Unit 6 Skills Building: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga

Skills Building: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga (PK-5)

Written by Traci Sorell & Frane Lessac

Pre Reading Questions

What does it mean to show that you are grateful?
How do you show thankfulness to others?
Why is it important to be grateful for what you have, especially during a difficult time?
Who has helped you become the person you are today? What is the most important thing you’d thank them for?

Post Reading Questions

What did you learn about the Cherokee and Cherokee traditions and culture?
Why do you believe the traditions change based on the time of the year?
How do remembering and celebrating the good and bad times benefit the Cherokee people today?
How do you show gratitude for your family traditions?

Creative Enrichment Activity: We Are Grateful for the Seasons (PK-2)

Overview: In the book We Are Grateful – Otsaliheliga, we learn about Cherokee traditions and language. In this activity, we will draw what we are grateful for during each season and then share the things that make each of us grateful for the different seasons.

Materials

● We Are Grateful sheets. Download template.
● Markers
● Color pencils
● Crayons

Duration: 30 minutes (for staff: 5 pre-activity set up and 15-minute prep)

● 5 minutes: Introduce the activity, use the book to learn/re-learn the Cherokee words
● 15 minutes: Students draw what they are grateful for on their We Are Grateful sheets.
● 5 minutes: Clean up activity.
● 5 minutes: Reflect

Instructions

Introduce the activity and relate the activity back to the book. Use the book to learn/re-learn the Cherokee words for “grateful,” “fall,” “winter,” “spring,” and “summer.” Be sure to use the book’s pronunciation guides.
Students will draw what they are grateful for on the We Are Grateful sheets. Encourage them to draw 2-4 different things that they are grateful for during each season. This could be weather, holidays, events, foods, etc.
Clean up.
Reflect.

Reflection Questions

What are you grateful for?
Did you realize/learn anything about yourself in this activity?
What did you learn about what your friends are grateful for?
Why do you think it is important to think about and express the things that make use feel grateful?

Creative Enrichment Activity: We Are Grateful for the Seasons (3-5)

Materials

● We Are Grateful sheets. Download template.
● Markers/colored pencils/crayons
● Stapler/staples
● Cut strips of paper in different colors (approximately 6 inches long and 3 inches wide)

Red and orange for fall
Dark blue and purple for winter
Pink and green for spring
Yellow and light blue for summer

Duration: 35 minutes (for staff: 5 pre-activity set up and 15-minute prep)

● 5 minutes: Introduce the activity, use the book to learn/re-learn the Cherokee words
● 10 minutes: Students draw what they are grateful for on their We Are Grateful sheets.
● 10 minutes: Write what they are grateful for on strips of paper and put together the chain.
● 5 minutes: Clean up activity.
● 5 minutes: Reflect

Instructions

Introduce the activity and relate the activity back to the book. Use the book to learn/re-learn the Cherokee words for “grateful,” “fall,” “winter,” “spring,” and “summer.” Be sure to use the book’s pronunciation guides.
Students will draw what they are grateful for on the We Are Grateful sheets. Encourage them to draw 2-4 different things that they are grateful for during each season. This could be weather, holidays, events, foods, etc.
They will then pick one item for each season to write on the strip of paper for the grateful chain. Allow students to pick one of the pre-decided colors for each season (e.g., they can pick yellow or light blue for summer). Each student should have four strips of paper, one for each season, to add to the chain.
Allow students to decide how they want to make the chains: all seasons together, seasons separate, alternating by color, etc. Adults should help students to staple the pieces together but allow the work to be student-led.
Clean up
Reflect.

Reflection Questions

What are you grateful for?
Did you realize/learn anything about yourself in this activity?
What did you learn about what your friends are grateful for?
Why do you think it is important to think about and express the things that make use feel grateful?

Skills Building: We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga (PK-5)

Creative Enrichment Activity: We Are Grateful for the Seasons (PK-2)

Creative Enrichment Activity: We Are Grateful for the Seasons (3-5)

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