Heroes and Mittens

First graders are getting started on their months long exploration of heroes. They began this venture over winter break talking with their families about values and what they thought made someone a hero. Upon our return from break, we shared those ideas and brainstormed a list of qualities that exemplified a hero.  Here are some of those ideas: being kind, changing people's thoughts, helping/saving people, plants and animals, being brave, creative, amazing, helpful, thankful, determined, teaching new ideas, being loving and being a leader.

We have been reading a variety of non-fiction books about different kinds of heroes and talking about how they are alike and how they are different.  We learned about Willie Bentley who would spend winter after winter determined to photograph snowflakes and the beautiful, magical world he opened up when he finally did.  We read about Gandhi and his persistent, diligent quest to teach about peace and positive actions for change, about a young girl named Ruby who would be one of the first young women to attend a university in China and Emmanuel who rode his bike having only one leg to pedal around the entire country of Ghana and continues today to raise money and awareness for the rights of those who live with disabilities.

Today we read The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen.  A gentle fiction story about an older woman, Sarah, who knits mittens for children in her neighborhood without them knowing who she is and the kindness that happens in return which is a mystery as well.  Afterward, the students noticed many qualities in the story that made Sarah a hero even though no one in the story knew that she was.

It was so rich that they recognized that someone can be a hero without being famous or even recognized for the good that they are doing.  We hope that they will continue to notice this all around them.  And we can't wait to hear all about the heroes that they will each choose to study!

After our story today, we had a chance to pull in some math and revisit symmetry by making mittens and our own mitten trees out in the hallway.  We will be adding a Willie Bentley touch to our trees by making some snowflakes as well. Take a look and think about the warmth of mittens, the magic of snowflakes and the miracle of heroes.