Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Riddle and Mystery: A Program on the Big Questions for Grade 6

Alternate Activity 1: Notable Thoughts

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Bag or box containing participants' Big Questions notebooks (see Session 1, Alternate Activity 1, Notable Thoughts)
  • Blank notebooks for new participants
  • Pencils or pens
  • Masking tape

Preparation for Activity

  • Retrieve participants' Big Questions notebooks begun in Session 1.
  • Set out supplies for new participants to start an individual notebook.

Description of Activity

Notable Thoughts is the first Alternate Activity in each session of Riddle and Mystery. Remind participants that this is a time for them to record their own ideas about today's Big Question. Distribute participants' notebooks and pencils or pens. Provide any new participants with notebooks. Say that the notebooks are private; you will keep them between sessions but not read them.

Tell the youth they will have about five minutes. Remind them of today's Big Question: "Why do bad things happen?" Say they can write about anything they want. Their ideas can be as different as they wish from what you have talked about so far. If youth have nothing to record, they are free to doodle or relax.

Give them a few minutes to work quietly in their notebooks. When time is up, offer that they may seal their notebooks with masking tape before handing them in. Collect the notebooks.