Everything in nature contains all the power of nature. Everything is made of one hidden stuff. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

IN TODAY’S SESSION… we conducted experiments to create and observe transformations of state—liquid to gas to solid. We talked about the scientific explanations for the transformations we created. We highlighted that our Unitarian Universalists faith allows us to view transformations as both science and miracle at the same time.

EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about… the physical transformations occurring in your family all the time. If you have a height chart or a photo collection that spans a few years, look at it together. Identify the slow transformations related to growth and aging. Talk about whether you believe growth and aging are miraculous. Why, or why not?

EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Go out and see—or learn how to do—some sleight-of-hand magic. Focus on the tricks that involve transformations such as objects or live animals seeming to appear or disappear. Who enjoys the mystery of a clever magic trick? Who feels eager to know how the magic trick is done? What, if anything, do family members think a magic trick and a miracle have in common? Why are they not the same?

Family Discovery. Place an ice cube on a plate, set it on a table and simply watch it melt. How long does it take? Does the melting ice cube strike you as miraculous? If it melted more quickly, or instantly, would you feel more awe? Does understanding why the ice turns into water completely prevent a feeling of miracle?

Family Adventure. Obtain a copy of The Everything Kids' Easy Science Experiments Book by J. Elizabeth Mills, or another book of easy science experiments, either online or from a bookstore or library.

Read together The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: The Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia.