Activity time: 15 minutes
Materials for Activity
- Leader Resource 2, "The UUs and the Bullies" script
- Name tags on card stock, with string attached to hang around actors' necks or hanging nametags
- Poster listing the UU Principles and Sources
Preparation for Activity
- Decide how to divide up and assign actor parts.
- Create nametags.
- Make a copy of the script for each actor and each leader.
- Determine what part of your meeting space will make the best stage.
Description of Activity
Participants perform the play "The UUs and the Bullies" (Leader Resource 2). The play speaks of UU Principles and Sources, and introduces the idea of elevator speeches, which will be developed in other activities in this session.
Call for volunteers to act out the play. The play calls for nine actors. If you have fewer participants than that, let individuals play more than one part. If you have more than nine actors, stop the play from time to time and reassign some parts to new people. The nametags are important to help actors as well as any audience keep track of who is who. The tags should be large enough for you to see them at a distance. Actors who are playing more than one part should hold up the appropriate nametag whenever they are reading.
Act out the play. Afterwards, ask participants what they think about the play, using questions such as:
- Does "The UUs and the Bullies" have something to say about UU ideas of virtue and sin, right and wrong?
- What do you think of the way the UU youth reacted?
- Was it rude for the fourth UU youth to say, "You guys need a spell-check"?
- The UU youth said UUs respect everybody. Does that mean we respect people who intimidate and hurt others? Does respecting someone mean you agree with her/his actions?
- What are other ways UUs might react to bullies?
- Have you ever received a negative reaction when talking about Unitarian Universalism? Have you ever avoided talking about your religion or your congregation because you thought you might get a negative reaction?
- Have you ever avoided talking about your religion because it seemed too hard to explain?
- What do we mean when we talk about "elevator speeches"?
Point out the poster showing the UU Principles and Sources. Ask if your youth are familiar with the Principles and Sources. Most sixth graders who have been in a UU congregation for any length of time will know something about the Principles. If your group includes newcomers or others who answer in the negative, consider making time in your schedule to go through them. Point out that the Principles are really a covenant among the congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association. However, many UUs feel that the Principles are good guidelines for how individuals should think and act. Some UUs talk about the Principles in their elevator speech as something that holds members of our faith together.
Including All Participants
Quietly coach any participants with limited reading ability if they stumble over words.
