Session 1: Looking In/looking Out

Beautiful orange sunset over a deep blue ocean. — Tapestry is Sunsetting

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Windows and Mirrors, Grades 4-5

In This Section

Introduction
From Windows and Mirrors

Unitarian Universalists seek always to discover deeper truth and meaning in our lives and in our experience of the world. — Gail Forsyth-Vail One of the challenges of being human is discerning who we are in relation to the world around us. As we grow and develop, especially in faith, we realize…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Inner/Outer Self-Portrait 20 Activity 2: Story — Charles Darwin 15 Activity 3: Looking Closely 10 Activity 4: How Do I See? 5 Faith in Action: Congregation Self-Portrait 35 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Looking Closely at Photographic or Fine Art Images 10…
Spiritual Preparation
From Windows and Mirrors

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for about five minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. When you feel settled and relaxed, consider: We choose when and how and where to look at the…
Opening
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice or LED/battery-operated candle Large, round mirror to hold the chalice Reflective materials, such as beads or pieces of stained glass Newsprint, markers and tape Opening Words Basket and opening words (see Leader Resource 1) Optional: A copy…
Activity 1: Inner/Outer Self-Portrait
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Card stock or construction paper for all participants Markers in a variety of colors Scissors (including left-handed scissors), glue sticks and tape Optional: Magazines with images that children might choose to reflect their appearance/outer selves…
Activity 2: Story - Charles Darwin
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “Charles Darwin” Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to share it with the group….
Activity 3: Looking Closely
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Three or more large magnifying glasses Three objects that would be interesting to examine closely, such as a rock, a granola bar, a leaf, a marble or a bowl of marbles or an article of clothing Paper and pencils for all participants Optional:…
Activity 4: How Do I See?
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Optional: To include a vision-impaired participant, a large object that has a variety of textures/shapes, such as a toddler’s toy Description of Activity This activity demonstrates “framing” as a visual metaphor for how we selectively take in…
Closing
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Leader Resource 2, Namaste Taking It Home handout Preparation for Activity Write the closing words on newsprint and post….
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Windows and Mirrors

Reflect on and discuss with your co-leader(s): How did the timing go today? What might we do to make it work better? What worked well? What didn’t? What connections did we make with the children? What connections did the children make with each other? How was this evident? How could we improve a…
Faith In Action: Congregation Self-Portrait
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 35 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Notepads and pencils Preparation for Activity Make arrangements with the religious educator and parish minister to join the group for all or part of a walking tour of the congregational facility. Description of Activity…
Alternate Activity 1: Looking Closely at Photographic or Fine Art Images
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A variety of complex fine art images (see Leader Resource 3) Optional: To include a vision-impaired participant, tactile art objects, such as sculpture or fabric weaving Optional: Tape or putty to post images on walls or attach to table surfaces…
Alternate Activity 2: Life-Size Inner Self-Portraits
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Large roll of brown paper, pencils and scissors (including left-handed scissors) Markers in a variety of colors Optional: Paints, paintbrushes, bowls for water, clean-up supplies Optional: Arts and crafts materials such as stickers, colored paper,…
Taking It Home: Looking In/looking Out
From Windows and Mirrors

Unitarian Universalists seek always to discover deeper truth and meaning in our lives and in our experience of the world. — Gail Forsyth-Vail IN TODAY’S SESSION… The children heard the story of Charles Darwin, who followed his own path to become a naturalist despite his father’s expectations…
Charles Darwin

Gail Forsyth-Vail

From Windows and Mirrors

Adapted from “Charles Darwin” in Stories in Faith: Exploring Our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Sources Through Wisdom Tales, (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 2007). From the time he was a little boy, Charles Darwin was an explorer….
Leader Resource 1: Opening Words for Basket
From Windows and Mirrors

After downloading, add opening words alternatives commonly used in your congregation or other readings you like. Print them and cut so each reading is on a separate slip of paper….
Leader Resource 2: Namaste
From Windows and Mirrors

Adapted from an article on Wikipedia. Namaste is a Sanskrit word that is a common spoken greeting in India and other South Asian countries….
Leader Resource 3: Photographic or Fine Art Images
From Windows and Mirrors

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Find Out More
From Windows and Mirrors

Charles Darwin’s most famous work is The Origin of Species ; he is also the author of many other books — find a list on the literature.org website. A good online source for information about Charles Darwin is the BBC’s history page . For more about evolution, check out a…