RE Curriculum
Year
3
3: First quarter, October
through December
Age range: 5 and up
Centered on approx. age 8
Topic: Unitarian Universalist Identity
10 sessions in the topic area; plus one seasonal session, one session
on Christmas, and one week off.
Sessions in topic area:
We Believe (complete session plans and workbook designed for families and
tiny church schools), eight sessions:
- 8: Dorothea Dix
- 9: A very short rule
- 10: Used-to-thinks
- 11: Asking questions
- 12: A vote for everyone
- 13: In harmony
- 14: The web of nature
Three sessions based on A Stream of Living Souls, volume II:
use the stories below with the basic session plan from CLF Religious
Education in the Home.
- Norbert Capek
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Beatrix Potter
Seasonal session:
Choose one holiday from CLF's Cycle of Seasons that has special
meaning to your family, and celebrate it together as a family
OR
Celebrate the solstice using a celebration from Starhawk's Circle
Round.
Christmas session:
Celebrate Christmas together as a family. Tell the Christmas
story using the version in From Long Ago and Many Lands.
One week off.
______________________________________
3: Second quarter, January
through March
Age range: 6-10
Centered on approx. age 8
Topic: Our Jewish and Christian heritage
10 sessions in the topic area; plus one seasonal session, one session
on Easter, and one week off.
Sessions in the topic area:
Ten sessions based on stories from From Long Ago and Many Lands,
using basic session plan.
Three miracle birth stories that are related to Christmas:
Four stories from the Hebrew scriptures:
- "The Trees Choose a King"
- "King Saul Finds a Harpist"
- "David and Jonathan Become Friends"
- "Wise King Solomon"
Two stories from the Christian scriptures:
- "Jesus at a Wedding Party"
- "The Jewish Traveler and the Robbers"
One story from the Rabbinic tradition:
The stories may be used in any order that pleases you, but we recommend
that you group the stories from the Hebrew and Christian scriptures
together, and that you present the three miracle birth stories in the
weeks immediately following Christmas ("The Birth of Jesus"
works well in the week nearest the Christian holiday of Epiphany, the
holiday which commemorates the arrival of the three wise men at Bethlehem).
Seasonal session:
Choose one holiday from CLF's Cycle of Seasons that has special
meaning to your family, and celebrate it together as a family
OR
Celebrate the equinox using a celebration from Starhawk's Circle
Round.
Easter session:
Once again this year, use session #21 on Easter from Special Times.
One week off.
______________________________________
3: Third quarter, April
through June
Age range: 6-10
Centered on approx. age 8
Topic: Wisdom from the world's religions
10 sessions in the topic area; plus one seasonal session, and two weeks
off.
Sessions in the topic area:
Ten sessions based on stories from From Long Ago and Many Lands,
using basic session plan.
Two stories from the Upanishads (ancient Hindu scriptures):
- "The Fig Seed"
- "The Lump of Salt"
One story from the life of Gautama Buddha:
- "Gautama Finds Out for Himself" (you might review "The
Birth of Buddha" with this story)
Three Jataka tales (Jataka tales are stories that by tradition were
told by Buddha himself) chosen from these four stories:
- "The Dog and the Heartless King"
- "The Nervous Little Rabbit"
- "The Old Bowl"
- "The Two Friends"
Three stories from the ancient Buddhist scriptures:
- "The Question of King Milinda"
- "The Mustard-Seed Medicine"
- "A Musician and His Trumpet"
The stories may be used in any order that pleases you. The basic order
above represents a rough chronological order, from early Hindu stories,
to the life of Buddha, to stories supposedly told by Buddha, to stories
later incorporated in Buddhist scriptures. We do recommend grouping
the Jataka tales together, and having these sessions come right after
the story about Gautama's life -- that way, you can introduce the Jataka
tales as ones that were told by Buddha, and the children will have some
idea of who Buddha was.
Seasonal session:
Choose one holiday from CLF's Cycle of Seasons that has special
meaning to your family, and celebrate it together as a family
OR
Celebrate the solstice using a celebration from Starhawk's Circle
Round.
Two weeks off.
______________________________________
3: Fourth quarter, July
through September
Age range: 6-10
Centered on approx. age 8
Topic: Social justice -- recycling
9 sessions in the topic area; plus one seasonal session, two weeks
off, and one annual session of evaluation (and assessment) in mid-September.
Sessions in the topic area:
Using 50 Simple things Kids Can Do To Recycle, plan and carry
out recycling projects of your choice. Meet weekly and use the basic
session plan. For the activity, reflect on how your recycling project
went, then choose a new recycling project (if you're ready for a new
one).
Seasonal session:
Choose one holiday from CLF's Cycle of Seasons that has special
meaning to your family, and celebrate it together as a family
OR
Celebrate the equinox using a celebration from Starhawk's Circle
Round.
Evaluation session:
Remembering -- Brainstorm list of memorable Sunday school sessions
from the past year.
Evaluating: From the children's point of view, what were the best
sessions?
Revisiting the covenant: Review Sunday school covenant you created.
Does it need to be revised? When done, sign it again for this year.
See the Introduction for more
on assessment and evaluation sessions.
Two weeks off.
 RE
Curriculum Home
Last updated September 24, 2008
|
