- 50 minutes
- Grades 2-5
OVERVIEW
01. Ecological, Intergenerational Generosity! (15 min)
- Highlight: Generosity comes from a Latin word, generosus, related to genus, or species. In other words, generosity is a root mechanism to ensure the survival of a family, culture, ecology, and the Earth. Generosity involves a process of generation or re-generation.
- Engage-Ask: How is generosity related to staying connected to our root systems? What happens when we become disconnected from our family, cultural, or ecological roots around us?
- Explore- Read:Roots by Grace Hansen
- Explain-Review:
- How do roots keep plants alive?
[bring food/water to plant, anchor plant to soil] - How do roots help surrounding ecology?
[prevent erosion, drain extra water from soil, break up rocks to make soil] - What types of roots are there?
[fibrous - grass/flowers, taproots - carrots/beets, adventitious - corn]
- How do roots keep plants alive?
- Elaborate- Discuss: How did the grandparent/parent in your story act as an important root for you? How did they help? [make food for you? keep you anchored? create soil from rocks?]
02. Ecological, Intergenational Generosity! (35 min)
- Highlight: In the Giving Tree, the Tree acts like a parent to the Boy. We also see how generosity involves giving and receiving (Confucian concept of shu).
- Engage-Ask: How can we be generous by both receiving and giving back to nature? How can we be generous by receiving and giving back to our grandparents?
- Explore-Read:The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.
- Evlauate-Write: Invite students to record on the handout how the tree gives, and how the boy gives back. Connect this to students’ generosity stories by asking students to record how their grandparents/parents were generous and ways they were generous in return.