Sunday Week 5: COmpassion iN action
background information
In addition to the link above to Background Information for this week's topic, there is a lot of useful background information about Compassion in general on the Home Page
Click here to navigate to that page.
Click here to navigate to that page.
class outline
Teaching Our Children About and With Compassion
Foothills Congregational Church Summer 2013
Class Outline
BEFORE CLASS
9:30 Set-up your classroom for the day.
Preschool-2nd grade will meet in the downstairs classroom.
2nd-6th grade will meet in the upstairs classroom.
Youth in 7th-12th grade are encouraged to stay in church, but are also welcome to be
teaching assistants in the other classes. (7th-9th downstairs,10th-12th upstairs)
9:45 Meet in the upstairs classroom to confer with teachers and staff about any last minute
logistics or questions about the curriculum.
10:00 Enter church
10:15 Come forward for the Children’s Sermon and then exit church with the children.
Escort your class to your room.
IN CLASS
Welcome
It is important to welcome each child by name. Since we are teaching about compassion, the intimacy this fosters is important. You probably will not know each child by name. You may choose one of several methods to learn their names:
You could have the children introduce themselves and answer a question
Example: My name is Michelle and my favorite animal is a cat.
You can challenge students to see if anyone already knows everyone’s name and then have that person name everyone.
You could simply introduce yourself and shake hands as you say the names of the kids who you know and ask the names of the people whose names you don’t know.
Click here for more fun ways to learn names.
Theme Song Play the video of the theme song The Lord is Merciful and Compassionate.
Encourage the kids to sing along and follow the hand motions.
Centering Activity
Part of compassion is being able to notice the activities and people around us, including ourselves. We will begin each class by playing The Noticing Game.
The Noticing Game
Ask children to sit comfortably in a position they can be still in for 5 minutes.
They can assume a common meditation pose if they would like, sitting cross legged on the floor or sitting straight-backed in a chair, with the hands on their lap. Any position will work as long as it’s comfortable.
Expect the younger class to move the parts of their body you refer to. They are kinesthetic learners.
Say: “Breathe in through your nose. Notice where you can feel the breath moving into your body. Can you feel it in your nose? In your throat? Can you feel your chest rise? Hold your breath for a brief moment and then exhale. Where can you feel your breath exiting your body?
Now take a second to notice your body. Pay attention to your head and your shoulders. If they feel tight, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to the tightness and makes you feel relaxed. Pay attention to your core, between your neck and your legs. If you notice any tension, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to the tension and you feel relaxed. Pay attention to your arms and legs, your hands and your feet. Try to make them smooth, warm, and relaxed. If they feel fidgety or tight, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to them, warming them and relaxing you all over.
Now notice what is around you. Is there a shape or a color that catches your attention? Can you find something else in the room that is the same shape or color? Notice who is here today. Is there someone you expected to see today who is not here? Is there someone here you are especially excited to see today?
Take a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh (demonstrate)
Do this one more time. Now turn your focus into the center of the class so we can all see each other. Everyone will now share something they noticed during this exercise.”
Go around the room and let each person share something they noticed. Make room for small
things and big things. “I noticed the red circle on the bulletin board” and “I noticed I felt like
crying.”
Take note of the names of anyone who was missed or kids the others were excited to see.
Give these names to the Children's Program Coordinator, Amelie, so she can follow-up.
Introduce the topic of the day
Each Sunday we’ll introduce an aspect of compassion. Give the kids an opportunity to tell
you what they already know about the aspect you are studying today, then you can share a
brief definition.
Give kids a choice of activities
Each Sunday there will be several activities for you to choose from. These activities are based on the theory of multiple intelligences. Click here for an explanation of this theory. The basic idea is that each child has a preferred way of learning. By choosing activities from different preferred methods, more children learn more comfortably. Please choose two activities to use the Sunday you teach. It can be useful to have a third activity prepared in case they move through the first two quickly.
Ending Ritual
The Children’s Program officially ends at 11:15. Sometimes parents come into the room as
soon as church is out, which is earlier than 11:15, especially in the summer. Begin your ending ritual at 11:10 or when parents begin to come into the room. You can invite the early arriving parents to join you.
We will end each class with a prayer for the world. Begin by asking the children to repeat
after you, line by line. You could say, "This is a repeat after me prayer."
We pray that all beings will be free.
We pray that all beings will be happy.
We pray that all beings will be safe.
We pray that all beings will awaken to the light of their true nature.
We pray that all beings will be free.
If there is time, go back over each sentence and ask children to name people/places/animals they would like to pray for.
“Who do we wish would be happy/safe/free?”
At the end say, “Amen,” and invite the children to help you clean-up the room.
Foothills Congregational Church Summer 2013
Class Outline
BEFORE CLASS
9:30 Set-up your classroom for the day.
Preschool-2nd grade will meet in the downstairs classroom.
2nd-6th grade will meet in the upstairs classroom.
Youth in 7th-12th grade are encouraged to stay in church, but are also welcome to be
teaching assistants in the other classes. (7th-9th downstairs,10th-12th upstairs)
9:45 Meet in the upstairs classroom to confer with teachers and staff about any last minute
logistics or questions about the curriculum.
10:00 Enter church
10:15 Come forward for the Children’s Sermon and then exit church with the children.
Escort your class to your room.
IN CLASS
Welcome
It is important to welcome each child by name. Since we are teaching about compassion, the intimacy this fosters is important. You probably will not know each child by name. You may choose one of several methods to learn their names:
You could have the children introduce themselves and answer a question
Example: My name is Michelle and my favorite animal is a cat.
You can challenge students to see if anyone already knows everyone’s name and then have that person name everyone.
You could simply introduce yourself and shake hands as you say the names of the kids who you know and ask the names of the people whose names you don’t know.
Click here for more fun ways to learn names.
Theme Song Play the video of the theme song The Lord is Merciful and Compassionate.
Encourage the kids to sing along and follow the hand motions.
Centering Activity
Part of compassion is being able to notice the activities and people around us, including ourselves. We will begin each class by playing The Noticing Game.
The Noticing Game
Ask children to sit comfortably in a position they can be still in for 5 minutes.
They can assume a common meditation pose if they would like, sitting cross legged on the floor or sitting straight-backed in a chair, with the hands on their lap. Any position will work as long as it’s comfortable.
Expect the younger class to move the parts of their body you refer to. They are kinesthetic learners.
Say: “Breathe in through your nose. Notice where you can feel the breath moving into your body. Can you feel it in your nose? In your throat? Can you feel your chest rise? Hold your breath for a brief moment and then exhale. Where can you feel your breath exiting your body?
Now take a second to notice your body. Pay attention to your head and your shoulders. If they feel tight, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to the tightness and makes you feel relaxed. Pay attention to your core, between your neck and your legs. If you notice any tension, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to the tension and you feel relaxed. Pay attention to your arms and legs, your hands and your feet. Try to make them smooth, warm, and relaxed. If they feel fidgety or tight, take a deep breath and imagine your breath travels to them, warming them and relaxing you all over.
Now notice what is around you. Is there a shape or a color that catches your attention? Can you find something else in the room that is the same shape or color? Notice who is here today. Is there someone you expected to see today who is not here? Is there someone here you are especially excited to see today?
Take a deep breath and let it out with a heavy sigh (demonstrate)
Do this one more time. Now turn your focus into the center of the class so we can all see each other. Everyone will now share something they noticed during this exercise.”
Go around the room and let each person share something they noticed. Make room for small
things and big things. “I noticed the red circle on the bulletin board” and “I noticed I felt like
crying.”
Take note of the names of anyone who was missed or kids the others were excited to see.
Give these names to the Children's Program Coordinator, Amelie, so she can follow-up.
Introduce the topic of the day
Each Sunday we’ll introduce an aspect of compassion. Give the kids an opportunity to tell
you what they already know about the aspect you are studying today, then you can share a
brief definition.
Give kids a choice of activities
Each Sunday there will be several activities for you to choose from. These activities are based on the theory of multiple intelligences. Click here for an explanation of this theory. The basic idea is that each child has a preferred way of learning. By choosing activities from different preferred methods, more children learn more comfortably. Please choose two activities to use the Sunday you teach. It can be useful to have a third activity prepared in case they move through the first two quickly.
Ending Ritual
The Children’s Program officially ends at 11:15. Sometimes parents come into the room as
soon as church is out, which is earlier than 11:15, especially in the summer. Begin your ending ritual at 11:10 or when parents begin to come into the room. You can invite the early arriving parents to join you.
We will end each class with a prayer for the world. Begin by asking the children to repeat
after you, line by line. You could say, "This is a repeat after me prayer."
We pray that all beings will be free.
We pray that all beings will be happy.
We pray that all beings will be safe.
We pray that all beings will awaken to the light of their true nature.
We pray that all beings will be free.
If there is time, go back over each sentence and ask children to name people/places/animals they would like to pray for.
“Who do we wish would be happy/safe/free?”
At the end say, “Amen,” and invite the children to help you clean-up the room.
Example of a sighing breath for the opening activity
resources for Week 5: Compassion in Action
topic for Week 5: Compassion in Action
com·pas·sion(km-pshn) n.
Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.
It is important to note that compassion is an action word. It is not simply feeling something about an issue, but doing something about it. Today we will focus on acton stories and concrete things we can do to show our compassion.
Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it.
It is important to note that compassion is an action word. It is not simply feeling something about an issue, but doing something about it. Today we will focus on acton stories and concrete things we can do to show our compassion.
theme song
activity choices
The Good Samaritan: Verbal Linguistic and Interpersonal learners
(Easy Preparation)
Leader preparation:
Read Luke 10:25–37, the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. Be sure to read verses 34b and 35 carefully. Consider that as Jesus was telling this story he might have legitimately asked a
different question from the one in verse 36. This is a new question that your children can answer correctly, if they listen very closely: How many people acted as a neighbor to the beaten-up man? Ponder the answer as you prepare this session. Be prepared to help the children also understand the selfless act of the innkeeper, who trusted that the Samaritan would someday return and settle the bill.
Supplies:
•Bible
•markers and newsprint or whiteboard
Share this familiar parable that all but your youngest children may have heard before. Ask them to listen for a different ending to the story. Write the words "Good Samaritan" on the newsprint or whiteboard. Explain to the children that Samaritans were people who were not liked by the people of Israel. Even though the Samaritans worshiped the same God, they had their own
temple away from Jerusalem. Samaritans were a mixed-race people and therefore not accepted by the people of Israel. Samaritans were discriminated against unfairly, and life was hard for them in that part of the country.
Now read the Luke 10:25–37 to the children. Be slow and deliberate as you read verses 34b and 35, letting the children watch you puzzle over it. Invite the children to listen carefully to the part about the innkeeper. When the story is over, ask:
•How many people ignored the beaten-up man and walked away?
•Who were they?
•How many people took the time to help the injured man?
Help the children to understand that both the beaten-up man and the innkeeper trusted the Samaritan and saw him as a helpful neighbor. Note for the children that the story ends before we find out what happened. Say:
•I wonder if the beaten-up man healed from his wounds.
•I wonder if the Samaritan ever returned to the inn to check on the injured
man and pay the rest of the bill.
Give plenty of time for their responses. Then ask:
How many people showed compassion in this story?
How can you show compassion to people in your life?
Leader preparation:
Read Luke 10:25–37, the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. Be sure to read verses 34b and 35 carefully. Consider that as Jesus was telling this story he might have legitimately asked a
different question from the one in verse 36. This is a new question that your children can answer correctly, if they listen very closely: How many people acted as a neighbor to the beaten-up man? Ponder the answer as you prepare this session. Be prepared to help the children also understand the selfless act of the innkeeper, who trusted that the Samaritan would someday return and settle the bill.
Supplies:
•Bible
•markers and newsprint or whiteboard
Share this familiar parable that all but your youngest children may have heard before. Ask them to listen for a different ending to the story. Write the words "Good Samaritan" on the newsprint or whiteboard. Explain to the children that Samaritans were people who were not liked by the people of Israel. Even though the Samaritans worshiped the same God, they had their own
temple away from Jerusalem. Samaritans were a mixed-race people and therefore not accepted by the people of Israel. Samaritans were discriminated against unfairly, and life was hard for them in that part of the country.
Now read the Luke 10:25–37 to the children. Be slow and deliberate as you read verses 34b and 35, letting the children watch you puzzle over it. Invite the children to listen carefully to the part about the innkeeper. When the story is over, ask:
•How many people ignored the beaten-up man and walked away?
•Who were they?
•How many people took the time to help the injured man?
Help the children to understand that both the beaten-up man and the innkeeper trusted the Samaritan and saw him as a helpful neighbor. Note for the children that the story ends before we find out what happened. Say:
•I wonder if the beaten-up man healed from his wounds.
•I wonder if the Samaritan ever returned to the inn to check on the injured
man and pay the rest of the bill.
Give plenty of time for their responses. Then ask:
How many people showed compassion in this story?
How can you show compassion to people in your life?
magazine activity: Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and Visual Learners
Supplies:
Blank note cards
Picture Books or magazines with people displaying different emotions
A list of emotions (link)
Blank note cards
Picture Books or magazines with people displaying different emotions
A list of emotions (link)
- 1
Write down one emotion on a blank note card. Include emotions like happy, sad, angry and embarrassed. - 2
Lay out the cards in front of your child and go over what each emotion means. - 3
- Flip through a magazine or picture book with your child. Have him guess which emotion the person is feeling based on the facial expression.
- 4
Brainstorm with your child on ways you can make someone feel better if the person is experiencing a negative emotion, and ways we can celebrate with someone if they are experiencing a positinve emotion.
Sending Happy Mail
Supplies:
Names & addresses of children from the link below.
Card Stock
A list of hopeful things to write
Click here for a list of quotes about hope
Click here for a list of inspirational quotes for children
Pens
Markers
Stickers
Envelopes
Stamps
This project is to make cards of hope for sick children. The Hugs & Hope Club for Sick Kids was
created by Marsha Jordan in October 2000, as a ministry of encouragement for children battling critical illness. Every month they feature new stories and photos of sick children on their website. Visitors and volunteers pray for, encourage, and send these children cheery postal mail (a.k.a."happy mail"). Volunteers also sponsor many special projects to brighten the lives of the children on a regular basis!
"Happy Mail" Wanted!
Children fighting for their lives have very little to smile about. You can change that by
sending them some "Happy Mail." Cheery cards give these kids a few more smiles, a little more hope, and a reason to get out of bed each day.
Experience the satisfaction of making a sick child's day and giving them something to look forward to. Send a card and a hug -- one of the smiles you create just might be your own!
IMPORTANT: Please mail an individual envelope to each specific child. Addresses are provided for each of our kids, so they can receive your happy mail directly from you to their mail
box. DO NOT send mail for the children to the office address.
Please do not write "I hope you get better" because for some of the recipients they know they will not get better. Instead write things that foster hope and show compassion.
Click here to read more
Click here to choose a child to send a card to. Choose one of the children highlighted in
Yellow. Also consider sending "Thank you for providing hope for sick children" cards to the doctors listed.
If you want to print labels and send cards to all of HugsandHope's active list,
click here.
Names & addresses of children from the link below.
Card Stock
A list of hopeful things to write
Click here for a list of quotes about hope
Click here for a list of inspirational quotes for children
Pens
Markers
Stickers
Envelopes
Stamps
This project is to make cards of hope for sick children. The Hugs & Hope Club for Sick Kids was
created by Marsha Jordan in October 2000, as a ministry of encouragement for children battling critical illness. Every month they feature new stories and photos of sick children on their website. Visitors and volunteers pray for, encourage, and send these children cheery postal mail (a.k.a."happy mail"). Volunteers also sponsor many special projects to brighten the lives of the children on a regular basis!
"Happy Mail" Wanted!
Children fighting for their lives have very little to smile about. You can change that by
sending them some "Happy Mail." Cheery cards give these kids a few more smiles, a little more hope, and a reason to get out of bed each day.
Experience the satisfaction of making a sick child's day and giving them something to look forward to. Send a card and a hug -- one of the smiles you create just might be your own!
IMPORTANT: Please mail an individual envelope to each specific child. Addresses are provided for each of our kids, so they can receive your happy mail directly from you to their mail
box. DO NOT send mail for the children to the office address.
Please do not write "I hope you get better" because for some of the recipients they know they will not get better. Instead write things that foster hope and show compassion.
Click here to read more
Click here to choose a child to send a card to. Choose one of the children highlighted in
Yellow. Also consider sending "Thank you for providing hope for sick children" cards to the doctors listed.
If you want to print labels and send cards to all of HugsandHope's active list,
click here.
Project Linus: Kinesthetic, Mathmateical, Spatial learners
Supplies:
2 pieces of fleece
Masking or painter's tape
Sharp Scissors
Ruler
Chalk
A large table
This project is to make a blanket that will be given to a sick child.
Please let the Children's Program Coordinator, Amelie, or the Associate Minister, Michelle, know if you do not complete the blanket. We will have another teacher finish it on a later Sunday.
Once the blanket is done, wash it in unscented laundery soap and take it to one of the local Linus Project drop-off locations. Click the link to find a drop-off location http://sjlinus.org/
2 pieces of fleece
Masking or painter's tape
Sharp Scissors
Ruler
Chalk
A large table
This project is to make a blanket that will be given to a sick child.
Please let the Children's Program Coordinator, Amelie, or the Associate Minister, Michelle, know if you do not complete the blanket. We will have another teacher finish it on a later Sunday.
Once the blanket is done, wash it in unscented laundery soap and take it to one of the local Linus Project drop-off locations. Click the link to find a drop-off location http://sjlinus.org/
click here for the drop-off location
Consider playing this song while doing one of the activities.