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- EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about...
- ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: MAKING CARDS FOR SERVICE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY (15 MINUTES) Materials for Activity
- Preparation for Activity
- WINDOWS AND MIRRORS: SESSION 10: STORY: ARJUNAS SERVICE TO HIS PEOPLE
- SESSION 11: PRIVILEGE IS A BLESSING WE GIVE AWAY TO BE IN COMMUNITY SESSION OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION
- SESSION PLAN OPENING (5 MINUTES) Materials for Activity
- Including All Participants
TAKING IT HOME Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. — Shirley Chisholm, African American politician and activist Service is the rent we pay to be living. It is the very purpose of life and not something you do in your spare time. — Marian Wright Edelman, president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund IN TODAY'S SESSION... We explored the concept of duty and the importance of jobs that serve for the greater good. The children learned that our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to respect and appreciate people who accept the responsibilities that maintain a healthy, safe, stable society—for example, firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel, teachers and sanitation workers. In this session's Hindu story, the celebrated warrior Arjuna is called to lead a war he does not want to fight—a war against some of his own kinspeople. The story shows how service can be hard, underappreciated, unpleasant and risky. Nevertheless, there are times we all may be called to duty, in order to help feed, protect or otherwise sustain our community. We talked about various jobs done at home, in our community and in our congregation that help all of us, and we talked about who does these jobs. The children wrote cards of appreciation which we will send to hospitalized military veterans.
Household chores and why they are necessary to keep the household running smoothly. Talk about specific chores, who does them and how they help the family as a whole. EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try... See if you can identify the people in your community who perform needed services, particularly the risky, unpleasant and difficult jobs. You might mention military service people, sanitation workers, funeral directors, water or electric utility workers, police officers, firefighters, assisted living staff, hazardous waste clean-up professionals, bus drivers, teachers or public administrators. How many of these individuals can you identify by name? What are some ways you do, or could, express appreciation of the service they do? What are some ways you could contribute to the jobs others perform on your behalf? A FAMILY RITUAL If your family gathers for prayer, meditation or a grace at mealtime, make it a point to include in your spoken thoughts people who serve in the military—whether or not you approve of the specific, current work of our U.S. forces. If saying a blessing for those who serve in the military is difficult, talk together about why that is so. Acknowledge that service jobs can be unpleasant or even controversial. Talk about why some people do service jobs anyway, and make sure children have a chance to voice their perspectives. ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: MAKING CARDS FOR SERVICE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY (15 MINUTES) Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity Invite the group to make colorful thank-you cards for people who perform needed services in the community. Decide with the group who they will make cards for. Refer to the list of needs and the service people who meet those needs they brainstormed in Activity 2. They might consider sending cards to the local police department, the staff of a local clinic or emergency room, your community's library staff or the fire department. Distribute card stock and arts and crafts materials for children to share at work tables. As they work, ask the group to think about the work the recipients of the cards do. How does it feel to acknowledge these people? At the end of the activity ask the group to offer a moment of prayer of gratitude.
Adapted from the Hindu Baghavad Gita. This story is an ancient Hindu tale. It is important to tell the story interactively, as guided. The prompts and follow-up discussion questions will help you elicit children’s thoughtful responses to the tale. Here is a story from the Hindu tradition. A long, long time ago in India, there was a king with two sons. When the king died, Older Brother was entitled to inherit the entire kingdom, but Younger Brother was jealous. Older Brother graciously divided the kingdom in half, to share with Younger Brother. But Younger Brother was still not satisfied and stole the whole kingdom for himself and his children. He refused to share the land with Older Brother—unless there was a war. Older brother and his children did not want to fight, but they had only two choices: to fight for their rights, or to turn away from war, and their rightful land, to preserve peace and nonviolence. One of Older Brother’s children was Arjuna, a famous warrior. He had a special relationship with the god Krishna, the god of all gods. Krishna called Arjuna to lead the battle. Of course, Arjuna dutifully came to the battlefield to obey. He had led many battles successfully for Krishna before. But Arjuna was shocked to see who was getting ready for war on the other side. The people who were called his enemies were, in fact, his own family. Not only his uncle—Younger Brother—but also Arjuna’s cousins, some of his uncles, his favorite teachers and very dear friends. He did not want to kill them and was very confused that Krishna—the god of all gods—had called him to lead this war. He was especially confused since Krishna had always said, “The most important thing for a good person to do is to avoid harming any living thing.”
As a warrior, Arjuna’s duty sometimes required him to kill. That was hard. But this time, it was an even harder problem. Arjuna argued and argued with Krishna because he wanted to be a good person, he wanted to do his duty, yet he could not stand the thought of doing violence against his relatives and friends. Krishna told Arjuna many stories to persuade Arjuna to do his duty as a warrior. In one story, there was a hermit who lived in the woods who always told the truth. One day an evil robber chased a merchant into the woods. The robber asked the hermit if he knew where the merchant was hiding. Because he always told the truth, the hermit pointed and said, “Yes, I saw him going that way,” causing the merchant to die. Krishna said, “If there is a choice between two good behaviors—for example, telling the truth because it is right or lying to prevent someone from being killed—some good behaviors are better than others. In this case, wouldn’t it have been better for the hermit to lie, and protect the life of the merchant?”
In another story, Krishna told Arjuna about farming couple who worried that the weather, their seeds and their tools would not be good enough to create a good crop to feed their family. Because of their worries, the farmers decided not to work their land at all—in the same way that Arjuna was refusing to fight the war. But Krishna said, “The best thing a person can do is their duty, to the best of their ability, without worrying about the results. A farmer—or a warrior, Arjuna—should not worry about the outcome. To work is their duty and they must do their best. The farmers and their family would have nothing if they did not work at all.” Leader: Ask the children, “What do you think of that? Have you ever felt like the farming couple? Have you ever been worried about the results so much that it was hard to do the work you are supposed to do? Some people feel like that about schoolwork, sometimes.” Allow some responses. Acknowledge that worrying about the end result can be discouraging when you have a duty to do. Now ask, “How would you feel about doing the work you are supposed to do, if doing a good job might mean someone would get hurt? Is that a case where you really should worry about the outcome?” Allow some discussion. Continue the story. Well, Arjuna was still not convinced that leading the battle was the right thing to do. He was pretty sure if he did his duty well, he would hurt people he cared about. He still did not want to do it. Then Krishna had one more argument to convince Arjuna. He asked Arjuna to think about his father—Older Brother—and the rest of Arjuna’s family members who had been wronged. Hadn’t their land had been stolen? Were they not also his brothers and sisters, cousins and dear friends who needed Arjuna to fight and help them get their land back? Krishna said that fighting for your rights is an important duty. If someone does a bad thing to you, that person cannot be allowed to get away with it. Krishna told Arjuna, “The best way to be a good person is to do your duty, see the goodness in all living beings, treat all beings equally, and do good things for others.” In these ways, Arjuna could be happy and have a closer relationship with Krishna. Arjuna wanted to be happy and stay close with Krishna, the god of all gods. Yet did not see how he could do all these things at once—not this time. Leader: Ring the chime to signal the end of the story. Say, “Now we are going to practice listening and discussing skills—both are needed to help us understand the story from multiple perspectives. Let’s find out what one another thought about the story.” Remind the group not to assume others share their opinions. Ask everyone to use “I think” or “I feel” statements. Encourage the group to listen to each comment and then share some silence. You may wish to use the bell or chime to move between speakers. Begin a discussion by asking participants to recap Arjuna’s dilemma in their own words. Then, lead a discussion with these questions, making sure everyone who wants to speak has a chance:
Tell the children the Baghavad Gita recounts that Arjuna did fight. Many lives were lost and his side won. Then ask:
Allow some responses. Then, shift to a more personal discussion about the nature of service. Ask the children to name chores or tasks they may not like to do, but they know are their responsibility and serve the greater good. Examples might include cleaning chores or caring for pets at home, picking up litter in the playground or park, helping out with siblings and keeping most secrets. Be aware, some children do not have specific chores at home or elsewhere. You might suggest actions of service that reflect responsibility to the greater good, for example, recycling, refraining from littering and keeping quiet in the library and during worship. Invite a few volunteers to share stories about their own experiences with service work. Ask whether any had any conflicts about a service responsibility, as Arjuna did in the story. Ask how they worked them out. Ask who or what they relied on to show them their service responsibilities, as Arjuna relied on Krishna. windows and mirrors: session 10: leader resource 1: Letter to board of trustees Adapt this letter to seek permission for participants to take on some duties of a congregational staff member and invite the staff member to enjoy a day off. Dear (Name of Board President) The 4th and 5th grade Windows and Mirrors group is learning about the importance of valuing the people who do service occupations for the benefit of us all. As a Faith in Action project, we want to do the work of our congregation’s custodian, (name of custodian), for one day. We are requesting permission for (name of custodian) to get a paid day off. We will take responsibility for completing that day’s duties. Sincerely, (Signatures of co-leaders, participants and adult or youth volunteers who will take part FIND OUT MORE Find out how to send cards and care packages to retired veterans or active service personnel on the US Department of Veterans' Affairs (at www.va.gov/) website. Unitarian Universalists serve in the military both as regular personnel and as chaplains. Read more in an April, 2007 article by Leah Rubin-Cadrain in UU World (at www.uuworld.org/news/articles/22319.shtml).
SESSION 11: PRIVILEGE IS A BLESSING WE GIVE AWAY TO BE IN COMMUNITY SESSION OVERVIEW INTRODUCTION The tighter you squeeze, the less you have. — Thomas Merton To whom much is given is much required. — Christian scripture, Luke 12:49 It is easy to "own" our skills and resources which are well practiced or hard-won, such as educational achievements and professional craft. However, we often take for granted knowledge, abilities and opportunities we have by virtue of advantageous birth, fortune or geography—our privileges. This session teaches children to recognize the ways in which they are privileged. Children learn that privileges, like other gifts, are best used and most valuable when we share them with others. In Unitarian Universalism, we affirm the interdependent web of all existence. Thus we are called to share our privilege as an act of belonging in community. The children hear about Juliette Hampton Morgan, an upper middle class, Southern white woman who was an outspoken critic of segregation in mid-20th-century America. Her family and friends in the white upper class ostracized Juliette Morgan for her public stance, but her conscience would not let her forego acting on her beliefs. She used her privilege, giving it away to stand up for what was right. Note: Be thoughtful in talking about privilege related to skin color—mindful not only of individual children in the group, but also of the realities of changing context. Fifty years after Juliette Hampton Morgan's fight and death, segregation by skin color is illegal and American has elected Barack Obama as our president. While racism still exists in the U.S., there is no reason to give children notions that their skin color alone, whatever it may be, provides significant privilege in today's society. GOALS This session will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Participants will:
SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Make yourself comfortable; light a candle to mark the time as different from your other activities. Close your eyes and breathe deeply and perhaps repeat one word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. Prepare for the lesson by thinking about the many ways that you have privilege. You might consider:
Be prepared to share your insights with the children in the session. SESSION PLAN OPENING (5 MINUTES) Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity This ritual welcoming reminds participants of the relational nature of the group experience. Gather the children in a circle around the chalice. Invite them to take a deep breath and release it, and create a deep silence for a moment. Ask a volunteer to take a reading from the Opening Words Basket and read it aloud. Invite another volunteer to light the chalice. Then, lead a greeting: Now we will take a moment to greet the people next to us. If you are next to someone who is new to our group, offer a welcome, tell them your first and last name, and learn their name. Lead the group in singing the hymn you have chosen. Singing a congregational favorite helps children grow in their sense of belonging in congregational life. If you choose not to sing, use a bell to signal the group to still themselves for another moment of silence. Ask the child who lit the chalice to extinguish it. Ask the child who read the opening words to return the reading to the Opening Words Basket.
If you have a non-sighted participant who reads braille, obtain the braille version of Singing the Living Tradition from UUA Bookstore. The bookstore orders from an outside publisher, so order several weeks ahead. ACTIVITY 1: WHAT IS PRIVILEGE? (5 MINUTES) Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity Gather the children. Tell them, in your own words: Our Unitarian Universalist faith challenges us to recognize our privileges and to share them with others. We are also called to discover our gifts and skills, and then share them, too, in order to live a full life while contributing to our society. Invite the group to explore the differences between privileges and skills. Say something like: The talents, education, or access to information, resources, money and/or power that we have by chance of birth or geography are called "privileges." These are different from the skills and talents that we develop through practice. For example, having access to a piano, a piano teacher, and the time to take lessons are each privileges; being able to play a classical sonata comes from regular practice and that is a skill you learn. Now we are going to list what we understand to be our privileges and our skills. Invite volunteers to contribute to both lists. Accept all suggestions. If an item is suggested both as a privilege AND a skill, just write it down. If necessary, suggest some of these ideas:
When the list looks full, engage the group with some of these questions:
Keep the newsprint posted for use in Activity 2, Window/Mirror Panel — My Privilege. Directory: sites -> live-new.uua.org -> files sites -> Glossary for Chapter 1 Algorithm sites -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose sites -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations sites -> Physical custody of 1033 program property accountibility form statement of Physical Custody: By signing for the below 1033 property I am a Law Enforcement Officer of the aforementioned Law Enforcement Agency sites -> Nstructions for Acquiring Excess Equipment online, through the 1033 Program sites -> Memorandum of agreement files -> By mark hicks gail forsyth-vail, developmental editor Download 1.8 Mb. Share with your friends:
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