Session 11: Kindness in Nature

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of World of Wonder, Grades K-1

In This Section

Introduction
From World of Wonder

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated. — Mahatma Gandhi This session highlights kindness and altruism in the web of life and encourages participants to act for the welfare of other living beings. Kindness as a central tenet of Buddhism…
Session-at-a-Glance
From World of Wonder

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Earth Ball Name Game 5 Activity 2: Story — The Noble Ibex 10 Activity 3: Animal Altruism Stories and Dramatic Role Plays 25 Activity 4: Clay Animals 10 Faith in Action: Kindness Cookies and Cupcakes Bake Sale 90 Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Welcoming Web…
Spiritual Preparation
From World of Wonder

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for several minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day and consider: Have you ever had a time when you felt that an animal expressed kindness to you,…
Opening for Session 11, Kindeness in Nature
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and LED/battery-operated candle Cloth for altar or centering space Group Covenant (Session 1) Chalice-Lighting Words (Session 1) Leadership Chart (Session 2) Preparation for Activity Select an area where the group can comfortably sit in a…
Activity 1: Earth Ball Name Game
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Inflatable earth ball or globe, available from http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-k…; Preparation for Activity Inflate the earth ball or globe. Description of Activity This activity engages active learners while…
Activity 2: Story - The Noble Ibex
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “The Noble Ibex” A large basket Objects to place in the basket that are related to the story such as a goat (an ibex), a king’s crown, a horse, a bow and arrow, or pictures of these items A chime or rain stick Optional: Fidget Basket (Sessio…
Activity 3: Animal Altruism Stories and Dramatic Role Plays
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 25 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1, Animal Altruism Stories Optional: Computer with Internet access and a large monitor or a digital projector other medium for showing video clips of animal altruism listed in Alternate Activity 1 Preparation for Activity Familiariz…
Activity 4: Clay Animals
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Air-hardening clay Newspaper or a plastic tarp Preparation for Activity Optional: Cover work surface. Description of Activity Children create an animal to take home….
Closing
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity World of Wonder Mural from Session 1 Leader Resource 2, Mural Image — Dolphins, and tape Closing song lyrics from Session 1 Taking It Home Preparation for Activity Print Leader Resource 2, Mural Image — Dolphins, preferably in color….
Leader Reflection and Planning
From World of Wonder

Take a few minutes to evaluate the session with your co-leader immediately afterward, while it is fresh. Share your thoughts with any other team leaders and the religious educator. You might find it helpful to consider these questions: Were all children actively engaged? If not, who was not and why?
Faith In Action: Kindness Cookies and Cupcakes Bake Sale
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 90 minutes Materials for Activity Cookies and cupcakes Paper plates or napkins Price labels Container for cash, and money to give as change Poster board and markers or other sign-making materials Information about the organization the proceeds will support Closing song lyrics from…
Alternate Activity 1: Welcoming Web Game
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Ball of yarn Preparation for Activity Clear an open space where the group can sit in a circle. Make sure you know each participant’s name so you can prompt others in the circle. Description of Activity This activity makes the concepts of…
Alternate Activity 2: View of Nature - Animal Video Clips
From World of Wonder

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Computer with Internet access, and a large monitor or a digital projector and screen Preparation for Activity Preview the clips and decide which to show the group. Set up and test the equipment and Internet connection….
Taking It Home: Kindness in Nature
From World of Wonder

The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated. — Mahatma Gandhi IN TODAY’S SESSION… We considered how kindness is important in the web of life and learned about real life examples of animals who have acted with altruism to save the lives of…
The Noble Ibex: A Jataka Tale

Sarah Conover

From World of Wonder

From the book Kindness: A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents. Once upon a time, the Buddha was born as a magnificent ibex. The forest in which he lived was far from civilization and therefore tranquil, inhabited by many creatures both small and large. Along the banks of clear,…
Leader Resource 1: Animal Altruism Stories
From World of Wonder

Dolphin Heroes 1: Shark Rescue One time, a man named Todd was surfing in the ocean in California. Just as he hit a really good wave, a very big shark appeared out of nowhere and knocked into him on his surf board. It came back and bit him twice, once on his back and once on his leg. Fortunately,…
Leader Resource 2: Mural Image - Dolphins
From World of Wonder

“Two bottled nosed dolphins up close” from Office.com, a division of Microsoft Corporation(R). Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Find Out More
From World of Wonder

Read animal hero stories collected on the HubPages website. Watch this story of dolphins rescuing a surfer on the MSNBC website….