When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe. — John Muir

Big Question: How am I connected with everything else?

Sixth graders stand at the brink of adolescence, finding new relationships, new challenges and a new sense of the self's place in the universe. This session makes the conceptual UU "interconnected web of all existence" concrete and meaningful for them. The youth consider their place in the many spheres that comprise their expanding lives. They learn about Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a Unitarian who created a new way for humans to connect respectfully with other species. A Faith in Action activity focused on animal welfare invites sixth graders to make a tangible connection on the web of life. In WCUU, youth consider that being well-connected means accepting responsible membership in community. The final activity asks youth to express their ideas about connection on a tee shirt design.

Goals

This session will:

• Pose the Big Question "How am I connected with everything else?" and explore Unitarian Universalist responses
• Help youth discover to what they are connected
• Explore the Unitarian Universalist image of the web of all existence and engage youth to reflect on their own place within the web.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

• Strengthen their communal connections
• Understand how a sense of belonging is linked to a sense of responsibility
• Reflect on human connection to one another and to all life
• Learn about Henry Bergh, Unitarian founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
• Explore Unitarian Universalist statements about connection.