Workshop 7: Difficult Times

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Exploring Our Values Through Poetry, High School

In This Section

Introduction
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way… — Isak Dinesen Freedom. Freedom to question, explore, and make decisions based on our conscious. Freedom from prejudice and the right to be viewed as individuals. Hope for a…
Workshop-at-a-Glance
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

ACTIVITY MINUTES Opening 5 Activity 1: Prison 10 Activity 2: Death of a Loved One 10 Activity 3: Racism 10 Activity 4: Hope 20 Faith in Action: Reading Is Fundamental Closing 5 Alternate Activity 1: The Themes of Hymns 20 Alternate Activity 2: UUs Working Toward Freedom 15…
Spiritual Preparation
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Just as the more serious topics of today’s workshop might lead to unpleasant memories for some youth, you should process these activities yourself before starting the workshop. Think about how freedom, death (physical or of the spirit), hope, and courage have played into your life….
Opening
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and matches Description of Activity Use the Opening designed by your group or the one provided below. Gather around the chalice. As a volunteer lights the chalice, ask the group to focus on the word “freedom” in silence. After about fifteen…
Activity 1: Prison
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 1, “End of a Discussion with a Jailer,” by Samih Al-Qasim Journals and pens/pencils Preparation for Activity Photocopy Handout 1, “End of a Discussion with a Jailer,” one for each participant….
Activity 2: Death Of A Loved One
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 2, “Animal Liberation,” by Genny Lim Journals and pens/pencils Preparation for Activity Photocopy Handout 2, “Animal Liberation,” one for each participant. Description of Activity Distribute Handout 2, “Animal Liberation.” Ask two or more…
Activity 3: Racism
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 3, “Poem for the Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, an Intelligent, Well-Read Person, Could Believe in the War between the Races,” by Lorna Dee Cervantes Journals and pens/pencils Preparation for Activity Photocopy Handout 3, “Poem for the…
Activity 4: Hope
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Handout 4, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” by Sam Cooke Journals and pens/pencils A recording of “A Change Is Gonna Come” Preparation for Activity Obtain a CD with the Sam Cooke song, “A Change Is Gonna Come.” You can also purchase and download the song …
Closing
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice Copies of Singing the Living Tradition, one for each participant Description of Activity Use the Closing designed by your group or the one provided below. Recite together Reading 712 from Singing the Living Tradition: Do not be conformed to…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Discuss the workshop with your co-leader. Which activities worked best? Which could use improvement? Did the youth appreciate talking about difficult issues? If so, you might find ways to bring more social justice issues or current events into the workshops in the future.
Faith In Action: Reading Is Fundamental
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Materials for Activity Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) donation forms Preparation for Activity Print out In Memory Of https://secure2.convio.net/rif/site/Donation2?df_id=5081&5081.d… forms from the RIF website or call the Donor Relations Desk at 1-888-725-4801 to request forms. Description of…
Alternate Activity 1: The Themes of Hymns
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Singing the Living Tradition and Singing the Journey Journals and pens/pencils Description of Activity Participants search for hymns that have themes of freedom, hope, or the difficulties of life. Distribute hymnals. Ask participants to…
Alternate Activity 2: UUs Working Toward Freedom
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Activity time: 15 minutes Description of Activity If you have time for a longer workshop, extend the topics discussed in Activities 1-4. One way to do this is by noting Unitarian Universalists who have worked to alleviate society of the ills addressed in the poems in Handouts 1-4….
Taking It Home: Difficult Times
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

DURING TODAY’S WORKSHOP… We read a few poems about people’s experiences during difficult times. We thought about our own tough times. We heard a song about hope and wrote a poem based on all the reflections of the day….
Handout 1: End Of A Discussion With A Jailer
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Samih Al-Qasim (1939- ), translated by Abdullah al-UdhariFrom the window of my small cell I can see trees smiling at me, Roofs filled with my people, Windows weeping and praying for me. From the window of my small cell I can see your large cell.
Handout 2: Animal Liberation

Genny Lim

From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

Other than a chickadee which I bought from a pick-up truck vendor many, many years ago I had never purchased a live animal Today I went to Chinatown and parked on the south end of Grant I walked down the street combing the poultry shops for a live duck Most of the old markets had been shut down…
Handout 3: Poem for the Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, an Intelligent, Well-Read Person, Could Believe in the War Between Races
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

“Poem for the Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, an Intelligent, Well-Read Person Could Believe in the War Between Races” is from Emplumada, by Lorna Dee Cervantes, copyright 1982. All rights are controlled by the University of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Used by permission of the…
Handout 4: A Change Is Gonna Come
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME. Words and Music by SAM COOKE. Copyright 1964 (Renewed) ABKCO MUSIC, INC. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission of ALFRED PUBLISHING CO., INC.These are the lyrics to a song you will hear….
Find Out More
From Exploring Our Values Through Poetry

You can find “End of a Discussion with a Jailer” in the anthology, The Space between Our Footsteps, by Naomi Shihab Nye (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1998). Samih Al-Qasim is featured in the PBS Online NewsHour poetry series web pages. “Poem for the Young White Man Who Asked Me How I, an…

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