The overarching theme of our spring studies in Grade Five is compassion. This topic has woven itself into the fabric of our class–from our advisory discussion about what compassion is and what it can look like both at school and at home to our exploration of the origins of Buddhism and Hinduism, the fifth graders are learning how to express and recognize this important value.

In Advisory, our class raised a myriad questions about the nature of compassion:

  • How can we show compassion?
  • Can silence be a form of compassion?
  • Are people who get paid to do typically “compassionate” jobs like doctors or teachers less compassionate that those people who do an act of compassion voluntarily?
  • Is it possible that an act of compassion could be thought by some to be non-compassionate? Is compassion relative? Absolute?

In Advisory, we also learned how Buddhist prayer flags are made, and why they are considered a compassionate act. Students learned about the 2,000 year old tradition of batiking (applying hot wax and dye to fabric) and have begun to create their own prayer flags. Please encourage your student to hang these in a doorway or outside your home to encourage good thoughts and energies to float out in every direction (per tradition).

In History, we have looked at the compassionate practices of both Hinduism and Buddhism. We acted out short skits that I wrote based on the ancient Jataka tales of India which espouse Buddhist values of forgiveness, tolerance and generosity. We learned how mandalas are used in meditation, and created our own.

In Writer’s Workshop, students are currently learning about compassionate historical figures in a group project entitled, “We are the Peacemakers”. They’ve been assigned to one of six peacemakers: the Dalai Lama; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Mother Teresa; Malala Yousafazai; Susan B. Anthony, and Gandhi. We hope to have these projects on display by next week.

Lastly, we’ve been preparing for a Valentines’ Day visit from our “Littles” the PreK/K class by crafting beautiful bookmarks for them; next week, we’ll be working on their valentines.  Each fifth grade will select a book to read to his/her “Little” at that upcoming gathering.

We’ve got many many more activities planned for the next few weeks that all tie into this important concept. Stay tuned for more compassionate adventures!

Enjoy these pictures from our projects and group activities!