Faith Curriculum Library: Tapestry of Faith: World of Wonder: A Program on the Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism for Grades K-1

Taking It Home: Lifecycles

Awaken to the universe's simple gift of the butterfly. Watch with fascination and joy as a jeweled treasure glides by and gently touches your soul. — Kristen D'Angelo, freelance writer, blogger, and photographer

IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned about metamorphosis in both butterflies and frogs. We heard the story "A Caterpillar Grows Up," made egg carton caterpillars, and role-played the life cycle of a frog.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... the life cycles of other creatures, such as dragonflies. Make the comparison to human birth and growth; consult the UUA's Kindergarten/1stGrade Our Whole Lives Sexuality (OWL) Education program for resources.

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...

A Family Adventure. The Faith in Action activity for this session invites families to become citizen scientists, as described in UU Loree Griffin Burns' book, Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard. Read the book together and choose a project.

Family Discovery. Watch nature shows, such as PBS Nature, Planet Earth or Life. Many wonderful videos show metamorphosis in time-lapse photography. On YouTube, watch Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle (2:11) or Frog Life Cycle (2:22).

A Family Game. Try a guided meditation or some creative movement to act out the metamorphosis of a frog or a butterfly. You'll find a Butterfly Soul Awakening mediation here. Maureen Garth's meditation books for children include Earthlight, Moonbeam, Starbright, Sunshine, and Inner Garden. Maria's Movers explains how to use poetry to inspire creative movement.

A Family Ritual. Make time each week to go for a nature walk with your family, even if it's only to your own back yard. Find ways to nurture your family's sense of wonder each day.