Session 7: Let's Talk

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

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Part of Windows and Mirrors, Grades 4-5

In This Section

Introduction
From Windows and Mirrors

Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides. — Rita Mae Brown, author and activist Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone. — Ralph Waldo Emerson Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.
Session-at-a-Glance
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity Minutes Opening 5 Activity 1: Create Your Own Language and Gesture 5 Activity 2: Story — The Curse of Babel 5 Activity 3: Story — The Day of Pentecost 10 Activity 4: Game — Let’s Talk and Listen 10 Activity 5: Ways to Communicate a Welcome 5 Activity 6: Window/Mirror Panel 15 Faith in…
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 one word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. Think about how…
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: Create Your Own Language and Gesture
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Slips of paper for all participants (Leader Resource 1, Friends Phrases) Basket Pencils Preparation for Activity Print Leader Resource 1, Friends Phrases. You will need one copy for every six participants plus another copy to keep intact to use in…
Activity 2: Story - The Curse of Babel
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Curse of Babel” A bell, chime, rain stick or other musical noisemaker Preparation for Activity Read the story in advance….
Activity 3: Story - The Day of Pentecost
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “The Day of Pentecost” A bell, chime, rain stick or other musical noisemaker Preparation for Activity Read the story in advance. Description of Activity Tell the group you will now share another story about communication….
Activity 4: Game - Let's Talk and Listen
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Slips of paper from Activity 1, Create Your Own Language and Gesture Leader Resource 1, Friends Phrases Preparation for Activity Children need to have heard both stories, ” Tower of Babel ” and “The Day of Pentecost.” Make sure you have an intact c…
Activity 5: Ways to Communicate a Welcome
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity List or display of ways to write, say and gesture “welcome” Newsprint, markers and tape Preparation for Activity Compile a list or display of ways to write, say and gesture “welcome” in a variety of languages and cultures….
Activity 6: Window/Mirror Panel
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity List or display of ways to write, say and gesture “welcome” (see Activity 5, Way to Communicate a Welcome) All participants’ Window/Mirror Panels Optional: Blank paper or card stock, cut to a size that can be placed within Window/Mirror Panels…
Closing
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 5 minutes 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…
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 you make with the children? What connections did the children make with each other? How was this evident? How could a sense of…
Faith In Action: Practicing What We Speak
From Windows and Mirrors

Materials for Activity Handout 1, Let’s Talk… and Listen Preparation for Activity Photocopy the handout for all participants. Description of Activity Tell the group they will do an experiment, between now and your next meeting, to put the session’s lessons about faithful communication into…
Alternate Activity 1: Nonverbal Survival Skills
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story “Enough to Make Your Head Spin” Preparation for Activity Read the story. Description of Activity The children will experience giving and receiving nonverbal affirmations….
Alternate Activity 2: Language Audit
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Optional: Paper and pencils Preparation for Activity On newsprint, list these activities: build, compute, dance, play, read, write and sing. Post the newsprint. Description of Activity Gather the group and invite them to…
Alternate Activity 3: Music as Language
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Music in languages other than English, Spanish or French and appropriate music player(s) Optional: Lyrics to simple children’s songs in languages other than English, Spanish or French Preparation for Activity Learn the words and melody to songs you…
Alternate Activity 4: Translating the Familiar
From Windows and Mirrors

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers and tape Handout 2, Morse Code and Pig Latin Preparation for Activity Write the words to “Spirit of Life,” Hymn 123 in Singing the Living Tradition, on newsprint, and post. (You may wish to use just the first line of the song.)…
Taking It Home: Let's Talk
From Windows and Mirrors

Language exerts hidden power, like the moon on the tides. — Rita Mae Brown, author and activist Language is a city to the building of which every human being brought a stone. —Ralph Waldo Emerson Language is power, life and the instrument of culture, the instrument of domination and liberation.
Story 1 The Curse of Babel
From Windows and Mirrors

Adapted from Hebrew scripture, Genesis 11:1-9.Tell the group this story comes from Hebrew scripture. In this bible story, God is a character that has a particular relationship with humans. Invite the children to be observant about that relationship as they hear the story….
Story 2 The Day of Pentecost

Robert M. Hardies

From Windows and Mirrors

Adapted from a June 6, 2004, sermon delivered at All Souls Church, Unitarian, Washington, DC. Used with permission. Tell the group this story, “The Day of Pentecost,” comes from Christian scripture. It is in the Book of Acts, 2:1-13. While God is mentioned in this story, the Holy Spirit is also…
Story 3 Enough to Make Your Head Spin
From Windows and Mirrors

By Elizabeth (Vernon) Kelley, published on the U.S. Peace Corps Coverdell World Wise Schools website. Used with permission.”I’ll have coffee,” I tell the waitress at a cafe during my first week in Bulgaria . She shakes her head from side to side. “OK, tea,” I say, thinking that maybe there’s…
Handout 1: Let's Talk and Listen
From Windows and Mirrors

Make a promise to do at least one of these activities before the next time Windows and Mirrors meets. Be prepared to tell the group what you did and what happened. Say “welcome” to someone in another language. Watch a foreign language TV channel. Observe others talking….
Handout 2: Morse Code and Pig Latin
From Windows and Mirrors

Morse Code Samuel F.B. Morse, a Unitarian, in the 1840s invented a code to use with electric telegraph machines. Morse code uses sound to create letters, numbers, punctuation and special characters. According to a Wikipedia article on Samuel Morse , International Morse code is composed of five…
Leader Resource 1: Friends Phrases
From Windows and Mirrors

Cut so each phrase is on a separate slip of paper. Let’s be friends. Can we be friends? I want to be your friend. We are friends. My friend! I am your friend.
Find Out More
From Windows and Mirrors

American Sign Language Many non-hearing people use American Sign Language to communicate. It is its own language; it is not a literal translation of spoken English, and it is distinct from French Sign Language, Arabic Sign Language, Russian Sign Language and others….

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The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Session 7: Let's Talk

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