Tapestry of Faith: Sing to the Power: A Social Justice Program for Children Grades 4-5

Introduction

All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted. — St. Theresa of Avila

The power of the earth is the power of roots—the power that comes from a sense of history and connection to our origins. Participants learn that we are grounded in all that has shaped our lives, from our own memories back through the experiences of our ancestors, and including the features of the place where we live—its geography, ecology, and history.

The children hear how Southern writer George Ella Lyons came to write a well-known poem describing her roots. They write their own "I am from..." poems, and use their memories to draw floor plans of their homes and add words or pictures that describe important events that happened there.

Goals

This session will:

  • Explore where participants come from and demonstrate how their roots help to create the people they are
  • Honor the diversity of our roots and heritages
  • Connect memory, story, and images to honor the forces that have shaped participants
  • Affirm the Unitarian Universalist "goal of world community" (sixth Principle) as rooted in our literally sharing the same planet.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

  • Consider the ways their roots and heritage ground them and shape who they are
  • Describe where they are from—the places, stories, and people that have shaped them—and create poems using these images
  • Express, in words and pictures, meaningful events that took place in their homes
  • Consider how their roots and heritage may, and may not, shape their future.