Faith CoLab: Tapestry of Faith: Love Will Guide Us: A Program for Grades 2-3 that Applies the Wisdom of the Six Sources to the Big Questions

Closing

Activity time: 7 minutes

Materials for Activity

Preparation for Activity

  • Print out Leader Resource 2, Source Star - Wise People. Copy for all participants, plus one to place on the Night Sky display. Cut out the stars.
  • Download, adapt, and copy Taking It Home for all participants (or plan to email it to all families after the session).
  • Write the words for the second UU Source on newsprint, and post:

Our Unitarian Universalist beliefs come from people of long ago and today whose lives remind us to be kind and fair.

  • Optional: Prepare to teach and lead the song "Our Sources."
    • Copy Session 1, Handout 3, Our Sources Lyrics, or write the words on newsprint, and post. Plan to store handouts or newsprint for re-use.
    • Learn the song so you can teach it to the group. Listen to the song online to familiarize yourself with it. You might invite a member of the choir or someone in the congregation comfortable leading songs to learn the song with you and help you.

Description of Activity

Gather participants at work tables. Invite them each to decorate a Source Star to take home and share with their family. You might suggest they draw about a wise lesson they have learned from someone from long ago. As children work, attach one star that says "We learn from Wise People" to the Night Sky.

When children are done, gather them in a circle. Take a moment to ask the children if they know what it means to be "prophetic." You might say:

Being prophetic means being especially wise and honest, and sharing your wisdom with others. Prophetic people tell important truths about how we should live together. In our story, we learned an important truth from Ralph Waldo Emerson and his daughter: Giving our time to someone else in a loving way is the best gift we can give.

Unitarian Universalists believe that wise lessons from prophetic people can point our way to love.

Indicate the second Source words posted on newsprint. Invite the children to follow along quietly as you read aloud:

Our Unitarian Universalist beliefs come from people of long ago and today whose lives remind us to be kind and fair.

Pause and invite volunteers to give an example of what that Source means. Invite them to suggest other people from now, or long ago, whose wisdom might be prophetic, that is, people who have shared important truths that can point us toward love.

If you wish to sing "Our Sources," distribute Session 1, Handout 3 or indicate the newsprint where you have posted the lyrics. Teach/lead the song, with a musical volunteer if you have invited someone to help. You might play the music clip of "Our Sources" for the children to sing along.

Distribute Taking It Home and thank participants.

Save the Night Sky display and the handouts/newsprint to use next time.

Including All Participants

At this age, children have a wide range of reading ability. Do not put individual children on the spot to read aloud.