Third graders learned about their classmates’ familial roots recently, during their heritage presentations at Minot Forest Elementary.

The presentations centered around the students’ origins. Teacher Heidi DiGiovanni said she has led the exercise for several years. She had the 22 students take questionnaires home to their families, to break down their backgrounds. Once the students decided what country from their varied backgrounds they would like to represent, she had the students look up folktales from their chosen countries.

“After they found folktales from that country, they practiced retelling it in their own way,” DiGiovanni said. “We also researched about each of their countries, and found out things like their flags, currency, capitals, what they produced – all kinds of things.”

But delving into their pasts didn’t stop there. DiGiovanni said she also asked the students’ families to bring in traditional dishes from each of the countries. Though most brought in desserts, like Irish butter cookies and Italian cannolis, one parent brought in several main dishes from Cape Verde, including the nation’s iconic jag, a rice-and-beans dish.

The students presented their backgrounds to an audience of their parents and guardians Dec. 16. They were encouraged to dress up, and bring as much color to their performances as possible. One student even brought in traditional English Christmas crackers, cardboard tubes wrapped in bright, decorated twists of paper, meant to be pulled open during Christmas dinner, DiGiovanni remembered.

DiGiovanni said she enjoys this particular exercise, because it gets the kids thinking about their backgrounds, and allows them to better understand from where their classmates come.

“Now, everyone knows their heritage,” DiGiovanni said. “It was really a celebration for them, and their heritage. … It’s a nice thing to help them appreciate who they are.”