Definition:

 Someone who is grateful is thankful for people, nature, and things. Stewardship means taking good care of what we’ve been given.

In short:

Thankful for every blessing, big or small. 

Summary:

The Cherokee people, native to North America, share a tradition of expressing gratitude during all four seasons. In the Fall, they welcome the Cherokee new year with celebrations and remembrances. In the Winter, families eat homemade bread and warm soup; they feed their animals and wild birds, and make traditional corn husk dolls. In Spring, they plant gardens and share ancestral stories. In Summer, Cherokee people celebrate the harvest, play stickball, and listen to tribal leaders speak. Their culture is filled with gratitude all throughout the year. 

Lesson Objectives: 

1. Students reflect on the different types of gratitude they feel throughout the seasons. Each season has something special for which we can feel grateful, just like the Cherokee people in this story. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. Where do the Cherokee people live? If you don’t know, ask someone. Locate it on a map.
2. How did they celebrate the Cherokee new year? 
3. At the bottom of the first page it shows how to pronounce the Cherokee word for gratitude. Try and see if you can pronounce it! 
4. What are some of the activities they do in the Winter season? 
5. What are some of the activities they do in the Spring season? 
6. What are some of the activities they do in the Summer season? 
7. Every season is different. What do you like about the Fall season? 
8. What do you like about the Winter season? 
9. What do you like about the Spring season? 
10. What do you like about the Summer season?