Learning About the Past

The past few weeks, we have learned a lot about fossils and Native Georgians. The kids really enjoy learning about the past and exploring how it informs our present and future. They have been so curious and always have questions and comments to share! I don't think the class will ever tire of learning about fossils, and they love looking for books about Native Georgians and other Indigenous peoples in the library.

Fossils

Stone Girl Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning written by Laurence Anholt & illustrated by Sheila Moxley

The first fossil book we read is about the world's most famous fossil hunter: Mary Anning! The students really connected with Mary's story. Laurence Anholt's retelling of Mary's life starts with her childhood and her special bond with her father. He teaches her how to hunt for "curiosities" (which they later learn are fossils) in the cliffs of Lyme Regis. Other kids make fun of her for her interests, but she ignores them and continues to do what she loves. But then, tragedy strikes her family, and Mary finds herself lonely and poor.

The story highlights Mary's perseverance. She never gives up. She works hard to provide for her family and manages to find an amazing fossil at just 12 years old (definitely the coolest part of the story)! The kids talk about Mary Anning all the time now. They were very inspired by her love for fossils and her love for her family, and it brought about good conversations on how to deal with those who don't understand us. We talked about the difference between mean people and bullies and how we can be ourselves, even when others make fun of us!

The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils written by Jane Kurtz & illustrated by Alexander Vidal

For class, the students had to write about a famous paleontologist from the past. To do some further research, we read this awesome book, The Bone Wars! The book follows two scientists: Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. They start out as friends who share a love for finding fossils. Until one day... Marsh realized his friend had made a mistake. And Cope did not take so kindly to being told he was wrong. "And that's when... the Bone Wars began."

Kurtz and Vidal take readers on an exciting back-and-forth of Marsh and Cope finding fossils. The illustrations are awesome and give a glimpse into what our Earth used to look like. And the story perfectly captures the competition between the two scientists. Who will make the biggest discovery? The class eagerly listened in as the two men tried spying on each other, tricking each other, and even throwing rocks at each other. As the men aged, they found themselves alone, "disgraced and broke." Flash forward to the future, and we know now that we can thank them for providing many fossils! But it brought about a good question... Was it worth it?

If I Were a Park Ranger written by Catherine Stier & illustrated by Patrick Corrigan

If I Were a Park Ranger is about pursuing a career as a park ranger in the future, but national parks are a great way to transport to the past. I thought this book would pair perfectly with our study of fossils because visiting (and working at) our national parks is a great way to learn about natural and human history! Park rangers are responsible for so many things, from protecting animals, the land, and artifacts, to taking people on tours and keeping tourists safe. They learn how the past led to the land, monuments, and bodies of water we have today, and they might even "help with the discovery of fossils or artifacts" in the parks! (The kids were super excited about this.)

Maybe one day you and your family can take a trip to a national park. The book shows several different places you can go and includes some fun facts in the back about how much national parks have to offer!

Native Georgians

Before I Lived Here written by Stacy S. Jensen & illustrated by Victo Ngai

In Social Studies, we started learning about the Cherokee and Muscogee peoples, who were the first to live in Georgia, which is perfect since November is Indigenous Heritage Month! Before I Lived Here was the perfect book to take us back in time to see what our neighborhoods might have looked like before we lived in them. The book starts in present day with a boy in his house and travels back to when the city was first planned, then to when there was just a cattle ranch, to when Native Americans lived on the land in peace, and to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth (another connection to our study of fossils!). We then reread the book but started at the end, so we could see the progression from the past to the present. It was such a cool way to see how Earth has changed over time and to honor the Indigenous peoples who lived on our land first!

The Good Game written & illustrated by Arihhonni David

A fun fact we learned during a Social Studies lesson is that lacrosse originated from stickball, a game played by Indigenous peoples in North America. Arihhonni David honors this history with a retelling of a traditional Native American tale of a mouse and squirrel. It's an easy-to-read but engaging book that details how a mouse and squirrel wanted to play stickball, or lacrosse, just like the other animals. The land animals turn them away because they are too small. The birds want them to join, but how can they with no wings?

The Good Game turns into a beautiful tale of creative thinking and problem solving! The birds create wings for mouse and squirrel, and their team plays so well together, they end up winning the game. We then discover that this is the origin of the flying squirrel and bat. The students thought it was very cute and kept wanting to revisit the book!

At Our Table written by Patrick Hulse & illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

At Our Table is not a story about the past but shows what Thanksgiving can and should look like today. In our studies of the Cherokee and Muscogee tribes, we learned about the unjust removal of the Native Americans from their homes. Whenever we have lessons like these, I am always amazed by the kindness and innocence of children. They can't comprehend why people would treat others unfairly.

These types of lessons are always sad, but it is so important to learn about the good and bad of the past so we can choose better today. I thought At Our Table was the perfect book to inspire us to bring love and gratitude to our communities. Thanksgiving is a time to "learn from the first farmers and builders and knowledge-gatherers" and "celebrate how they lead and care and share their gifts with the world." I hope your homes and tables have lots of good food and grateful moments this Thanksgiving!