Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: Sing to the Power: A Social Justice Program for Children Grades 4-5

Activity 1: Story - The Power of Water

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Story, "The Power of Water"
  • Optional: A computer with Internet access, and a large monitor or digital projector

Preparation for Activity

  • Read the story and prepare to share it with the group.
  • Read the discussion questions. Choose those that will best help the children share their interpretations of the story and relate it to their own lives.
  • Optional: Preview this aerial footage of the Grand Canyon on YouTube. Test equipment and Internet access to show the video to the group.

Description of Activity

Read or tell the story to the group.

After the story, invite the group to be silent for a moment to think about the story.

Then, ask participants to recap the story in their own words. What they recall indicates what they found most meaningful or memorable.

Say something like:

It's hard to imagine how something a yielding as water, which generally moves around obstacles rather than through them, could carve something as enormous as the Grand Canyon. But people exercising the steady power of water have managed to accomplish amazing things.

Lead a discussion using these questions:

  • Have you ever worked to come up with a solution with another person or group of people who wanted something different than you did?
  • Has the solution from a situation like that ever been better than what you imagined you wanted to begin with?
  • What's the best thing you've ever accomplished by being flexible or creative about how to get what you want?