Session 13: Images Of Injustice

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Windows and Mirrors, Grades 4-5

In This Section

Introduction
From Windows and Mirrors

The world of the powerful and that of the powerless… are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both. — Vaclav Havel, Czech poet and president The way a rich nation thinks about its poor will always be convoluted….
Session-at-a-Glance
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Meet Oliver Twist 10 Activity 2: Story — Charles Dickens 5 Activity 3: Victorian Parlor Games 10 Activity 4: Finding the Poor 15 Activity 5: Window/Mirror Panel — Reflection on Abundance and Scarcity 10 Faith in Action: Changing, Like Scrooge Closing 5…
Spiritual Preparation
From Windows and Mirrors

Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Make yourself comfortable; light a candle to mark the time as different from your other activities. Close your eyes and breathe deeply and perhaps repeat a word or phrase to separate you from the activities of the day….
Opening
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice or LED/battery-operated candle Large, round mirror to hold the chalice Reflective materials, such as beads or pieces of stained glass Newsprint, markers and tape Opening Words Basket and opening words (see Session 1, Leader Resource 1)…
Activity 1: Meet Oliver Twist
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy, preferably illustrated, of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens Optional: Additional books by Charles Dickens, such as A Christmas Carol Optional: A DVD or videotape of the musical, Oliver!…
Activity 2: Story - Charles Dickens
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “Charles Dickens” A bell, chime, rain stick or other musical noisemaker Preparation for Activity Read the story a few times. Consider telling it dramatically, rather than reading it from the page. Practice telling it. The stories…
Activity 3: Victorian Parlor Games
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity For Lookabout: A small object For Charades: Scrap paper and pencils for all participants, two baskets or bowls, a timepiece with a second hand Preparation for Activity Arrange chairs or identify a carpeted area for children to sit in a circle.
Activity 4: Finding the Poor
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity A variety of current newspapers, news magazines and lifestyle magazines Pads of sticky notes, one for each small group Optional: Audio/visual media and appropriate equipment Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Collect newspapers an…
Activity 5: Window/Mirror Panel - Reflection on Abundance and Scarcity
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Preparation for Activity Collect illustrated magazines for participants to cut up. If needed, purchase stickers with images children may want to use in this activity. Have materials easily accessible….
Closing
From Windows and Mirrors

Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Taking It Home handout Optional: A copy of Session 1, Leader Resource 2, Namaste Preparation for Activity Identify a place for participants to store their Window/Mirror Panels between sessions. Keep in mind, there may be times the panels are not…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Windows and Mirrors

Reflect on and discuss with your co-leader(s): How did the timing go today? What might we do to make it work better? What worked well? What didn’t? What connections did children make with the activities and/or the central ideas? How could you tell that was occurring? What connections did you make…
Faith In Action: Changing, Like Scrooge
From Windows and Mirrors

Materials for Activity Optional: A book or film version of A Christmas Carol Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Find out about charity projects that will accept new or gently used items donated by children. Possibilities include homeless shelters for families and children,…
Alternate Activity 1: A Dickensian Drama
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Paper and pencils for small groups to use Optional: Simple props suggesting Victorian-era wealth or poverty, such as costume jewelry, dress-up garments and accessories, ragged garments, or food items from a play kitchen A bell, chime, rain stick or…
Alternate Activity 2: Dickens, The Movie
From Windows and Mirrors

Materials for Activity DVD or videotape of a film based on a Charles Dickens story, and appropriate equipment Preparation for Activity Choose a film to show; see Find Out More for an annotated list. Purchase, rent or borrow a DVD or videotape….
Taking It Home: Images Of Injustice
From Windows and Mirrors

The world of the powerful and that of the powerless… are never divided by a sharp line: everyone has a small part of himself in both. — Vaclav Havel, Czech poet and president The way a rich nation thinks about its poor will always be convoluted….
Charles Dickens
From Windows and Mirrors

Charles Dickens was born in England in 1812, about 200 years ago. He first earned a living as an assistant in a lawyer’s office, then as a newspaper reporter. He was still a young man when he became famous for the funny essays he wrote from his own imagination. At first, no one knew who he was,…
Excerpts From Oliver Twist
From Windows and Mirrors

The full text of Charles Dickens’s 1838 novel, Oliver Twist, can be obtained online at The Literature Network ‘s website. The novel is copyright-free and in the public domain.Explain that Oliver Twist is a fictional character Charles Dickens created to tell a story. The story begins, just after…
Find Out More
From Windows and Mirrors

Charles Dickens A friend and ally of his era’s Unitarian thinkers both in England and the U.S. (for example, William Ellery Channing and Ralph Waldo Emerson), Dickens for decades attended a Unitarian church in London. However, he had been raised in the Anglican church and belonged to an Anglican…

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The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Session 13: Images Of Injustice

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