Day of Giving Thanks

Since I have been in Dr. Meier's Social Studies class, my eyes have been opened to the true meaning of Thanksgiving. I have not often thought of the first Thanksgiving, except for when I am in an elementary school. Since I will be teaching elementary students I need to critically think about what I will teach them about Thanksgiving. I have known for a long time that the first Thanksgiving was not what we often think of, i.e., the Pilgrims and Native Americans living happily ever after feasting on turkey, stuffing, rolls, pumpkin pie, etc. With my family there has always been an emphasis on what we are thankful for and not, well let's remember our ancestors today. My future step-aunt has called Thanksgiving day the Day of Giving Thanks because that is what we really need to be doing. I know like to refer to this past Thursday as the Day of Giving Thanks because I need to, ALWAYS, be thankful for what I have. Setting aside one day out of the year to think of what I am thankful for is not sufficient but is a good time to gather with family and to discuss with them what I am thankful for. This type of definition is what I will emphasize in my classroom, not the pilgrims and indians because we all know that is not how it happened.