A World of New Friends:

An Introduction to World Religions

For children ages 8 to 11 by the end of 2010

Children are introduced to the religion and traditions of an imaginary class-mate through their family celebrations, art, stories, games, food and holidays.

The curriculum by Sara L. Sautter covers

• Christianity
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Traditional Chinese religions (Confucianism, Taoism)
• Earth-centered religions
• Sikhism
• Judaism

Method of delivery

After an introduction all together, children will break into smaller groups to explore different centres, each designed to meet different learning styles.

The Blue Centre

(Verbal/Linguistic and Visual/Spatial)

Children will be encouraged to use the written word. Activities will include word cards, research materials, poetry and story telling. The centre will also encourage children to integrate information through pictures by using activities like story illustration and collage making.

The Red Centre

(Bodily/Kinesthetic and Musical Rhythmic)

Tapes of traditional religious and cultural music will be available along with rhythm instruments for students to make their own music. The centre will encourage children to learn through touch and movement, dramatics, role playing and games. 



The Yellow Centre

(Logical/Mathematical)

This centre will encourage scientific thinking. Some lessons will include measuring, charting, labeling and matching activities.

During a close, all together again, discussion questions will encourage children to explore how the customs of the featured religion impact our Unitarian Universalist faith, as well as their own lives.

Teachers

This program requires a team of three adults each Sunday:

• One Lead Teacher
• Two Helpers

All three must read the background information, and activities are prepared in advance.

The Lead Teacher opens and closes the sessions. As the children rotate through each learning centre, all three teachers staff a centre.

In order to share the load, we’re looking for a team of about six, who can share the Leader and Helper roles, as they’re comfortable.

Teachers commit to around 8 to 10 Sundays between September and late May, and work with their team mates to create a schedule that works for everyone.  For more information about Teaching Teams, click here.