Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Activity 1: Review

Activity time: 15 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Newsprint, markers, and tape
  • Fine-tip markers in many different colors
  • Fact Sheets for all religions explored in the program

Preparation for Activity

  • Title a sheet of newsprint with each religion the group has explored. Include Unitarian Universalism. If several religions were discussed in a workshop together (for example, Workshops 7, 15, and 19 present multiple faiths), group these on one piece of newsprint. Post the newsprint on the walls where youth will be able to write on it.
  • Decide how you will form teams of two or three. If attendance has been irregular, make sure each team has at least one member who has attended steadily and disperse newcomers.
  • Print the religion Fact Sheets the youth received in previous workshops. Make a few copies of each for youth to share during this workshop. You might make a binder of all the Fact Sheets, and plan to leave it someplace the youth can access it after the program ends.

Description of Activity

Participants review knowledge gained in past workshops.

Form teams of two or three. Give each team a different color marker. Point to the posted newsprint and say, in your own words:

Here are all the religions we explored in our time together. But why are the sheets blank? They need you to fill them in. When I say "go," each team should approach a sheet of newsprint and write one fact they remember about the religion named. The fact can be about a belief, a practice, or the religion's history. After writing, move on to another sheet. You must write something on every sheet. After you have written one fact on each sheet, then and only then may you return to a sheet to write a second fact. Use of Fact Sheets is not allowed. You may not write a fact that another team has already written. When I call "stop," the team with the most facts wins.

Give the youth five to ten minutes to write on the sheets; base the amount of time on the number of teams, the number of religions explored, and participants' interest level.

Call "stop." Invite youth to look at all their knowledge about world religions and encourage them to take pride in their learning. Count the facts and calculate the winning team.

Ask if anyone was surprised by how much they remembered. Remind them that they received Fact Sheets for all the religions. Distribute the copies you have made. If you have made a binder of Fact Sheets, show it to the group and explain where they will be able to find it after the program.

Announce the winning team. Say the winning team will be helpers during the last activity.

Including All Participants

As with all movement-based activities, find a way for participants with mobility limitations to be fully included. For example, post newsprint sheets where a youth who uses a wheelchair can reach them. You might have teams sit together to work, then send one "envoy" to the newsprint sheets, rather than have all the youth moving around the room. Or, create an orderly pattern of movement. For example, start with teams positioned at particular newsprint sheets and ask the teams to rotate clockwise.