Trade Fair Among Us....

Trading for goods has been a practice among civilizations for centuries. Perhaps, the recession in the United States is another reason to think more about how we can barter and trade goods for services in the coming generations. With global food shortages, fuel prices escalating and the cost of living skyrocketing, it's no wonder most of us think about shopping more local than ever before. Shopping locally, reducing our carbon footprint and bartering talents and trades all help communities thrive and create bonds that go beyond fiscal responsibility.
 Our day in Social Studies that was devoted to swapping items with each other reminded me of the many third world countries that are so much better at this than we are.Perhaps we all needed this recession to remind us how to interact together again. Communities working toward the common good and not just the consumerist material good of individuals.

Here is a link to one website that is already supporting women and fair trade in third world countries buying their goods and creating jobs for women. Ten Thousand Villages is an admirable business and can be found locally.

 Think about supporting them the next time you need that special gift or card for a birthday or special occasion. You will not only be supporting women who desperately need jobs, but also supporting a company that believes in fair trade.

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Artifacts...What will you leave behind?

We all have a story to tell, a place we come from, a family we love.  We are daughters and sons who come from mothers and fathers with their own stories that came before us.

Bringing our artifacts to class is one way for us to reflect on the important people, objects and cultural priorities we have in our lives. This is a picture of some of the objects of importance in my life. This project reminded me that we all have a story to tell, we all have important "treasures" in our lives, people, pictures, journals and even in my case a special rock.This Geode that my children cracked open for me.is a reminder to me that we all have a treasure inside, even if the outside is cracked and bumpy, and is no indicator to what lies within.

We all have a story to tell, What is yours? And what will you leave behind for the next generation to find?