Tapestry of Faith: Love Connects Us: A Program on Living in Unitarian Universalist Covenant for Grades 4-5

Activity 2: Story - The Power of Peace: Thoreau, Gandhi, and King

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the story and prepare to share it with the group.
  • 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.

Description of Activity

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.

Lead a discussion using these questions:

  • Do you think it is ever right to protest a war? Why or why not? What if your protest involves breaking a law?
  • How did Henry David Thoreau protest what he saw as an unjust war? What resulted from his action?
  • How was Mohandas Gandhi influenced by the writings of Thoreau? Why do you think Thoreau's example spoke to Gandhi?
  • How was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. influenced by Gandhi and Thoreau? Why do you think their examples spoke to Dr. King?
  • Who are the people who have influenced you? How? Why?

Including All Participants

Provide a hard copy of the story for hearing impaired participants so they can read along as you tell the story.