Adopting a family

Every year our classroom adopts a family in need from Children's Hospital.  We spend time talking about important social studies concepts like wants and needs to make it relevant to daily life.  

How do you get what you need?
Do you get things you want?
Do you get everything you want?  Why?
Do all people get everything they want?
Do all people get everything they need?

I told a brief story of a family who is in need this holiday season.  Maybe they are in a situation where they cannot afford most things.  I read the names of the children and their ages.  I compared those ages to the children in our school.  A four-year-old girl.  Do you remember when you were four?  I then read what was on the wish list.  Clothes, Shopkin eggs, a baby doll.  I asked the children why they thought those items were on the wish list.  Have you ever wanted to play with a baby doll?  Did you ever need new clothes?  We went through the list and categorized the items into "wants" or "needs."  What struck the children was that the list had quite a few "needs."

I introduced the idea of a "Giving Tree" to organize the wish lists for the school to see.  That way, more than just our class could participate.  The children decorated ornaments and hung them.

The class developed a plan to inform the school so everyone at Branch Line could be involved.  As a group, we drafted a letter to all the teachers to tell their class.

Dear Kids,

The tree by the office has ornaments on it.  Don't touch them.  Only grown ups can touch them.  Our class made a wish list for people who are poor.  There are 4 kids who want and need stuff on their wish lists.  You need to ask your mom and dad if you can get an ornament and buy what's on the ornament for the family.

From, Junior Explorers

I then put the information in the weekly school newsletter so all the parents would know.  As of today, the Giving Tree is up and running, so stop by and take a look!