Session 13: Seeds of Character Part of Amazing Grace In This Section Introduction From Amazing Grace Dig for the seeds of character with the NEW Session 13, in the 6th grade "Amazing Grace" Tapestry of Faith curriculum for 6th grade! Session-at-a-Glance From Amazing Grace ACTIVITY, MINUTES, Opening 5, Activity 1: Story – The Seeds of Character 10, Activity 2: Wholesome or Unwholesome 10 Spiritual Preparation From Amazing Grace Explore your own ideas about what it takes to be a good person in the world. Where did your ideas about good and bad behaviors and choices come from? Opening From Amazing Grace Who is a character you admire, and what is it about their character that appeals to you? Activity 1: Story - Seeds in the Mind-Garden From Amazing Grace The group considers a garden as a metaphor for the lifelong process in which our character traits—positive, negative, ambiguous, or neutral... Activity 2: Wholesome or Unwholesome From Amazing Grace This “spectrum” activity allows a bit of movement as participants respond to ten character traits. Activity 3: Building The Mind-Garden From Amazing Grace Small groups create a model of a garden with the seeds of character. Activity 4: Garden Statuary From Amazing Grace This is a physical, charades-like activity exploring our good and bad traits. Closing From Amazing Grace Activity time: 3 minutes Materials for Activity Copies of Taking It Home, one for each participant Preparation for Activity Create a handout from Taking... Leader Reflection and Planning From Amazing Grace Meet with your co-leaders after the session to reflect on how it went. How was your mix of discussion and action? Have you successfully found ways to... Faith In Action: Nurturing the Seeds of Character From Amazing Grace Youth apply the metaphor of the seeds to taking action toward the positive outcomes they want to see in the world. Alternate Activity 1: When Our Thoughts Are Actions From Amazing Grace A discussion around negative and positive self-talk, rooted in the science of neuroplasticity. Ask youth what they know about how their brain works. Alternate Activity 2: Ethics Play From Amazing Grace Participants play a game replicating real-life situations involving ethical decisions. Alternate Activity 3: Impulse Freeze Tag From Amazing Grace This physical game actively demonstrates the relationship between temptation, impulse, action, and conscience. Taking It Home: The Seeds of Character From Amazing Grace Talk about the metaphor of garden of seeds inside of each of us. Does your family agree with the idea that we have both good and bad traits, and that... Story - Seeds in the Mind Garden From Amazing Grace In his book, Understanding Our Own Mind, the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh tells this story: If you plant a seed in springtime Find Out More From Amazing Grace The website for Plum Village, a monastic community in France founded by Buddhist Monk and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, details his life... PREVIOUS: Find Out More UP: Amazing Grace NEXT: Introduction Download all of Amazing Grace (Word) to edit and print.