PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK FORM

One of the challenges of being human is discerning who we are in relation to the world around us. As we grow and develop, especially in faith, we realize this discernment is a dynamic, lifelong process. Our Unitarian Universalist faith enriches this process for each of us by encouraging us to examine who we truly are. Being comfortable with ourselves grounds us to look openly and caringly at others.

In this introductory session, participants begin to explore how individuality creates the lens through which we view others and all life that shares our planet. In future sessions, participants will develop a heightened awareness of how they bring their own lenses to diverse experiences outside themselves.

The story for this session is about a man who knew he needed to follow his own path. Charles Darwin became famous after writing The Origin of Species, his controversial book which proposed that all life evolved from simple organisms which became more complex over time. For some, Darwin 's theory contradicted bible-based creationism, the idea that God created the world. Darwin 's theory offered a fresh way of seeing—a new lens. Although Darwin's father wanted him to become a doctor, Darwin resisted. He was fascinated instead with the natural world and the animals and plants living in it. Darwin was called to follow his own path, his true, inner self. He made observations and drew conclusions in his own, unique way. As a result his prophetic ideas changed the way we see ourselves in relation to time, life on this planet and, ultimately, the universe.

This program focuses participants on their ability and responsibility to look both within and without—tools for lifelong moral agency. The children experience their Unitarian Universalist faith community as a place to be their true selves and a base from which their observations, reflections and responses to the world around them are accepted and respected. Here we are encouraged to open our eyes, ears and hearts to the ways we are called to live a life of love, caring and service.

GOALS

This session will:

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  Introduce the concept of listening to your heart to become more aware of who you truly are and how you perceive the world
  
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  Convey that, as Unitarian Universalists, we look both within and around us to understand what we are called to do
  
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  Present the Unitarian Universalist congregation as a community that nurtures us to examine our truest selves, explore different perspectives of the world around us and honor the validity of perspectives other than our own.
  

Participants will:

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  Make observations about themselves which they use to create an outer self-portrait and an inner self-portrait
  
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  Explore their true selves and recognize that the self is a lens through which people view others
  
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  Hear about the work of Unitarian Charles Darwin and appreciate how his unique, inner-guided way of seeing the world has contributed to human self-understanding
  
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  Learn that Unitarian Universalism asks them to be true to their inner selves—to rely on their own observations, values and experiences to know what is right and important to do—and yet, to be ready to question their own perspectives as part of honoring the perspectives of others.
  

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for about five minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. When you feel settled and relaxed, consider:

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  We choose when and how and where to look at the world around us. Think about your own ways of looking—both literally seeing and figuratively paying attention. Where do you look and where don't you look? When do you choose to look carefully? How do you frame what you see?
  
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  How do you look inward? How does your view into yourself affect how you observe the world?
  
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  How do your ways of looking in and looking out reflect your Unitarian Universalist faith? Think about how this awareness might inform your leadership of the group today.
  

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  Chalice or LED/battery-operated candle
  
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  Large, round mirror to hold the chalice
  
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  Reflective materials, such as beads or pieces of stained glass
  
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  Newsprint, markers and tape
  
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  Opening Words Basket and opening words (see Leader Resource 1 (included in this document) )
  
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  Optional: A copy of the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook, Singing the Living Tradition
  
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  Optional: Bell , chime or other sound instrument
  

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  Set up the chalice on the mirror to enhance its reflection. The chalice may be filled with reflective materials, such as beads or pieces of stained glass, to represent the idea of light, reflection and mirrors.
  
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  Write the words to "Spirit of Life," Hymn 123 in Singing the Living Tradition, or another hymn you prefer, on newsprint, and post somewhere everyone can see it.
  
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  Obtain a basket to hold numerous slips of paper with opening words. Print Leader Resource 1, Opening Words for Basket; cut out the short readings and place them in the basket. Of course, feel free to add your own.
  
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  Prepare to lead the group in singing "Spirit of Life," or another song commonly sung in your congregation. Optional: Arrange to have someone else who is musical lead the singing, perhaps with instrumental accompaniment.
  

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.

Including All Participants

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.

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  Card stock or construction paper for all participants
  
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  Markers in a variety of colors
  
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  Scissors (including left-handed scissors), glue sticks and tape
  
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  Optional: Magazines with images that children might choose to reflect their appearance/outer selves, or interests/inner selves
  

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  Set markers, paper and other art materials out on work tables.
  

The children consider how they appear to others and how they see themselves as they make two self-portraits, one on each side of a sheet of paper.

Invite participants to consider who they are in the world. How might others who are meeting them for the first time see them? Guide them to think about not only their physical appearance, but the ways they like to spend their time. Do they like baseball, ballet, both? Do they like to go to a library, swimming pool, playground, shopping mall, your church? Are they animal lovers, outdoor people, video-game players, fashion lovers, music fans, musicians? Do they think they are smart, funny, shy, a good friend?

You might say:

Think about the way other people in your life see and experience you. What do people see you are interested in? How do people see you interact with others?

Give participants time at least five minutes to work on their outer self-portraits.

In the second part of this activity, participants create an inner self-portrait. Say something like:

We have been looking at our outer selves and how others may see us. Now turn over your paper and think about your inner self. Think about what you know about the inside of yourself. Who is your true self? What are the dreams and thoughts that maybe just a few people—or maybe only you—know? Think about your inner self for a few moments. Then create a self-portrait of the inner you with drawings, words, or symbols.

You will not have to share your inner self-portrait.

Be attentive to the children as they work, but resist commenting on the content or execution of their self-portraits.

Let children know when time is almost up.

Engage everyone in cleaning up. Then gather the group in a circle. Invite the children to share something about their self-portraits with the group if they choose. Ask:

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  What are the differences between their inner and outer self-portraits?
  
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  Was there a lot that they chose not to show others about themselves?
  
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  Was one portrait harder than the other to make?
  
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  How does who you are affect how you see others and how you see the world?
  
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  Does anything about your portrait show that you are a Unitarian Universalist?
  

If your religious education program does not already have them, order a set of multicultural markers and crayons to ensure children of various skin colors have materials to represent themselves.

Probably some children in your group are approaching puberty. Some may be self-conscious about their inner thoughts, so be clear that the sharing and discussion part of this activity is voluntary. Some may have problems at home or school that they have kept to themselves, such as a bullying situation or uncomfortable interactions within the family. If this activity alerts you to the possibility that a child's safety or well-being is at risk, speak in confidence with your director of religious education or minister.

ACTIVITY 2: STORY — CHARLES DARWIN (15 MINUTES)

Materials for Activity

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  A copy of the story "Charles Darwin (included in this document) "
  

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  Read the story and prepare to share it with the group.
  
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  Review the discussion questions and choose those that will best help the children share their interpretations of the story and relate it to their own lives.
  

Read or tell the story to the group.

After the story, invite the group to be silent for a moment to think about the story.

Begin a discussion by asking the children to recap the story in their own words. What they recall indicates what they found most meaningful or memorable. You may say:

Charles Darwin resisted his father's pressure to become a medical doctor. Looking inward, he followed his true self. His love of nature led him to observations that were truly his own. He made an impact on the world, and his theory of evolution changed the way people see themselves.

Lead a discussion using these questions:

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  In what ways is each of us like Charles Darwin?
  
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  How do your interests make you different and unique?
  
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  What makes up your true inner self?
  
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  Have you ever wanted to follow your own thoughts about something, but could not because your parents think differently? (Example: A child may oppose eating meat for ethical reasons, but parents may insist they eat meat because they feel the protein in meat is important to the child's health.)
  

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  Three or more large magnifying glasses
  
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  Three objects that would be interesting to examine closely, such as a rock, a granola bar, a leaf, a marble or a bowl of marbles or an article of clothing
  
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  Paper and pencils for all participants
  
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  Optional: Solid-color cloths on which to display objects
  

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  Choose three different objects that invite close examination. Set up three stations, each with one object and at least one magnifying glass.
  

This activity illustrates the importance of observation and serves as a metaphor for how we each observe the world through our own lenses.

Distribute paper and pencils and invite participants to go to each station and take turns looking at each object with a magnifying glass. Ask that they observe and take notes in silence.

Then, re-gather the group, hold up each object in turn, and ask volunteers to share what they observed about it. Point out the variety in the group's observations. For example, some children will notice what ingredients are in a granola bar, while others may note its colors or texture.

Invite the group to discuss:

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  Why did we each see different things?
  
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  Were any observations false? Were any true? What, if anything, can we agree is a fact, taking all of our observations into account?
  

Be mindful of vision-impaired participants. Make sure objects can be observed in a tactile as well as visual way. If any participant has vision limitations, encourage everyone to observe by touch.

Some participants may have trouble writing or spelling. Note-taking can be presented as optional so no one feels pressured to write. Note-taking in the form of sketching rather than writing can also be encouraged.

ACTIVITY 4: HOW DO I SEE? (5 MINUTES)

Materials for Activity

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  Optional: To include a vision-impaired participant, a large object that has a variety of textures/shapes, such as a toddler's toy
  

This activity demonstrates "framing" as a visual metaphor for how we selectively take in information. Who we are influences how we frame the world.

Begin by telling participants that how we see things depends on how we are looking. Say something like:

Now we are going to experiment with perspective. We will look at different things around the room and pay attention to what we observe.

Ask participants to look around the room and describe what they see.

Next, ask them to make a frame with their hands. The left hand will make an "L" and the right hand will make a backward "L." Put these together for a square frame. Give participants time to look through their frames. Help the group reflect on this exercise about points of view by asking:

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  What do you see through your frame?
  
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  What is left out when you look through your frame?
  
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  Your frame creates a point of view. Do you all have the same point of view? Why or why not?
  
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  What other frames do we bring to the way we look at things? Do you and your parents have the same point of view? Do you and your classmates frame the world in the same way? Why and why not? (It is likely that participants will identify experiences of both shared and diverse points of view with other people in their lives.)
  

If any participants have impaired vision, invite the group to explore framing in a tactile way by providing a large, multi-textured object for all to observe tactilely.

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  Newsprint, markers and tape
  
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  Leader Resource 2, Namaste (included in this document)
  
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  Taking It Home handout
  

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  Write the closing words on newsprint and post.
  
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  Download and adapt the Taking It Home section and copy as a handout for all participants (or, email to parents).
  
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  Review Leader Resource 2 so you can briefly explain the origin and meaning of Namaste and demonstrate the accompanying gesture.
  

Explain that the session is almost over and that we will now work together as a community to clean the meeting space. Ask everyone to clean up their own area and the materials they were using first, and then to clean another area or help someone else. No one should sit in the circle until the meeting space is clean.

Then bring the group back to the circle. Ask them to think about what happened today that was good or what they wish had gone better. If you are running short of time you can ask them for a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" on the session.

Invite each participant to say, in a word or a sentence, why it is important for them to be a part of this faith community. You may go around the circle for responses, allowing individuals to speak or pass.

Then ask everyone to hold hands and say together:

Keep alert;

Stand firm in your faith;

Be courageous and strong;

Let all that you do be done in love. — 1 Corinthians 16

If this is the first time the group will say goodbye with "namaste," explain its origin and meaning. Then, lead the group in saying goodbye with the bowing gesture that accompanies the word "namaste."

Distribute copies of the Taking It Home handout you have prepared. Thank and dismiss participants.

FAITH IN ACTION: CONGREGATION SELF-PORTRAIT (35 MINUTES)

Materials for Activity

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  Newsprint, markers and tape
  
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  Notepads and pencils
  

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  Make arrangements with the religious educator and parish minister to join the group for all or part of a walking tour of the congregational facility.
  

This is an opportunity for the group to understand more about their faith community.

Post blank newsprint. Brainstorm with the group questions they have about the congregation and its building, members, and history. Some questions you may want to suggest are: What is the name of the congregation? Has the name ever changed, perhaps from "church" to "congregation"? Why or why not? Where is the congregation located? Is it in an urban, suburban, or rural area? How does its geographical location affect who joins the congregation? Have members ever seen a homeless person near or around the congregation's facility? Is the building surrounded by land—is there a parking lot? What are some of the social justice activities the congregation is involved in? Where in the building are windows located? Are they decorative, designed to allow in natural light, or covered to keep rooms quiet or private?

Lead the children on a tour of the facility. Invite them to take notes on what they observe.

If your religious professionals or lay leaders join you, they can answer some of the group's questions. Bring the questions with you on the tour and suggest visiting adults answer them at appropriate locations in the building.

Including All Participants

Make sure all areas to be visited are fully accessible. This activity is not recommended if the entire group cannot participate fully.

Reflect on and discuss with your co-leader(s):

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  How did the timing go today? What might we do to make it work better?
  
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  What worked well? What didn't?
  
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  What connections did we make with the children? What connections did the children make with each other? How was this evident? How could we improve a sense of community within this group?
  

The children heard the story of Charles Darwin, who followed his own path to become a naturalist despite his father's expectations that he become a physician. Darwin 's way of perceiving the world gave humankind the gift of his observations and conclusions about life on Earth and our place within it.

We talked about being true to oneself. We explored the unique and changeable nature of how we view the world. The children made an outer self-portrait (how others see them) and an inner self-portrait of thoughts, wishes and dreams.