Above, we have Ilyas, Wyatt, Danny, Chancelor, Elizabeth, Chelsea and Maddie ready to sit. Each of the children bring in a vegetable to contribute to the Stone Soup.
Above, we have Ilyas, Wyatt, Danny, Chancelor, Elizabeth, Chelsea and Maddie ready to sit. Each of the children bring in a vegetable to contribute to the Stone Soup.
At the Riverside Campus, the Kindergarten/First Grade students celebrate their Thanksgiving with "Stone Soup." Stone Soup is an old tale. There are a couple of versions to this story. The children in my class like the story about a little old lady and a hungry young man. The essence of the story goes like this:
A young man got very tired and hungry after a long day's walk. He came to a big house, and a little old lady opened the door. He asked for some food and she said she had nothing to give him inside her house or in her garden. Then, he asked for a stone. She asked him to find one on the road. He found a round gray stone and asked the old lady for a large pot. Then, the old lady was asked to pour water into the pot and put it on fire. When the water was bubbling, the young man put in the stone. Then, the young man asked for some onion, carrots, salt, pepper, and even beef bones. She brought all the ingredients that she could find in her home and her garden. When the soup was made, she even found butter and barley to make the soup thick. Now, the soup was fit for a king! When it was all done, they both enjoyed a feast with the Stone Soup.
For Thanksgiving, all the children bring a vegetable. We have a pot and stone washed and ready. As we read the story, each child puts the vegetable he/she brought, into the pot. Then, we add water, salt, and pepper. In a couple of hours the whole campus starts smelling delicious.
Of course, we also talk about the first Thanksgiving. The children wear Indian and Pilgrim hats they have made during the week. We give thanks for the food and everything else we have been blessed with. Then, we sit down and enjoy the Stone Soup with corn bread. The desserts and drinks that the parents contribute make this feast complete.
This story teaches the children how a simple meal could turn out to be a feast when shared with someone in need. The little old lady who was first reluctant to share what she had, ended up getting excited about giving all the ingredients for the "Stone Soup." In the end she really had a feast with the hungry young man.