Tapestry of Faith: Moral Tales: A Program on Making Choices for Grades 2-3

Faith In Action: Short-term - Helping Others Keep The Balance

Part of Moral Tales

Activity time: 30 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Poster board
  • Color markers
  • Newsprint, markers and tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Scout your congregation's building to identify central trash bins and learn about any recycling procedures that are in place. Take notes so you can meaningfully direct participants to make posters that (1) direct members and visitors how and where to dispose of trash and/or (2) provide information about recycling and indicate the proper receptacles for different materials, such as bottles or paper.
  • On sheets of newsprint, write out the wording for children to print on posters. Post the newsprint.
  • Make sure there are no building fire codes or other rules that would prevent your placing posters to indicate trash and recycling receptacles. If there are such rules, adapt the poster-making as needed.
  • Decide whether you will post the posters around your congregation yourself or include children in this part of the activity, which will take additional time.
  • Optional: Plan to take the group on a brief tour of the locations where the congregation collects trash for disposal and recycling.
  • Optional: Invite a congregational leader involved with recycling for the building to talk with the children and help them make and display their posters.

Description of Activity

Tell the children that even when there are plenty of trash bins and recycling bins around, people often appreciate reminders to help, not harm, the Earth by properly getting rid of their trash. Say:

Today we are going to make some posters to help people keep the balance, here at our congregation.

If a congregational leader is joining you to talk about recycling, introduce that person now and invite them to make a short presentation about how the recycling program came about at your Unitarian Universalist congregation and why it is an important endeavor for the Earth and for your congregation (a question the children may be able to answer, if you pose it to them).

If you have planned a small tour, gather the children and take them to the locations in your congregation that you have scouted. Then return to your meeting space to make posters.

Allow children to work in pairs on posters that require a lot of writing. Some participants like to lavish attention on bold arrows that you can later position around the building so they are pointing toward trash or recycling bins.