28.11.2019

3rd graders study about gratitude

Third graders (Y3) made a tree to hang thank-you messages during the Thanksgiving week and gave out letters of gratitude to the entire school community.

The idea began when they watched the short film “Way of Giants”. They began by creating a routine of brainstorming through enchantment, sharing what they saw and felt about the movie.  After learning about the genre drama and what exists between ideas, creation and the final product, the students engaged in writing freely about the subject. They discussed about the impact of urban growth on indigenous people and nature.

During Design Lab classes, they built a tree using the bamboo that one of the students brought to school, with the intention of connecting man and nature. The movie “Invictus” also served as inspiration to talk about respect for others and kindness. Why do words matter? In search of answers, the students were also exposed to the African tale “Ubuntu” and realized that kindness is more than being polite; it is a way of perceiving the world. They also learned the concept of strangeness in literature and of breaking out of the routine,  and they decided to do things differently.

The work aims to enable students to put this learning into practice throughout  their lives.