Back to Unit #1 — Peace | Preschool-Kind. | Lower Elementary | For the 6 lesson plans focusing on passages from the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the Upper Elementary group reads the actual Biblical narrative, presented in easily-digestible chunks. Translations used include New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), World English Bible (WEB), English Standard Version (ESV), and Contemporary English Version (CEV). The Bible passages are also used to introduce something relevant from another faith tradition. For example, in the lesson on Jesus Calming the Storm, they read a short Buddhist passage about remaining calm, even in the “midst of a storm,” and a short guided meditation is provided. As another example, in the lesson on Worrying Less, they read a couple of short passages from the Baha’i tradition. For the lesson plans centered on other faith traditions, narratives are provided. They are about 1,000-1,300 words long with discussion questions interspersed after every 300 words or so. Some of the questions focus on story content, some help the kids apply story events to their own lives, and some are just for fun. All are designed to keep the kids engaged in the story, its characters, and its teachable moments. In addition, kids in this age range are beginning to understand that opinions often differ, even when everyone has heard the same passage/story, so exploring the discussion prompts is informative on many levels. Like the other volumes, crafts and activities take into account the motor, attention, and memory skills typical of this age group. Variations are also offered to help you adapt the lesson plans to your range of ages and to the unique set of personalities that might appear in your classroom. Sample Lesson Plan: Sick Woman who Found Peace (Christian) Sample Lesson Plan: Replacing the Stone at the Kaaba (Islamic) |
Peace-related stories, crafts, and activities in 15 easy-to-use lesson plans for 4 different age groups |