Primary 2 Classroom Discusses Their Thoughts on Gratitude

This is the time of the year that we are giving thanks for our many blessings and the perfect time of the year for us to explore the Virtue of “Gratitude.” Primary 2 has been doing just that! The lessons on Gratitude began with the reading of Bible quotes about Gratitude. These particular quotes then were discussed and reflected upon by the children during our weekly Peace Lessons. The second presentation was the “I am Thankful for…” and “I am Grateful for..” jar in which the children are invited to write down their personal feelings. Also presented was the “Thankful Prayer Jar” in which the children may say a prayer of thanksgiving while dropping a bead in the jar. The beads in the Thankful Prayer Jar were used to make prayer necklaces to share their appreciated feeling with their families and friends on Thanksgiving. The children then explored the word “appreciation.” Working in small groups, the children wrote about what they appreciated. A book titled, Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp was read and discussed. The following are some quotes we gathered after some time for reflection.

Gratitude means…

"… you are happy that you have something." -Nick

"… that even if you have one thing, you have more stuff because you have a family." -Xavi

"… that you feel something is better than nothing." -Nora

"… you appreciate everything and anything." -Jonah

"… that you are being thankful for something that God gave you." -Lailah

"… that you are being thankful for the roof over your head." –Eva

"… just because you are not good at something, you should still be grateful that you tried." -Tyler

How do you show gratitude?

"You thank somebody for being there." -Heidi

"You take time to give – not stuff, but your own time. And being able to have fun." -Jonah

"You show gratitude by respecting people, being respectful." -Nick

The season of Thanksgiving is a common time for people to show gratitude for their life and the lives around them. In our classroom, we try to make this an everyday practice. We hope these lessons can help spread the impact of what a little gratitude can accomplish.