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

Activity 1: Story - Phebe Hanaford Gets the Vote

Activity time: 10 minutes

Materials for Activity

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: Save some of this story's discussion questions for the next activity, when the children will be carving soap-a quiet, focused activity which may lend itself to conversation.

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:

Can you imagine spending more than 60 years trying to change something in the world? Of course, Phebe Hanaford was only one of many, many people, men and women, who worked for decades to win women the right to vote. You could think of each thing that each of these people did-every time they made plans at a meeting, or went to a march for women's suffrage, or spoke up about what they thought was right-as being like small drops of water. A single drop of water doesn't make much difference. But if enough drops trickle in, over enough time, then you have a river's worth of water that can change a whole landscape.

Lead a discussion using these questions:

  • What in your life have you worked at the longest?
  • Why do you think you have devoted such a long time to this particular activity?
  • What kept you going when you felt discouraged?
  • What rewards have you gotten from working at your activity so long?