of fall with its bright red berries and unveiling of red/purple leaves.  We spied a beautiful spider web with a spider.  We touched the bark and looked up at the Carolina blue sky through the canopy of the tree’s leaves.  Because we wanted to trim some thin branches for the circles of our dreamcatchers, we offered the tree loose tea around its trunk since the tree appreciates acidic soil.  We thanked the tree for its gifts.