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Elementary (Grades 4-6) and
Junior High/Middle School (Grades 7-8)
Curriculum
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Published in 2001 by Polebridge Press/Westar Institute, phone 877-523-3545, email nancy.gaspard@westarinstitute.org
Available from the publisher |
Jesus and His Kingdom of Equals
An Intermediate Curriculum for 4th-7th Graders on the Life and Teachings of JesusBy Cheryl Gibbs Binkley and Jane Mitchell McKeel
- Theme and Description
- This year-long curriculum introduces students in fourth through seventh grades to the life and teachings of Jesus. While based on the stories as told in the Gospels, this curriculum uses insights from modern Biblical and historical criticism where appropriate. It focuses on Jesus’ basic themes of love and justice, which remain true in any era.
- Goals for Participants
- To learn about the historical Jesus and the times in which he lived;
To reflect on important life themes such as forgiveness, equality, and justice through Gospel stories (canonical and gnostic).
- Age Range
- Children in grades 4-7
- Size of Group
- Unspecified
- Space Requirements
- Space for a comfortable circle and a workplace with tables.
- Number and Length of Sessions
- 33 sessions
Length: Unspecified. Estimated: one hour or more. - Leader Training
- No special training is required. It is recommended that this curriculum be taught by a team.
- Leader Preparation
- Time is unspecified.
- Strengths
- Introduces children to important ideas, concepts, and symbols in the Judeo/Christian tradition as well as to the teachings of Jesus.
A high quality curriculum: organized, creative, clear, complete.
Provides depth in a topic important to UU heritage, Western culture, and faith development.
Includes many hands-on and multimedia activities.
Detailed lesson plans offer multiple activities.
Emphasizes ethics and values and includes a service project. - Limitations
- This curriculum works best with continuity in attendance and leadership.
- Adaptability
- Provides a range of activities to accommodate different learning styles, and encourages leaders to adapt accordingly.
Can be adapted for upper elementary or middle school. - Unitarian Universalist Values
- Uses the teachings of Jesus as a foundation for developing faith, ethics, and values in keeping with UU values. And, obviously, the topic draws from one of the six sources of the Living Tradition of Unitarian Universalism.
Reviewed on June 30, 2004
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Curricula
