In Our Hands, Grades 4-6
A Peace and Social Justice ProgramBy Barry Andrews and Pat Hoertdoerfer
- Theme and Description
- Provides opportunities for children to explore their own knowledge and feelings about peace and justice. Helps children learn about various concepts of peace and justice and explore how to promote peace and justice within themselves, in their relationships with others, in their roles as Unitarian Universalists, and as human beings on our earth.
- Goals for Participants
- To involve children in a holistic approach to exploring peace and justice issues;
To encourage children to express their visions of peace and justice in concrete actions and projects;
To identify their own understandings, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings about peace and justice;
To explore how one promotes peace and justice within oneself;
To gain an understanding of the nature of conflict;
To experience working with methods of creative conflict resolution;
To see the earth as a precious, interrelated, and interdependent whole, and to see themselves as earth stewards.
- Age Range
- 9-12
- Size of Group
- 4-15
- Space Requirements
- A clean, bright, aesthetically pleasing space large enough to accommodate a variety of activities: guided imagery, creative movement, role-plays, arts and crafts projects, songs, and cooperative games.
- Number and Length of Sessions
- 16 sessions
Length: 1 hour - Leader Training
- Knowledge of and experience in teaching this age level, plus a careful reading of each session, are necessary. The program includes an excellent rationale for UU peace and social justice education, an annotated bibliography, and explanations of the structure of each session. If a leader has no previous experience in leading centering exercises, facilitating discussions and small-group work, or integrating songs into a classroom experience, participation in a workshop that teaches these skills is advised.
- Leader Preparation
- 2 to 4 hours per session. Team teaching is recommended, so initial team planning and monthly meetings may add to preparation time.
- Strengths
- Offers activities and materials that are developmentally and psychologically appropriate for this age group.
Contains clear, well-organized lesson plans.
Suggests an excellent variety of activities, such as guided imagery, creative movement, cooperative games, discussions, small-group work, role-plays, and songs.
Offers a section in each unit that promotes action, including service projects and a field trip.
Provides ways of integrating peace and social justice concerns into the life of the entire congregation (e.g., mural gift, guest interviews, earth stewardship project).
Offers a simple worship ritual at the close of each session.
Provides resources, including an annotated bibliography, index to songs (music and lyrics), and participant handouts.
Self-contained session plans make erratic attendance more manageable. - Limitations
- Requires significant leader time and effort.
Underestimates time needed to complete sessions. - Adaptability
- Adaptable to varying numbers of participants from smaller, single-age/grade groups to large, multi-age groups, including intergenerational ones.
Selected sessions can be adapted for camps and conference settings, retreats, family weekends, teacher/leader training, and development workshops. - Unitarian Universalist Values
- The program emphasizes UU Principles through the use of the chalice as a UU symbol in the closing of each session; the story of Unitarian King John Sigismund, connecting the values of Unitarian Universalism and the actions of a peacemaker/justice-builder (Session 11); and the sharing by congregational members of religious values that motivate their vocation and volunteer efforts (Session 12).
Principles that are affirmed, promoted, and modeled throughout the program include the inherent worth and dignity of every person; justice, equity, and compassion in human relations; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; and respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
Reviewed on June 30, 1996
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