All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar. — Helen Hayes, American actress

This session introduces the abundance and diversity of plants through the central story "Noah's Wife: The Story of Naamah." Kinesthetic learners will enjoy embodying the life cycle of a seed. The children learn "The Garden Song" and plant seedlings to take home. The Faith in Action activity involves creating or maintaining a garden, either on-site at your congregation or in partnership with a local community garden. Alternate Activity 2, Planting for Wildlife, invites children to make a lasting contribution to the congregation's landscaping by planting perennials; advance planning required.

Goals

This session will:

• Introduce the concepts of abundance and diversity in the plant world
• Teach children how to plant seedlings and care for them
• Connect plant life's abundance and diversity with creative expression, through a role play and learning "The Garden Song"
• Empower participants as leaders in the group
• Reinforce the seventh Unitarian Universalist Principle, "respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Respond to a story, inspired by the biblical story of Noah's Ark, which illustrates the abundance and diversity of plant life
• Learn how to plant seedlings
• Understand a garden as a home for plant abundance and diversity by learning "The Garden Song" and (Faith in Action) engaging with a shared, harvestable garden at the congregation or in the local community
• Connect physically with the experience of a seed growing into a flower, through an embodiment exercise.