Session 4: In Another's Shoes

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

The first duty of love is to listen. — Paul Tillich To explore the experience of empathy is to understand more deeply the first Unitarian Universalist principle: the inherent worth and dignity of all people (and all beings.) The Merriam-Webster online dictionary’s definition of “empathy”…
Session-at-a-Glance
From Moral Tales

Activity Minutes Welcoming and Entering 0 Opening 2 Activity 1: Gems of Goodness 5 Activity 2: Story Basket and Centering 5 Activity 3: Story – The Wounded Seal 5 Activity 4: Processing the Story 5 Activity 5: Cooperative Musical Hoops 10 Activity 6: In Your Shoes: Real Life from Multiple…
Spiritual Preparation
From Moral Tales

To prepare yourself spiritually for this session you may find it helpful to take a few moments to experience empathy in an adaptation of a Tibetan Buddhist meditation called Tonglin….
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”x 3”, 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 A stuffed animal seal or pictures of seals in the wild A chime, a rain stick, or another calming sound instrument Moral Compass poster A bold marker, or a piece of card stock and tape or a stapler Optional: Box or small table and a cl…
Activity 3: Story - The Wounded Seal
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story, “The Wounded Seal” A chime, a rain stick, or another calming sound instrument Preparation for Activity Read the story, “The Wounded Seal.” Take note of the various places where you are guided to stop telling the story and ask th…
Activity 4: Processing The Story
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 5 minutes Preparation for Activity This activity is meant to follow the story, “The Wounded Seal,” if you have told in a participatory manner. If “The Wounded Seal” is told as a listening story, then you may prefer to use Alternative Activity 2, Story Hot Seat as a follow-up activity.
Activity 5: Cooperative Musical Hoops
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity Three to five hula hoops Optional: If hula hoops are unavailable, you can adapt this game by using carpet squares or mats, or by drawing a circle in chalk on the floor. Be creative, just look for materials that will not slip under the children….
Activity 6: In Your Shoes: Real Life From Multiple Perspectives
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Copy of Leader Resource 1, Empathy Scenarios Five pairs of paper shoes A bell, chime, or other sound instrument Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation for Activity Use Leader Resource 2, Shoe Template or trace your own shoes to make a template to…
Activity 7: Clean-up
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 2 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….
Session 4: In Another's Shoes-Closing
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Newsprint, markers, and tape Moral Compass poster Optional: One copy of Singing the Journey, supplement to the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Singing the Living Tradition Optional: Music CD or tape, and music player Optional: A guitar, piano or oth…
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: Short-term - Protecting Seals, Advocacy
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 15 minutes Materials for Activity Card stock or other paper for the children to make cards Envelopes sized appropriately for cards or letters Crayons, markers, pens and pencils Contact information for Canadian officials Newsprint, markers, and tape Optional: Magazines with pictures…
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: Story Hot Seat
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 20 minutes Materials for Activity A copy of the story,”The Wounded Seal” Preparation for Activity Move the chairs into a half circle with one chair set apart as if on a stage. Review the story. Try to imagine how you would feel, if you were the fisherman….
Alternate Activity 3: My Partner's Shoes
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity A box or bag large enough to hold one shoe from half of the participants Description of Activity When you use this method of forming pairs of children, you increase the chance of each child to work with someone that they do not know well. It also…
Alternate Activity 4: Empathetic Listening
From Moral Tales

Activity time: 10 minutes Materials for Activity A bell or other noise maker Newsprint, markers, and tape A piece of paper with these three questions written on it: Preparation for Activity Decide how to form pairs. Alternate Activity 3: My Partner’s Shoes offers a method that reinforces this…
Taking It Home: In Another's Shoes
From Moral Tales

The first duty of love is to listen. — Paul Tillich IN TODAY’S SESSION… Today the children learned about empathy as a tool for treating others with caring, compassion and respect, and for making moral decisions about how to act in the world. They heard a folk tale from Scotland about a seal…
Story 1 The Wounded Seal A Folk Tale from Scotland
From Moral Tales

Adapted from a Scottish folktale in The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Keightley (George Bell & Sons, 1882).Long ago in Scotland there was a small fishing village that stood at the edge of the sea….
Leader Resource 1: Empathy Scenarios
From Moral Tales

Scenario #1: Bullying on the Playground A bully and two of the bully’s friends are surrounding a child alone on the playground and making fun of his/her haircut. Another couple of children are watching from a short distance away but they aren’t sticking up for the child….
Leader Resource 2: Shoe Template
From Moral Tales

Printing This Handout Download a high-resolution copy of this Handout (PDF) for printing.
Leader Resource 3: Faith In Action Letters to Parents
From Moral Tales

Here are two sample letters to engage parents’ help in (1) the children’s retelling of “The Wounded Seal” or (2) a fundraising bake sale to help an organization working to protect seals from hunting. Customize as you wish for the long-term Faith in Action project you plan to do. Dear Parents, The…
Find Out More
From Moral Tales

Tonglin Meditation Learn more about the Buddhist practice of Tonglin meditation. Radical Self-Acceptance: A Buddhist Guide to Freeing Yourself from Shame by Tara Brach (Sounds True, 2000) is a three-CD set that includes a short guided Tonglin meditation. You may also want to explore writings and…