We did a couple of interesting activities today during Social Studies. First, we brought in a shoe box containing items we would grab in a hurry as we fled our homes, due to a natural disaster or if we were on the Wagon Trail headed West. The idea is that when you flee your home (or those who migrated West), you do not have the luxury of taking all your possessions. When headed West on the Wagon Trail, each member of the family could only bring those personal items that would fit in a box, about the size of a shoe box. We did this activity and brought in our shoe boxes to share with the class. Though I do not have any pictures of my shoe box, I included pictures, money, my cell phone and charger, and all of my thumb drives. The sentimental side of me was balanced with the practical side (money, cell phone, charger). The common theme of the class was to include items that cannot be replaced, both sentimental and practical, and activities for their children to do. We had a lot of thoughtful and prepared moms!
The second activity we did was to bring in five items that represented us. If someone would look at these five items years from now, they would be able to say, "Yes, these were ____'s." It was kind of hard to think of five things that would represent me, so I enlisted the help of my mom and sister. With their help, I was able to come up with five items.
These were the five cultural artifacts I brought in to represent me and my life. The big, black item on the left is my riding shorts. I just got them for Christmas and am very excited to use them this Spring! I love to ride my road bike and have a 60-mile ride planned for this summer. The yellow item at the back is Post-Its. This was used to represent my love of school/office supplies. Trust me, if I could have brought everything in, I would have! The Applebee's card is my card for work. I am a server at Applebee's and have been for three years, but was a host there while in high school. It took me five years to become an expert (because our old manager did not believe I worked enough) and I was very proud when I finally got my gold name tag and card! The Skip-Bo game represents my love of games and also represents family bonding, as we always play games at every family get together. The last item is a C decorated with various items. I'll explain the significance of this beneath.
On Labor Day in 2011, my dad's family lost a very loved and respected man. My grandfather finally succumbed to the Alzheimer's Disease that he had been battling for nearly ten years. Surrounded by his wife, four sons, and five daughters, he left this world to join his fifth son and God in Heaven. This was a very hard time for all of us and Christmas 2011 was difficult because we were missing a very important member. Well, at this past Christmas, Christmas 2012, one of my cousins surprised the whole family with items like the one above. She rummaged through my grandpa's space in the basement, where he kept, as you can see, all sorts of little odds and ends: nails, screws, wires, little signs, hinges, bolts, etc. With the help of her son, she created all sorts of items from his nick knacks. I picked out the C because it represents my first name, as well as our family last name and I wanted to make sure my dad had a C for our small family (he was my dad's dad). My cousin created little robot men out of the materials, and decorated hearts, crosses, birdhouses, etc. They were all so fantastic! It was such a surprise and such a thoughtful and loving gift. Now, everyone in the family has a part of Grandpa!
These are Aubrey's items. She brought in a picture of her wedding, a tea cup, and a book.
Jen's items are so typical of her and really portray who she is and what she loves! She brought in pictures of her kids, her father, and herself with her fiancé. She also included coffee, chocolate, and coupons! The girl loves to coupon!
