Children learn how to be good people from those around them. They watch what others do and imitate their actions. They also listen to stories about people from the past who did good things for their community. Even when these exemplars are not perfect, children learn that trying to do good matters.
Dr. Ashley Woodson has created a series of lessons about race and racism for children and their families to explore together. This one focuses on the influence of ancestors on children’s development of a moral identity. Read the rest of this post with kids ages 5-12 years and engage in the italicized activities together.
An ancestor is someone who came before you in your family or community. They are like the roots of a tree, helping to make your family strong and growing. Memories and stories about them can help you decide who you want to be and how you might make a difference in the world.
Inherit means to get something from someone else. We inherit our looks, some of our talent, and even unique traditions from our ancestors.
Think of some of the people you would call ancestors. Make a list of some of the things you have inherited from them. You might include physical characteristics, personality traits, traditions, and/or beliefs among the things you believe that they have passed on to you.
Ancestors, like all people, are not perfect. They make mistakes and have to figure out how to learn from those mistakes when they happen. We can learn from their mistakes as well. But we may also be uncomfortable or embarrassed by some of their mistakes, especially if they hurt other people or our ancestors never tried to make amends.
Imagine that a family member, an ancestor, or someone in your culture made a big mistake. What are some lessons you could learn from their mistake? Write a story or draw a picture of something you could learn.
Learning our ancestors’ stories can also help us explore ways to make things right when we make mistakes. Even if we don’t know exactly what our ancestor was thinking when they did something hurtful, we can use our imagination to figure out their intentions.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in (pause) and then let it out slowly (pause). Repeat this slow breathing 3-4 times. (pause) Imagine you discovered that one of your ancestors did something bad and went to jail. (pause) How do you feel when you hear this story? (pause) What questions do you want to ask them? (pause) Now imagine that they said they were sorry for what they did. (pause) How do you feel? (pause) What would you want to say to them? (pause) Take another deep breath in (pause) and let it out slowly (pause). When you are ready, open your eyes and share what you imagined.
Someday, we will be the ancestors that others look to as models! We are also making a difference in our communities, even though we are not perfect and make mistakes.
Write a letter to your family or community in the future. Tell them what you know about making mistakes and then trying to make things right.
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