TOOLBOX of FAITH a Tapestry of Faith Program for Children Grades
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TOOLBOX OF FAITH A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children Grades 4-5 BY KATE TWEEDIE COVEY © Copyright 2008 Unitarian Universalist Association. This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at www.uua.org/re/tapestry . 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS ....................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 3 THE PROGRAM ................................................................................................................................... 4 SESSION 1: FAITH (TOOLBOX AND RULER) .................................................................................. 15 SESSION 2: QUESTIONING (MAGNIFYING GLASS) ....................................................................... 27 SESSION 3: INTEGRITY (COMPASS) ............................................................................................... 40 SESSION 4: FLEXIBILITY (DUCT TAPE) .......................................................................................... 54 SESSION 5: REFLECTION (MIRROR) .............................................................................................. 68 SESSION 6: EXPRESSION (PAINTBRUSH) ..................................................................................... 79 SESSION 7: DEMOCRATIC PROCESS (CHALK) ............................................................................. 89 SESSION 8: POWER (HAMMER) .................................................................................................... 103 SESSION 9: SPIRIT OF LIFE (CANTEEN) ....................................................................................... 117 SESSION 10: COURAGE AND CONVICTION (SADDLEBAGS) ..................................................... 128 SESSION 11: LISTENING (STETHOSCOPE) .................................................................................. 144 SESSION 12: HUMOR (SANDPAPER) ............................................................................................ 155 SESSION 13: LOVE (GLOVES) ....................................................................................................... 166 SESSION 14: JUSTICE (FLASHLIGHT) ........................................................................................... 177 SESSION 15: ATONEMENT (LEVEL) .............................................................................................. 188 SESSION 16: RESILIENCY (HARD HAT) ........................................................................................ 199 Note: If you add or delete text in this program, you may change the accuracy of the Table of Contents. The Table of Contents is an auto-generated list; if you change content and want an accurate representation of the page numbers listed in the TOC, click the table and click “Update Field.” Then, click “Update page numbers only.” Click OK. 2 ABOUT THE AUTHORS KATIE COVEY Katie Covey has served as a religious educator since 1984. At this writing she is Director of the School of the Spirit at the Boulder Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (Colorado). Katie wrote the original Chalice Children (1998) and two curricula for Tapestry of Faith—Toolbox of Faith, for fourth- and fifth-graders, and Circle of Trees, for multigenerational groups. She self-publishes additional curricula, available on her website, UU Religious Education . Katie received her M.Ed. in Human Development from Tufts University and her B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Connecticut College. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS For my father, who taught me how to hammer a nail and how to value our faith. I grew up enjoying the smells, sounds, and sights of the hardware stores and the workshop where my father built furniture. I would like our children to feel the same sense of comfort, pride, and challenge as they build their faith. — Kate Tweedie Erslev Tapestry of Faith Core Team The following UUA staff brought Tapestry to fruition: Judith A. Frediani, Curriculum Director, Tapestry Project Director Adrianne Ross, Project Manager Susan Dana Lawrence, Managing Editor Jessica York, Youth Programs Director Gail Forsyth-Vail, Adult Programs Director Pat Kahn, Children and Family Programs Director Alicia LeBlanc, Administrative and Editorial Assistant We are grateful to these former UUA staff members who contributed to the conceptualization and launch of Tapestry of Faith: Tracy L. Hurd Sarah Gibb Millspaugh Aisha Hauser Pat Hoertdoerfer Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley 3 THE PROGRAM • Needs adequate exercise, food, and rest (during religious education programming as well as in The expectations of life depend upon diligence; school, at home, in sports, and at play) the mechanic who would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. — Confucius • Enters puberty toward the end of school-age years (particularly girls) Toolbox of Faith invites fourth- and fifth- grade participants to reflect on the qualities of our Unitarian • Is influenced by media images and may be at Universalist faith, such as integrity, courage, and love, early risk for eating disorders (So, Toolbox of as tools they can use in living their lives and building Faith can be an important antidote to pervasive, their own faith. Each of the 16 sessions uses a tool as a intrusive media images.) metaphor for an important quality of our faith such as • Engages in logical thinking based on concrete reflection (symbolized by a mirror), flexibility (duct tape), operational thinking and justice (a flashlight). • Practices cognitive skills of acquiring, storing, GOALS and retrieving information (Toolbox of Faith Reflecting on the qualities (tools) of our faith, children sessions offer factual information, stories, and and leaders gain insight into what makes our faith specific details appropriate for their cognitive important in their lives, and how they can grow in our development.) faith. • Develops specific learning styles such as an auditory, visual, sensory, and/or kinesthetic style LEADERS of learning (Each session provides activities to Leaders are an important component of the Toolbox of address a variety of learning styles.) Faith program. Leaders are not recruited to • Exhibits domain-specific intelligences such as "indoctrinate" children, but rather to share the journey as verbal/linguistic, musical/rhythmic, seekers with the children. Leaders are not in the role of logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily experts handing down information but are co-explorers kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, or and "beloved adults." Children value adults who are naturalist interested in their opinions and lives. They will reward those who work with them with trust, sharing, and • Uses student identity and personal, informed affection. knowledge as sources of self-esteem (Toolbox of Faith gives children opportunities to name PARTICIPANTS what they already know, in Council Circle discussions.) This program is written for fourth- and fifth-grade children. With some adaptation, it can be used with • Engages peers and learns through mutual younger or older participants. friendship (Toolbox of Faith builds community.) In her book, Nurturing Children and Youth: A • Comprehends the perspective of others (The Developmental Guidebook (Boston: Unitarian Council Circle format encourages children's Universalist Association, 2005), Tracey L. Hurd lists discussion and reflection.) characteristics of the older school-age child. A summary • follows. Comments relating these characteristics Engages in gender-segregated play specifically to the Toolbox of Faith curriculum appear in • Works on developing racial, ethnic, and gender parentheses. identities and seeks peers' affirmation of these At the age of nine, ten, or eleven, a child: identities • • Uses gross and fine motor skills, which are Learns and negotiates early understandings of almost fully developed social scripts about sexuality • • Has fully developed vision (by age seven to age Shows interest in moral issues of fairness, nine) and a highly developed central nervous justice, and care (addressed extensively in this system (by age ten to age twelve) program) • Is energized by developing rules to assure fairness, in work or play (The games in Toolbox 4 of Faith can give children opportunities to make • Allow the child to be active and limit extended the rules.) times of sitting and listening. (Let these sessions be different from school learning, with active • Uses the Golden Rule (treating others as one games and Council Circle.) would like to be treated) • Encourage the natural impulse to learn and • Wrestles with moral dilemmas in relationships present challenges that promote thinking skills. (highlighted in many of the sessions) (Some of the Council Circle questions are • Demonstrates awareness of a culture of conundrums which challenge adults, too!) violence and is receptive to strategies for • Support different learning styles such as personal and global nonviolence and peace auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and/or sensory (A • Exhibits increasing awareness of societal moral variety of learning styles are addressed in the issues and interest in helping to solve variety of options in each session.) community problems (Children's awareness and • Help learners develop their own organizational interest can be engaged by the Faith in Action strategies suggestions in this program.) • Encourage problem solving and discussion. • Shows