A Stepping-Stone Year

			A Stepping-Stone Year

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A Program for Eight to Ten Year Olds

Author: Margaret K. Gooding

Publisher: Unitarian Universalist Association

Pub. Date: 1989

Available From: UUA Bookstore

Theme and Description This program is based on the premise that religion helps people find answers to important life questions and that a religious community can help people in their search for answers. Units include Beginning Myths, Stories Science Tells Us, The Wonder of Birth, Adventures of Our People (American, Canadian, and English UUs), Wonderings About Death, and Making Decisions.

Goals for Participants

To form ideas about how the world began after examining various myths and theories
To stimulate thinking and decision-making through discovery of the questions, story, lore, and vision of Unitarian Universalists--past and present
To take beginning steps in formulating their religious concepts and identities
To become part of a religious community, to make friends, to learn, and to have fun.

Age Range Ages 8 to 11

Size of Group 6 to 15

Space Requirements An average-sized room, suitable for discussion, art projects, and games. Access to a kitchen.

Number of Sessions 35

Length of Sessions 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Leader Training The introduction contains helpful information about teaching, characteristics of the age group, and reading resources. Suggestions of teaching processes are included in each session.

Leader Preparation Approximately 2 hours per session

Strengths

Provides a complete, year-long program, including background reading for leaders, craft howto's, good discussion questions, and values activities
Makes excellent use of established programs and resources, such as Beginnings and From Long Ago and Many Lands
Offers good suggestions for communication with parents
Includes a simple closing activity in each session.

Limitations

May require leaders to add more variety to the program with easy-to-do, creative art activities
Lacks correlations and comparisons within and between the myths, as well as scientific explanations of the beginning of life.

Adaptability If leaders adapt ideas and concepts to specific levels of understanding, the program is appropriate for a wide age range in small religious education programs.

Unitarian Universalist Values References specific values that have influenced the Unitarian Universalists. Implicitly Unitarian Universalist in the approach to creation, birth, death, and the meaning of life--inviting the children's questions and discoveries as they formulate their own values.