It may be said with a degree of assurance that not everything that meets the eye is as it appears. — Rod Serling I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. — Joseph Priestley, chemist,...

Seasonal Transformations around the United States In northern States, especially in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, autumn landscapes stunningly illustrate transformation in the natural world. Learn about seasonal transformations in other regions of the United States online. Snake...

Melting Ice Experiment ...

This Korean folk tale, translated by Heinz Insu Fenkl, is similar to the European folk tale “The Frog Prince.” Used with the translator’s permission. Once there was a woman who had a son late in life, and much to her surprise, he was born as a snake. She covered him with the bamboo hat she...

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity The picture book The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo Buscaglia (Slack Incorporated, 1982) Optional: A different picture book about seasonal change, such as Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beeke (Greenwill...

Materials for Activity Materials to replicate experiments in Activity 3 Poster board, markers, and tape to make signs Preparation for Activity Arrange a time and place to engage the broader congregation in hands-on transformation activities....

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Taking It Home Optional: Session 1, Handout 1, Say “Yes” to a Miracle Optional: Session 1, Handout 2, For the Beauty of the Earth Optional: Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Review the two song suggestions. Find lyrics for...

Activity time: 35 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1, Transformation Station Instructions Timepieces (minutes); one for each Transformation Station A chime, bell or other sound-maker Paper and pencils for all participants and (optional) clipboards Optional: Tablecloths to cover...

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “The Snake Husband” Newsprint, markers, and tape Optional: Simple dramatic props Preparation for Activity Read the story “The Snake Husband.” The story is relatively long. Prepare to tell it dramatically, using different...

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Newsprint with definition(s) of a miracle generated by the group in Session 1 Preparation for Activity Post the group’s definition(s) of a miracle the group generated in Session 1 along with any revisions made in...

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice and LED/battery-operated candle Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Write the chalice-lighting words on newsprint, and post. Description of Activity Gather participants in a circle around the chalice. Welcome new participants.

Set aside five minutes before the session. Sit comfortably and take three deep breaths to center yourself. Feel the details of your body—where it touches the chair, walls or ground; how your feet feel on the floor; the sensations of your breathing....

Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff. — Ralph Waldo Emerson Participants do simple science experiments in this session to create and observe transformations of state. Hands-on engagement with visible, physical transformations based on...

May Sarton Find a biography of the poet, novelist and memoirist May Sarton in the online Dictionary of Unitarian and Universalist Biography. Sarton was drawn to Unitarianism throughout her life. The DUUB article reads, in part, “(Sarton’s) appeal lay in her ability to ‘sacramentalize the...

It may be said with a degree of assurance that not everything that meets the eye is as it appears. — Rod Serling I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning. — Joseph Priestley, chemist,...

Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff. — Ralph Waldo Emerson IN TODAY’S SESSION… we conducted experiments to create and observe transformations of state—liquid to gas to solid. We talked about the scientific explanations for the...

Tree and pinecone illustrations show Fibonacci patterns in nature, courtesy of the Fractal Foundation.

Artwork adapted by permission from Dr. Ron Knott's … webpage. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.

Artwork adapted by permission from Dr. Ron Knott's … webpage. Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.

There once was an inquisitive, thoughtful girl named May. She was born in Belgium, about 100 years ago. She lived there only a few years until the German invasion in 1914. Fleeing Europe, May Sarton and her family came to live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where May’s father became a professor.