Elementary School
- Details
- Category: Youth Education
Kindergarden and First Grade
“Stories About God”
Children ages five to seven begin to build a Unitarian Universalist identity through an age-appropriate exploration of different concepts of the term “God”. The class will discuss “God” as the light within us all, the conscience, nature and the world around us, and the love between each other as well as Judeo-Christian, Hindu, Native American, Muslim, and Goddess-centered ideas about the embodiment of God. Our implicit curriculum will focus on living in covenant with each other, confronting the natural stereotyping that arises from the categorical thinking of this age, and understanding that church is a place where we come to ask questions and learn from one another.
Second and Third Grades
“Timeless Themes”
Timeless Themes introduces children to religious literature which is central to our culture and our heritage as Unitarian Universalists. The program examines two sets of scriptures: the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible. The primary goal is to tell stories that are often told or referred to in our culture. In each story, several ethical themes are presented, making this course multidimensional and giving it a depth that is approachable by many developmental levels. The patriarchal language is tempered, but otherwise the stories are told in their original form, be it poetry, song, or prose. Children in this class have an opportunity to engage these writings through drama, art, puzzles, games, and other forms of creative expression.
Fourth and Fifth Grades
“Living the Promise”
Children ages nine through eleven will delve into the Jewish and Christian Texts this year with our “Living the Promise” program. The foundation of our Unitarian Universalist Faith is our Covenant with one another, and the history of the Bible is one of making, breaking, and renewing Covenants. We will explore this connection to our Judeo-Christian heritage on both the Unitarian and Universalist sides thorugh the Biblical focus on the way in which we treat one another. We also seek to relate this information in culturally relevant ways with an understanding of the predominate culture in which we live.
