Workshop 6: Responsibility

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Virtue Ethics: An Ethical Development Program for High School Youth

In This Section

Introduction
From Virtue Ethics

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful….
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Virtue Ethics

Activity Minutes Opening 10 Activity 1: Two Sides to Every Virtue 10 Activity 2: Who Is Responsible? 15 Activity 3: Dilemma 10 Activity 4: Story — Paper, Plastic, or Cloth? 10 Activity 5: Creating a Web 15 Activity 6: Practice 15 Faith in Action: Cloth Bags Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: Real…
Spiritual Preparation
From Virtue Ethics

Being responsible can be a burden if we feel we have to solve all the world’s problems by ourselves. Some people become overwhelmed by their own sense of responsibility, and give into feelings of impotence and become apathetic….
Opening
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Group covenant (Workshop 1) Optional: Bicycle Rack newsprint sheet (Workshop 1) Optional: Alternate Activity 1, Real Life Challenges Preparation for Activity R…
Activity 1: Two Sides to Every Virtue
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 10 minutes Description of Activity Participants identify positive and negative aspects of the virtue of responsibility. Invite youth to sit for a moment and think about responsibility as a virtue. These prompts might be useful: What have you been told about responsibility: What it…
Activity 2: Who Is Responsible?
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Leader Resource 1, Who Does It? Preparation for Activity Read the Leader Resource. If you wish to add items to the list, insert them where they belong in the progression of responsibility the list offers….
Activity 3: Dilemma
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 2, Responsibility Dilemmas Preparation for Activity Print the Leader Resource for yourself and volunteer readers. Description of Activity Youth discuss scenarios involving ethical dilemmas. Seek a volunteer to read one of the two…
Activity 4: Story - Paper, Plastic, or Cloth?
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Story, “Paper, Plastic or Cloth?” Preparation for Activity Read the story and prepare to present it. Optional: Copy the story for all participants….
Activity 5: Creating a Web
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 3, We Are Connected and a basket A ball of yarn Preparation for Activity Alternate Activity 3, A Web of Responsibility, a longer version of this activity, results in a large mural. Read both activities and choose one. Print Leader…
Activity 6: Practice
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Participants’ journals, and writing instruments Participants’ clipboards with anklets (Workshop 1, Activity 3, Practice) Beads, and waterproof markers and/or other decorations Extra clipboards and string/hemp, and sciss…
Closing
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice, candle, and lighter or LED battery-operated candle Taking It Home Preparation for Activity Adapt the Taking It Home section and copy for all participants. Optional: Print the closing quotation (below) for a volunteer to read. Description of…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Virtue Ethics

Reflect on the workshop with your co-leader. Which activities did the group enjoy most? Were varied learning styles addressed? Are group dynamics taking shape in a healthy way or are there issues you should address? Did participants keep to the covenant? Do co-leaders feel the work is shared…
Faith In Action: Cloth Bags
From Virtue Ethics

Materials for Activity Plain cloth shopping bags Fabric paint Stencils of the congregation’s logo, chalice, or other artwork Preparation for Activity You can purchase plain cloth bags from many vendors, including Michael’s craft stores and websites The Cloth Bag Company and EcoBags.
Alternate Activity 1: Real Life Challenges
From Virtue Ethics

Materials for Activity “Bicycle Rack” newsprint sheet from Opening Description of Activity Youth discuss ethical challenges they have faced. If someone shared an experience in check-in or during any workshop activities that the group would like to explore further, do so now. This could be…
Alternate Activity 2: A Sound of Thunder
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity An audio recording of the Ray Bradbury short story, “A Sound of Thunder” A computer with Internet connection, and an audio player Preparation for Activity Obtain an audio recording of the story “A Sound of Thunder,” included in R is for Rocket by R…
Alternate Activity 3: A Web of Responsibility
From Virtue Ethics

Activity time: 30 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 3, We Are Connected and a basket A ball of yarn A large roll of plain paper, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Activity 5, Creating a Web is a shorter version of this activity. Read both, and choose one. Print the Leader…
Taking It Home: Responsibility
From Virtue Ethics

You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful….
Paper, Plastic, or Cloth
From Virtue Ethics

The ban started in 2006, on Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago. The Zanzibar islands on the Indian Ocean are famous for their pristine beaches and their history of trade in spices and slaves. Today, Zanzibar depends on tourism for most of its income. One month after this island paradise was named as…
Leader Resource 1: Who Does It
From Virtue Ethics

At Home… Laundry Brushes your teeth Cooks meals Decorating your bedroom Choosing what to watch on television Driving Feeds pets Pays the utility bills Decorating the house Babysitting Deciding how to spend money Mows the lawn Dishes Gathers recyclables Paying rent or a mortgage At School or…
Leader Resource 2: Responsibility Dilemmas
From Virtue Ethics

Dilemma 1 Are scientists and inventors responsible for the uses of their creations? Hilda is a scientist in a lab that sometimes accepts contracts from outside companies….
Leader Resource 3: We Are Connected
From Virtue Ethics

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” — Native American Proverb “Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.” — Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author and…
Find Out More
From Virtue Ethics

Personal Responsibility A short article from the http://www.courierpress.com/features/family/youth-first/youth-first—te… Courier and Press gives practical advice for motivating young people to be more responsible at home….

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The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Workshop 6: Responsibility

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