Session 15: Courage and Perseverance

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

The UUA is no longer updating Tapestry of Faith programs.

Part of Moral Tales, Grades 2-3

In This Section

Introduction
From Moral Tales

God has not called on me to be successful. He has called on me to be faithful. — Mother Teresa This session emphasizes the virtues of courage and perseverance. To act out of goodness and for justice often requires courage, determination and the will to keep going despite many challenges. In this…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Moral Tales

Activity Minutes Welcoming & Entering 0 Opening 2 Activity 1: Gems of Goodness 5 Activity 2: Story Basket and Centering 5 Activity 3: Story — The Brave Little Parrot 10 Activity 4: “Hi, My Name’s Joe” 5 Activity 5: Heroes and Heroines of Perseverance and Courage 10 Activity 6: Making Hero Comic…
Spiritual Preparation
From Moral Tales

Read over the story of “The Brave Little Parrot” and try to put yourself in the parrot’s shoes. Have you ever felt so passionate about something that you worked for it even when no one else would take a stand? Try to remember how that felt to you spiritually. What do you feel most passionate or…
Welcoming and Entering
From Moral Tales

Materials for Activity Mosaic gemstones, at least three per participant A colorful cloth A small notebook, approximately two by three inches, and a marker for each child who is new to the Gems of Goodness project Optional: Stick-on gems or other stickers for children who are new to the Gems of…
Opening
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 2 minutes Materials for Activity Chalice candle or LED/battery-operated candle Lighter and extinguisher, if needed Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Decide whether you will use the provided opening words, an adaptation of Reading 418 in Singing the Living…
Activity 1: Gems Of Goodness
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Clear glass jar or vase Small notebooks, approximately 2”x3”, for any newcomers Markers and stick-on gems or other stickers for children who are new to the Gems of Goodness project Copies of the Session 2, Leader Resource 2, Gems of Goodness Letter …
Activity 2: Story Basket And Centering
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity A large basket Objects to place in the basket that are related to the story, “The Brave Little Parrot,” such as a stuffed parrot, a stuffed eagle, a toy fire extinguisher or a statue or picture of the Buddha or a Deva Optional: You may want to inclu…
Activity 3: Story - The Brave Little Parrot
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “The Brave Little Parrot” A chime, a rain stick, or another calming sound instrument Optional: A copy of the picture book, The Brave Little Parrot, retold by Rafe Martin (Putnam and Sons, 1998) Preparation for Activity Read the…
Activity 4: "Hi, My Name's Joe"
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Leader Resource 1,”Hi, My Name’s Joe” Script Preparation for Activity Make sure you have enough open floor space for this movement activity. Read and practice the Leader Resource, “Hi, My Name is Joe” Script several times to get comfortable with…
Activity 5: Heroes And Heroines Of Perseverance And Courage
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Optional: A copy of Story 1, “Giraffe Hero Stories,” and/or printed-out or live web stories of individuals who have been recognized by the Giraffe Heroes Project Optional: A copy of Story 3, “Olympia Brown — A Voice and a Vote” Optional: One or mor…
Activity 6: Making Hero Comic Books
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Construction paper, preferably the large “legal” size, for all participants Crayons, color markers, pens and pencils Scissors (including left-handed scissors) and a stapler Preparation for Activity Fold each piece of construction paper into three…
Activity 7: Clean-up
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Plastic tubs or baskets to store markers, pens, stickers and other art materials. Waste basket lined with a bag. Bag(s) for recycling paper products and/or empty plastic containers….
Closing
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Moral Compass poster A bold marker, or a piece of card stock and tape or a stapler Optional: One copy of Singing the Living Tradition Optional: Music CD or tape, and music player Optional: A guitar, piano or other…
Leader Reflection and Planning
From Moral Tales

Take a few minutes to evaluate the session with your co-leader immediately afterward, while it is fresh. Share your thoughts with any other team teachers and your director of religious education. You might find it helpful to consider these questions: Which activities worked well?…
Faith In Action: Long-term - Courage Stickers
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Courage stickers (made or distributed in Session 14, Faith in Action: Courage Stickers) Preparation for Activity Confer with the director of religious education and worship leaders, if you wish to have the children present their courage stickers an…
Alternate Activity 1: Candles Of Joys And Sorrows
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Large container, such as ceramic or metal bowl Play sand (can be found at local hardware store) or unscented cat litter Large number of candles Basket for candles Matches or lighter Preparation for Activity Fill your container with the play sand or…
Alternate Activity 2: Whipping Cream
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity A fairly narrow bowl with high sides A manually operated egg-beater One to two pints of whipping cream Sugar to taste Pieces of cake or cut-up fresh fruit for all participants Several aprons Paper plates, plastic forks and napkins for all participa…
Taking It Home: Courage and Perseverance
From Moral Tales

God has not called on me to be successful. He has called on me to be faithful. — Mother Teresa IN TODAY’S SESSION… We talked about perseverance. We heard a story about a brave little parrot that persevered in the face of impossibility to save some animals from a forest fire. Its actions…
Story 1: Giraffe Hero Stories
From Moral Tales

Stories adapted from the Giraffe Heroes Project website John Holland McCowan John Holland-McCowan was five years old when he first announced that he wanted to help kids who were in need. He saved up his allowance and bought some toys for kids who were living in a shelter. When he dropped off the…
Story 2: The Brave Little Parrot
From Moral Tales

A Jataka Tale from India. Martin, Rafe. The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, Legends, and Jataka Tales (Somerville, MA: Yellow Moon Press, 1999). Reprinted with the permission of the author. www.rafemartin.comOnce, long ago, the Buddha was born as a little parrot. One day, a storm broke upon her…
Story 3: Olympia Brown - A Voice and a Vote

Janeen K Grohsmeyer

From Moral Tales

Reprinted from A Lamp in Every Corner: Our Unitarian Universalist Storybook (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 2004). When Olympia Brown was little, girls weren’t supposed to whistle. Girls weren’t supposed to climb trees or run fast or catch frogs. But Olympia did; she did all those…
Leader Resource 1: Hi, My Name's Joe Script
From Moral Tales

Leader: “Hi, my name’s Joe.” (Wave one hand and continue waving.) Participants: (Repeat words and keep the movement going.)) Leader: “I’ve got a wife and three kids and I work in a button factory.” (Continue movement.) Participants: (Repeat words and keep the movement going.) Leader: “Hi….
Leader Resource 2: Moral Tales Session Concepts
From Moral Tales

Session Title Concept as Noted on Moral Compass Poster 1 We Are All One Interdependence 2 Conscience: Hearing the Inner Voice Inner voice 3 Faith, Hope and Prayer Faith 4 In Another’s Shoes Empathy 5 Forgiveness Forgiveness 6 Welcome One and All Welcoming 7 Seeing Others with Awe Respect 8 Do Unt…
Leader Resource 3: Parrots for Pennies Letter to Parents
From Moral Tales

Dear Parents, As part of our session on Perseverance, the children started a new Faith in Action project today. Faith in Action projects help us to practice the skills and virtues we are learning about. The children heard a story about a small parrot that kept flying back and forth to a river and…
Find Out More About Session 15
From Moral Tales

The game, “Hi, My Name’s Joe” was adapted, with permission, from Crazy Gibberish and other story hour stretches from a storyteller’s bag of tricks by Naomi Baltuck (Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1993). Storybooks about Persevering, Courageous Heroes and Heroines Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro…