Gratitude

Grateful

Appreciative

Acknowledge

 Attitude and Value Statements

• Thankfulness is shown when people say words that express appreciation.

* Thankfulness is shown when people write words of appreciation.

• Acknowledging kindness of another creates positive relationships in society.

• Thankfulness can be shown by living in a manner that shows respect for gifts given or words spoken.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday, first set on December 18, 1777, by the Continental Congress. In 1864 President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as the national day of thanksgiving.

Statements such as the following could be made: "We are learning about thankfulness. All of us are thankful. Talk with your family to learn what thankfulness means to you. We will put all statements on a chart. Our chart will have a flower with one petal for each of us." (Note: The chart could take many forms. Students could help decide how to make it.)

Ways of perceiving, defining, and living out concepts vary among students and school personnel. Thankfulness will be defined in different ways by people of faith, atheists, and agnostics. Yet, all could agree that thankfulness is an important concept. All can grow as individual petals on a flower. The flower grows in the common ground of a democratic society.

Find out what President Lincoln said about the purpose of the National Day of Thanksgiving. Write it here.

What have recent presidents said? Write what you find here.

All in a school community benefit from learning about the historic and present points of views of others which affect the way governments, groups, and individuals function.

Administrators, faculty, and students are all part of the school community. At various ages and in different ways people should feel free to share who they are.

What would your petal on such a flower say? Write your statement. Share your words with those of others.

(My name and date on which statement was written.)

Just as there are different statements in the group of which you are now a part, there will be different definitions of the meaning of "thanksgiving" in classrooms where you will teach. What would the petals for persons representing the cross section of a public school coming from your area say? Collect other written or oral definitions of thanksgiving.

Teachers cannot expect the students in a classroom to have a different set of values in school and within their family or on a school day and a day of worship. How would knowledge about various religions and religious beliefs and practices make a teacher more understanding of students who state or do some of the following? How could the school environment be made more positive if others knew more about why certain responses were important to some individuals?

Statements and actions in a class may well reflect some of the following:

Life - It's Length, Content, and Context

Some Jewish children do not participate in the sports events which are scheduled on Friday evening and Saturday. They would like to join in on some of the opportunities but attend worship at the synagogue. They believe that God has said, "Here O Israel: The Lord our God is one LORD. " They believe people should love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their might.

Some children are especially interested in writing and talking about peace. Throughout life they have been taught to think of the points of view of many in conflict situations and believe in learning and using conflict resolution techniques.

As a Christian, one person believes in Jesus Christ, risen and living now and forever. That person's hope for this life and the future rests in knowing that he/she is forgiven and free to be and use all the potential he/she has for the good of all. The person believes that this risen Christ has not left him/her alone but sent the Holy Spirit for guidance throughout life. For this reason the person does not need to live as if this life was all there is and as if he/she needs to control and grab as much as possible. The individual tries to help people understand that popularity and power are not ultimate goals. That person is thankful for what he/she is and has.

The person is thankful for life and the opportunity to live and breathe now. The hope of continuing in the future is seen as an immeasurable gift. In actions the person tries to show his/her value for each life in the classroom and believes others should be taught to value their own lives and those of others.

The person believes in a God who hears secret prayers and and that others have the same right to pray in their own way for themselves, their friends, and school personnel. Therefore the individual does not expect that people will pray aloud with all others in a room. That person is thankful for the right to pray silently in school and believes others have the same right to talk about religion and to respect the points of view of all others.