Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Activity 4: WCUU - A UU Tent

Activity time: 20 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Microphone(s), real or simulated
  • Video camera and playback equipment, real or simulated
  • Any backdrop made in Session 1
  • Leader Resource 4, WCUU Script
  • Leader Resource 5, Belief Notes
  • Nametags on strings for On-Air People
  • Supplies for making a tent: a bed sheet with 3" or 4" holes, four poles - broomsticks will do - and masking tape or twine for attaching sheet to poles; OR sheets of newsprint on the wall and markers for drawing a tent with skylights
  • Restore your WCUU studio if it has changed since the previous use
  • Optional: Music player for theme song (see Session 1)
  • Optional: "Studio lights" - flashlights will do

Preparation for Activity

  • Restore your WCUU studio if it has changed since the previous use.
  • Review Leader Resource 4.
  • Decide how the group should make a tent and prepare accordingly.
  • Copy Leader Resource 4 for On-Air People and any Studio Staffers who need it.
  • Make copies of the script for key participants in the session's WCUU segment. They include three On-Air People - Co-Anchor 1, Co-Anchor 2, Atheist, Theist, Agnostic, Humanist, Mystery Seeker, God as Love-ist, Pagan, and the NUUs (pronounced "News") Analyst - as well as Studio Staffers who will need to keep track of what is going on - possibly a camera operator, a sound engineer, a light operator, and a director.
  • Copy Leader Resource 5 for seven On-Air People.

Description of Activity

Participants present a televised WCUU segment involving eight On-Air People - Co-Anchor 1, Co-Anchor 2, Atheist, Theist, Agnostic, Humanist, Mystery Seeker, God as Love-ist, Pagan, NUUs Analyst - and as many Studio Staffers as you care to use.

Assign or choose volunteers for On-Air People and Studio Staffers. You might offer your Kid for the Day a chance to be a Co-Anchor or the NUUs Analyst. Make sure volunteers understand that everyone except the NUUs Analyst will be making up some of their on-air dialogue as they go along.

Distribute appropriate segments of Leader Resource 5 to Atheist, Theist, Agnostic, Humanist, Mystery Seeker, God as Love-ist, and Pagan. Tell them to read them over before the broadcast begins. Say they should not read the segments aloud or try to repeat everything they say, but simply use them for ideas to help them say what they like.

Give all who need to follow the script a moment to look it over. Review it with anyone who needs help with reading.

Let the broadcast begin.

At the end of the broadcast, ask participants how it went. Ask them to summarize how they think UUs respond to Today's Big Question: Does God exist? Do they like the idea of Unitarian Universalism as a large tent where people with different beliefs can gather? If the show has been taped, make arrangements for playing it back at another time or otherwise sharing it with participants and their families. Do they think non-UU viewers would understand Unitarian Universalism better after seeing it?