Tapestry of Faith: Building Bridges: A World Religions Program for 8th-9th Grades

Materials

Each activity includes a list of all materials needed for that activity. Have a poster of the Unitarian Universalist Association Principles and Sources for reference throughout the program. Create the Religions Time Line before the first workshop.

Creating the Religions Time Line

The time line can be created from standard poster board.

  • Purchase two sheets of 20- by 28-inch poster board in any light color.
  • Cut each sheet in half to create four 20- by 14-inch pieces.
  • Match two of the pieces along their 14-inch sides; overlap 2 inches.
  • Glue the 2-inch overlap together, making one 14- x 38-inch strip.
  • Match a third piece along one of the 14-inch sides; overlap 2 inches.
  • Glue the 2-inch overlap together, making one 14- by 56-inch strip.
  • Make a heavy, black horizontal line, centered, down the entire length of the 56-inch strip.
  • Write "Religions Time Line" across the top of the middle of the strip.
  • Starting at the far left edge, measure one inch from the edge; make a hatch mark across the central line, extending one inch above and one inch below. Continue making identical hatch marks at one-inch intervals along the entire length of the long line.
  • Go back to the left hand side, and count to the third hatch mark (three inches from the left edge). Darken this hatch mark with a heavier marker and lengthen it to four inches—two inches above and two inches below the central line. Then, count ten hatch marks more (13 inches from the left edge), and darken and extend this hatch mark the same way. Continue darkening every 10th hatch mark. Each hatch mark indicates a century; the heavier marks indicate a millennium (1,000 years).
  • Above the first heavy mark, write (with a marker that will be easily visible against the poster board) "3000 BCE." With the same dark marker, write "2000 BCE" above the next dark hatch mark, "1000 BCE" above the next, "YEAR 0" above the next, "1000 CE" above the next, and "2000 CE" above the last. There will be three inches before the 3000 BCE mark and three inches after the 2000 CE mark. (Note: "CE," denoting the Common Era, and "BCE," denoting Before the Common Era, are used here, having replaced the earlier standard of "AD," denoting Anno Domini and "BC," denoting Before Christ. The CE and BCE notations refer to the same years as their earlier counterparts, but are preferred for academic use as they do not refer explicitly to a particular faith or culture.)
  • The Religions Time Line is now ready to use. When you introduce a new religion, you will place a sticky note, with the name and date of the religion's inception, above or below the appropriate spot on the time line.

Holy Texts

Holy books are important for reference throughout the program. Comb your congregation's library and/or purchase them as soon as you decide which workshops you will offer. At a minimum, obtain a New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (Hebrew and Christian scriptures), a Qur'an, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao De Ching, and the Dhammapada.