Tapestry of Faith: Faithful Journeys: A Program about Pilgrimages of Faith in Action for Grades 2-3

Activity 5: Justice Role Plays

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Copies of Leader Resource 2, Justice Role Plays, one per participant
  • Optional: Scarves, jackets, or other simple costume props

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the scenarios a few times and familiarize yourself with them. Jot down any additional questions you would like to pose.
  • Adapt or add to the leader resource as you wish. You may wish to cut scenarios into separate strips. Highlight one role on each strip of paper to help readers follow their own part.
  • If you may not have time for all the scenarios and discussion, prioritize a few.

Description of Activity

Gather the group so everyone can see people who will stand in the front. Solicit volunteers to perform the role in the first scenario, hand them their scripts, and offer them a few minutes and help, as needed, to prepare. You may wish to offer them simple props or costumes.

After they have presented the scenario, pose the questions provided and invite the children to suggest what should happen next. You may wish to then have children improvise what might happen if the characters followed through on participants' suggestions of what people in that scenario might do.

Present and discuss as many scenarios as time allows. Conclude by thanking children for acting the roles and considering faithful ways to act in these scenarios. Affirm:

Though it can be hard to do, our faith asks us to be ready for chances to make things more fair by speaking out.

Including All Participants

Give performers ample time to review the scenarios, especially if you are not sure they all read fluently. Ask if anyone has questions about how to pronounce words. You could also stand near performers to prompt as needed.