WORLD OF WONDER
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children
SESSION 13: GREEN ENERGY
BY REV. ALICE ANACHEKA-NASEMANN, PAT KAHN, AND JULIE SIMON
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 11/9/2014 2:46:08 AM PST.
This program and additional resources are available on the UUA.org web site at
www.uua.org/religiouseducation/curricula/tapestryfaith.
SESSION OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Question: How do energy conscious people think about wind power? Answer: They're blown away! — United States Energy Information Administration (at www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=riddles)
Energy is used to do work. Energy gives us the ability to do things such as climb a mountain, play soccer, and even think. And there are many types of energy—some stored in our muscles and brain cells to help our bodies move around and play, other types of energy we use to light a street lamp, heat or cool our homes, cook our food, and power buses, planes, and cars. Children learn that we get much of our energy from burning nonrenewable fuels—coal, petroleum or oil, or natural gas. But green energy comes from sources that are cleaner and less-polluting than most nonrenewable fuels. In this session, we introduce the concept of green energy and its importance in the interdependent web.
GOALS
This session will:
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Participants will:
SESSION-AT-A-GLANCE
Activity | Minutes |
Opening | 5 |
Activity 1: Earth Ball Name Game | 5 |
Activity 2: Story — Green Like the Wind | 10 |
Activity 3: Stand Up to Save Energy | 10 |
Activity 4: Pinwheels | 15 |
Activity 5: Speak Up to Save Energy | 10 |
Faith in Action: Solar Oven Workshop | |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: Welcoming Web Game | 10 |
Alternate Activity 2: Solar Art | 20 |
SPIRITUAL PREPARATION
Find a place where you can be quiet with your thoughts. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for several minutes, perhaps repeating a word or phrase to separate yourself from the activities of the day. Think about the sources of the energy you and your family use in a typical day:
Allow your own sense of reverence, wonder ,and awe to be present as you lead this session.
SESSION PLAN
OPENING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
The opening circle rituals reinforce the theme of interdependence and the web of life and provide leadership opportunities for participants.
Gather participants in a circle around the chalice. Using the Leadership Chart created in Session 2, assign roles for this session. Briefly describe each job. Explain that next time you meet the jobs will change and anyone who did not get a job today will have a chance during another session. Throughout the session, prompt those with leadership tasks at the appropriate times.
Remind the group that each session starts with the ritual of lighting the chalice. In these words or your own, say:
All around the world, Unitarian Universalists of all ages light chalices when they gather together. With this ritual, Unitarian Universalists are connected to one another, even though they might never meet each other. Now we will light the chalice, the symbol of our Unitarian Universalist faith; then say together our chalice-lighting words.
As needed, help the designated leaders light the chalice and lead the chalice-lighting words:
We light our chalice to honor the web of all life.
We honor the sun and earth that bring life to us.
We honor the plants and creatures of land, water, and air that nourish us.
And we honor each other, gathered here to share the wonder of our world.
—adapted from words by Alice Anacheka-Nasemann
Point to the covenant the group created in Session 1 and briefly review it. Invite any newcomers to sign their name. You might have the Welcoming Leader or Justice Leader invite newcomers to sign the covenant, if those roles have been assigned.
Remind the children that each time we meet, we will explore something about our seventh UU Principle: respect for the interdependent web of life. In these words or your own, say:
Today we're going to talk about green energy. What do you suppose that is? What is energy? [Take responses.] Energy gives us the ability to do things such as climb a mountain, play soccer, and even think. Energy is used to do work. Energy causes movement. Every time you see something move, energy is being used. A leaf moving in the wind, a pot of boiling water, and a school bus traveling to school are all evidence of energy being used. Energy moves cars, makes machines run, heats ovens, and lights our homes. Most of the energy we use comes from burning fuels like coal, gas, or oil, which are things our earth will run out of someday. But green energy comes from sources that are cleaner and less-polluting and will last forever, like the sun, the wind, and water.
Including All Participants
At this age there is a wide span in reading ability. Point out words as you read them to the children, but do not expect them to be able to read.
ACTIVITY 1: EARTH BALL NAME GAME (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity engages active learners while helping everyone learn the names of participants and leaders.
Stand in a circle with participants. Say, in these words or your own:
One important way to make connections and help everyone feel welcome is to know each other's names. We will use this earth ball each time we are together to help create connections in our group. When someone throws the "earth" to you, catch the ball and say your name.
Demonstrate by throwing the ball gently to a co-leader. Have the co-leader say their name.
Then everyone says "Welcome, [co-leader's name]." Then, that person will gently throw the earth ball to someone else in the circle, who will say their name and be welcomed by the group.
Continue until everyone in the circle has been introduced.
Including All Participants
If throwing and catching the ball is difficult, do the activity seated with legs out and feet touching, rolling the ball instead of throwing it. If any participant cannot stand or sit on the floor, have everyone play in a circle of chairs.
ACTIVITY 2: STORY — GREEN LIKE THE WIND (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather the children in a circle in the storytelling area and show them the story basket. Say something like:
This is our story basket. I wonder what is in it today?
Take the story-related items from the basket, one at a time, and pass them around. Objects that are fragile or cannot easily be passed around can be held up for all to see and then placed on the altar/centering table or any table or shelf.
Take the chime or rain stick from the basket and say in these words or your own:
Each time you hear a story during World of Wonder we will use this instrument to get our ears, minds, and bodies ready to listen. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. When I sound the chime (turn the rain stick over), listen as carefully as you can and see how long you can hear it. When you can't hear it anymore, open your eyes and it will be time for the story to start.
Sound the chime or rain stick.
When the sound has completely disappeared, tell the story, "Green Like the Wind," which introduces the ideas of green energy, local energy, wind power, and cooperative community problem solving.
When the story is finished, guide the children in a brief discussion using questions such as:
Including All Participants
Fidget objects, described in Session 1, Leader Resource 1, can provide a non-disruptive outlet for anyone who needs to move or who benefits from sensory stimulation.
ACTIVITY 3: STAND UP TO SAVE ENERGY (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Tell the children that green energy also includes saving energy by not wasting it. For example, it saves energy if you keep the window closed when you run the air conditioner in the summer so the cold air doesn't escape. That way, you have less air to cool down.
Ask the children for some ideas or examples of saving or wasting energy.
Now explain that you are going say an activity aloud, and they should stand up if it saves energy or sit down if it wastes energy; if they are not sure, they can crouch somewhere between standing and sitting. Have them start sitting down.
Use the practices below and/or add your own:
To conclude, ask the children for more ideas to save energy. Have the adult volunteer write their ideas in simple statements, to include in posters or bookmarks in the next activity.
Including All Participants
If there are mobility concerns, do this activity by raising hands instead of standing.
ACTIVITY 4: PINWHEELS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity offers a concrete example of green energy: wind power.
Ask if anyone has made a pinwheel before. Show the example pinwheel and ask what kind of energy will power the pinwheel.
Distribute materials at work tables, including a handout with the pinwheel wind turbine for each participant. Hold on to the thumbtacks and pencils until children are ready to assemble their pinwheels).
Invite children to decorate the pinwheels and draw pictures of green energy or ways to save energy. Then, help them cut out the pinwheel template and assemble their pinwheels.
ACTIVITY 5: SPEAK UP TO SAVE ENERGY (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Children make bookmarks or posters with tips for conserving energy. This will help them remember the energy saving ideas they "stood up for" in Activity 3 and enable them to share the ideas with friends and family.
Tell the group that they can create a bookmark or poster with some (or all) of the energy-saving ideas from Activity 3. Have participants choose whether to write and illustrate one tip or create a list of ideas.
As writing ability varies, invite children to dictate their ideas to leaders.
Optional: Create a display of posters (and bookmarks) to share with the congregation at coffee hour.
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Gather in a circle by the World of Wonder mural. Say in these words or your own:
Today we learned about green energy—energy which comes from sources that are cleaner and less-polluting and will last forever, such as the sun, the wind, and water. Unitarian Universalists believe that that all people and animals and plants are part of an invisible web of life, like the web on our mural. Each time we meet we add something new to our World of Wonder mural. Today we add a picture of wind turbines, to remind us of working together for more green energy sources.
Attach the picture to the mural.
Indicate the lyrics to the closing song "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands." Invite the Song Leader to start the song with accompanying hand motions. Participants can help each other remember hand motions or can create new ones.
Distribute Taking It Home. Thank the children for participating and invite them to return next time.
FAITH IN ACTION: SOLAR OVEN WORKSHOP
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity is a fun way to experience solar energy. Since this project takes more time than is usually available in a religious education session and extra adult help is needed, it is an ideal way to include families and the wider congregation.
Welcome participants and invite them to sit at the tables, making certain that there are mixed ages at each table. In these words of your own, explain:
The World of Wonder group has been exploring green energy—energy which comes from sources that are cleaner and less polluting than fossil fuels, and will last forever, such as sun, wind, and water. In today's workshop, we will use solar energy to create a treat.
Give a copy of Handout 2, Solar Oven Instructions, to all participants. Invite each table to introduce themselves to each other and follow the instructions to make a solar oven. Encourage discussion by asking:
What are some ways that you save energy or use green energy in your family?
When solar ovens are finished, invite participants to collect ingredients you have provided and have them use their solar ovens to cook the treat. While the treats are cooking, you may wish to share information about the not for profit organization Solar Cookers International, which spreads solar cooking awareness and skills worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel. Since its founding in 1987, SCI has enabled over 30,000 families in Africa to cook with the sun's energy, freeing women and children from the burdens of gathering firewood and carrying it for miles.
When the treats have been eaten, ask all participants to help clean up.
Close by asking the World of Wonder children to lead participants in the song "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands."
Share the photos or video of the activity with the children next time the group meets.
LEADER REFLECTION AND PLANNING
Take a few minutes to evaluate the session with your co-leader immediately after the session, while it is fresh. Share your thoughts with other team leaders and the religious educator. You might find it helpful to consider these questions:
TAKING IT HOME
Question: How do energy conscious people think about wind power? Answer: They're blown away! — United States Energy Information Administration (at www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=riddles)
IN TODAY'S SESSION... we explored "green" energy, that is, energy that comes from sources that are cleaner, make less pollution, and will last forever such as sun, wind, and water. We learned that most of the energy we use comes from burning fuels like coal, gas, or oil, which are resources the earth will run out of someday, so one important way we can care for the interdependent web is to save energy. We heard a story about wind energy and collaborative problem solving on the Danish island of Samso and made our own pinwheel wind turbines.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... ways your family can conserve energy at home, work, or school. Do the home energy audit on the Earth Care Canada website (at www.earthcarecanada.com/EarthCARE_Resources/home_energy_audit.asp) or explore "365 Ways to Save Energy" (at www.savewithces.com/365in2008.html) for more ideas. Do you have forms of green energy available to you? Are there ways you can develop cooperative partnerships concerning energy issues in the congregation, your child's school, or the local community? Find out if your state has an Interfaith Power and Light (at interfaithpowerandlight.org/) affiliate and meet some interfaith neighbors.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Learn... how solar energy can change lives around the world. Find out more about Solar Cookers International (at solarcookersinternational.org/), a not for profit organization that "spreads solar cooking awareness and skills worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel. Since its founding in 1987, SCI has enabled over 30,000 families in Africa to cook with the sun's energy, freeing women and children from the burdens of gathering firewood and carrying it for miles." View the inspiring video (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Fpsw_yYPg) "A Liter of Light." Discuss: What other things can be accomplished with solar power (at www.trust.org/alertnet/news/alertnets-top-20-big-ideas-that-dont-cost-the-earth/#A19)?
A Family Adventure. Are there any wind turbines near where you live? Do you know anyone who has installed solar panels? Go see a green energy source in action.
Family Discovery. Try some of the experiments from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory website (at www.nrel.gov/education/educational_resources.html) or this web page for kids (at www.alliantenergykids.com/FunandGames/CoolProjects/index.htm) from Alliant Energy.
Note: The Faith in Action activity for this session is a workshop to make a solar oven. Volunteer to help!
A Family Ritual. Try an "Energy Sabbath. Each year, on a Saturday evening in March, the world observes Earth Hour, when everyone is to turn out the lights as a symbolic gesture promoting our need to conserve energy and lower our carbon footprint. On a regular basis, try observing your own Earth Hour or an Energy Sabbath. For an hour or a morning or evening or even a full day, turn everything off and enjoy reflective solitude or spend time in conversation with others or take time to relish nature.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 1: WELCOMING WEB GAME (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
This activity makes the concepts of interdependence and the web of life concrete with a web made out of yarn.
Tell the children that together you will create a web, like a spider web. Explain that, holding a piece of the yarn, you will roll the ball to someone else in the circle and welcome them by name. Then, that person will pass the yarn to someone else and the group will continue until everyone has been welcomed and is holding a piece of the yarn. Remind the children:
1. Do not let go of your piece of yarn when you roll the ball of yarn to the next person.
2. Pass the ball of yarn to someone who is not sitting right next to you.
Start the game. When everyone is holding a piece of yarn, point out that you have created a web together.
Ask everyone to hold their piece of yarn. Then, pull on your piece and ask the children what they noticed. Point out that everyone could feel the tug. Invite another child to tug the string and ask the children if they could feel that, as well. See if they can tell, by feel, who made the tug.
Now drop your string and ask the children what happens to the web. Ask the children what they think would happen if half of the group dropped their pieces of yarn. As needed, point out that the web might fall apart. At the end of the game, ask for a volunteer to roll the yarn back into a ball.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 2: SOLAR ART (20 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Take the group outside and have the children collect nature objects like leaves, nuts, rocks, seedpods, twigs—anything that will block the sunlight. Or, have some objects ready for them to choose, such as shells, fern fronds, or flowers.
After they have selected an object to imprint, give each child a piece of photo-sensitive paper. Remind them to keep the photo paper covered until they are ready to set the nature object. Place the paper on the ground in the sun, remove the covering, and set the object on the paper. Most photo paper needs about two minutes for the imprint, but check the directions that come with your photo-sensitive paper. Tell each child when it is time to remove the object and rinse their paper in water to reveal and fix the image.
Have the participants share their sun prints with each other. Optional: Ask participants what other things can be done with solar power. Some ideas are making sun tea or making a solar oven (see Faith in Action activity.)
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 13:
STORY: GREEN LIKE THE WIND
By Julie Simon.
In a bay of the North Sea, in the middle of Denmark, on an island called Samso, the wind blows and blows. On this windy island, lived a man named Soren Hermansen. He farmed some land and played guitar in a band, but mostly he thought about the planet. On the island also lived fishermen and dentists, shop keepers and ferry boat drivers, teachers and electricians, and of course children. The children loved to fly kites on the windy beach of the island.
The people of Samso were ordinary in many ways—especially when it came to thinking about and using energy. They drove cars that ran on gasoline. To power their lights, they used electricity carried by a big underground cable from the mainland. And during the long, cold nights of winter, they kept their homes toasty warm with oil brought to Samso by giant tankers. All of Samso's energy had to be made somewhere off the island.
Then one day, thinking about energy on Samso became extraordinary! The island was picked to be the energy demonstration project by the government of Denmark. From that day forward, Samso would work to use green energy and create all its energy right on the island—local energy—as much as possible.
Now Soren Hermansen, the man who thought a lot about the planet, knew making green energy locally would be less polluting for the island, Denmark, and the planet. He became Samso's champion for green energy. So he brought lots of people together to figure out greener ways to save energy and to make energy on their very own Island of Samso.
At first, many of the grownups on the island were not convinced it could be done. They thought green, locally-created energy would cost too much money. They thought it would take too much time out of their already busy days. They thought it would just be too hard and too much trouble. What could they do on such a small island?
But Soren Hermansen did not give up. He knew his country had a long history of co-operative community projects. So he continued to get people together. He asked the children for ideas. He asked the grownups for ideas. He asked for big ideas and little ideas. What about riding bicycles instead of driving cars someone suggested? What about collecting energy from the sun? How about using all the wind that we have on the island?
After several years of thinking and talking, a few residents decided it was time to start doing. One person put up a small used wind turbine in the backyard to make electricity to use at home. Another invested money to build a huge wind turbine. Then he sold the wind-powered electricity to the power company who connected it to the homes on Samso. Finally, Samso had two green energy projects! The island residents still used plenty of polluting power from other places, but it was a good start.
Then one winter night, an icy storm shut off electricity on Samso. All the lights went out and everywhere was dark. Except the house with its own backyard wind turbine. It continued its "whoosh whoosh" throughout the storm. After that, a lot more people on Samso got serious about green energy sources from right on the island.
Some people installed solar panels on their farms. Someone built a biomass furnace to burn straw from the fields rather than oil. And someone invented a way to make tractor fuel from plants that grow on the island, instead of using gasoline. More and more people jumped in and figured out what they could do to contribute to green energy right on Samso. Many pooled their money to build more big wind turbines. Today, 20 wind turbines on the island and in the sea around it help power Samso and even send extra green energy back to the mainland of Denmark.
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 13:
HANDOUT 1: PINWHEEL TEMPLATE AND INSTRUCTIONS
From the Pinwheels for Peace website, copyright 2005, Ayers and McMillan. Published with permission.
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 13:
HANDOUT 2: SOLAR OVEN INSTRUCTIONS
On the top of the pizza box, use a ruler and a marker to draw lines parallel to three sides of the box, 1-inch in from each edge. Use a box cutter or sharp scissors to cut along the three lines, to make a flap in the lid of a pizza box. Fold this flap up so it stands when the box lid is closed.
Cut aluminum foil to cover the inner side of the flap. Glue the aluminum foil to the inner side of the flap, shiny side out.
Use two sheets of clear plastic wrap to create an airtight window for sunlight to enter the box. Do this by opening the box and taping one sheet of plastic wrap across the inside of the opening you made when you cut the flap in the lid. Then, close the box and tape the second sheet of plastic wrap across the same opening, on the outside. Tape very securely, to seal out air.
Glue aluminum foil to the bottom of your box.
Cover the aluminum foil with black construction paper (black absorbs heat). The black surface is where your food will be set to cook.
Take the box outside to a sunny spot. Adjust the flap to get the most sunlight possible to reflect off the aluminum foil and onto the plastic-covered window. Use a ruler, stick or large straw to prop the flap where you want it. You can also tilt the box, by rolling a towel and placing it underneath the box. (Hint: You can preheat the oven as high as 200 degrees Fahrenheit by setting it in direct sunlight for 30 minutes.)
You can make toast of a buttered slice of bread, or melt cheese on bread, tortillas, or chips. You can cook a hot dog, make nachos, or cook s'mores. To keep the paper liner clean, place items on a clear plastic or glass plate (a pie plate works well). To remove food from the oven, lift the lid of the pizza box, and use oven mitts or potholders to lift the glass dish out.
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 13:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: MURAL IMAGE — WIND TURBINE
FIND OUT MORE
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has a publication for teachers called Fun with Sun (at www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/fy01/30928.pdf).
View the inspiring "Liter of Light (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Fpsw_yYPg)" video and see how a simple plastic soda bottle can change lives.
Find out more about Solar Cookers International (at solarcookersinternational.org/), a not for profit organization that "spreads solar cooking awareness and skills worldwide, particularly in areas with plentiful sunshine and diminishing sources of cooking fuel."
Find out if your state has an Interfaith Power and Light (at interfaithpowerandlight.org/) affiliate.
Visit the websites of the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (at www.uuministryforearth.org/) and The Green Sanctuary Program (at www.uua.org/leaders/environment/greensanctuary/index.shtml) to learn how Unitarian Universalists are involved in taking care of the earth.