Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-11-27
Historical Incidents Connec-
ted With The Day Are
Taught To Children In
Lower Grades.

Thanksgiving, with it's wealth of
meaning and historic background, was
emphasized in the schools Of Grand
Forks last week and h November
construction work was planned with
this purpose in mind. A girl reporter,
this line in quest OF art instruction,
went to school, again one day dur
ing the week and the weather gods
We're kind and filled the rooms with
sunshine, so that it was Il joyous at
mosphere for the kiddies-and the re-
porter-to study in.
The turkey and the other delecta-
bles of the annual feast did not form
the c~enterpiece around which the
story of Thanksgiving was woven.
rather were tales Of the Pilgrims and
historic happenings refreshed in the
minds of the youngsters.
The supervisor entered the third
grade room with a CHEEKY Good
Morning" and the children's response
accorded her Il perfect welcome.
Around the walls of the rooms were
ranged scenes of Puritan times which
the children had constructed. They de-
nicied the dark outline of a church
looming against 4 drah gray back
ground and in tbs foreground, con-
,rastirg wildly With the white Of the
snow. were shouted the demure
womenfolk. with folded handkerchiefs
and fiaring caps. and the stalwart Pill
grim fathers, wearing the picturesque
garb of the period. Then. too. there
was the array Of gray paper churches
to further suggest the approaching
holiday. Supplied with windows and
the base upon which the steeple
~ -, ,oet thox- chn,,n1 tn wait fnT
the finishing touch, and they bore the
wistful look of the toys Of Little Boy
Blue. So the teacher passed slips of
gray paper among the children and
then gave careful instructions for pro-
cedure, step by step. The reporter
folded and cut with the "other chill
dren," and the result was a little four
sided steeple. ready to be pasted and
attached to the church.
The teacher gave the children an
historical background for this con-
struction work. telling them of the ia
nous North Church, with it's quaint
pews and the even more quaint Gus
toms which prevailed during mat rig
i'd Puritanical period. /
The youngsters were also told of the
next construction problem that OF
making a gray paper miniature of the
old Puritan settle, which was merely
a chest with the lid used as a seat.
Cradles and Ships.
Creating an historical setting was
also featured in the work given the in
terested second graders. They, too
were presented with the true pictures
of Thanksgiving, the giving of thanks
as in the old. Puritanical times. We
cradles, bobbing on paper rickers
were in evidence about the room, anc
there were many "Mayflowers" afloa
on make-believe seas. And then there
were also some drawings of straigh
limbed pines, cleverly done in blacl
and white.
AS a prelude to actual construction
the teacher let the children glimpse
the colorful beauty of the western
sky. Subdued "ah'h, oh'h's" greeted
the display, and when the teacher ask
ed them il they wanted to make on
like it, crayons were produced with
readiness and they were all anxiety t
begin the work.
Some of-the kiddies displayed mark
ed ability for. drawing and responsive
ness to color, as they painstakingl,
softened reds. and yellows. or melte'
blues and greens into a sunset effec,
Mouths puckered and heads bent in
tently, they colored their sky pictures
and as a finishing touch sketched
pine among the green grasses. and tn
tree-top splashed against the vivi'
unset colors of the sky. '
Four of the youngsters. whose wor,
deserved especial merit. were above
to stand before the other children S
as to display the scenes we'll. and on
little girl, blue eyes just shining falrl
Rugged the drawing to her.
rl,;, cor+ re 1op1Scar Unrx fC civ
en- to the children for a definite pun
pose, that of teaching them to max
Individual interpretations and to us
these interpretations in drawing LAND
scapes.
Helping the Postman.
The lessons given in the fourth an
sixth grades did not treat directly wit
the Thanksgiving story, rather did tn