Dynamic Tracking and Visualization of Thanks-Giving Flows in the Classroom

Gratitude may seem like an abstract entity; and yet, within any diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community, gratitude "flows" just like a fluid (or, at least, certain kinds of fluid). In this work, we discuss an educational activity that we have developed, suitable for an undergraduate course in fluid mechanics or computational science, which introduces simple principles of network analysis and graph theory. This activity focuses on driving (and subsequently tracking and visualizing) "flows" of thanks-giving between students in a course, based upon intellectual, emotional, and social contributions to the classroom environment. Though this activity is conceptually straightforward, it features several opportunities to reinforce useful mathematical, physical, and computational learning objectives, especially in the areas of transport and linear algebra. Moreover, this activity encourages students to center an ethic of conscientious gratitude, reaffirms the importance of emotional intelligence alongside intellectual development, and interweaves several timely and timeless "out-of-the-classroom" themes. We discuss several unexpected educational benefits from carrying out this activity in two college-level courses. As a concluding note, we emphasize that despite its superficial similarities with a fluid, gratitude is subject to neither conservation of "mass" nor conservation of "momentum," a fact for which we should all be thankful.