WORLD OF WONDER
A Tapestry of Faith Program for Children
SESSION 6: LIFECYCLES
BY REV. ALICE ANACHEKA-NASEMANN, PAT KAHN, AND JULIE SIMON
© Copyright 2013 Unitarian Universalist Association.
Published to the Web on 11/9/2014 2:31:15 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
Awaken to the universe's simple gift of the butterfly. Watch with fascination and joy as a jeweled treasure glides by and gently touches your soul. — Kristen D'Angelo, freelance writer, blogger, and photographer
This session introduces the mystery and wonder of life cycles through the concept of metamorphosis. This age group is fascinated by the "magic" that turns a caterpillar into a butterfly, or a tadpole into a frog. The central story, "A Caterpillar Grows Up," describes the awe and wonder one family feels when they watch the metamorphosis of a cabbage worm into a butterfly. For kinesthetic learners, the children embody the life cycle of a frog. The Faith in Action activity introduces the concept of "citizen scientists," offered in the book, Citizen Scientists, by Unitarian Universalist Loree Griffin Burns.
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 — A Caterpillar Grows Up | 10 |
Activity 3: Frog Metamorphosis | 20 |
Activity 4: Egg Carton Caterpillars | 15 |
Faith in Action: Citizen Scientists | 60 |
Closing | 5 |
Alternate Activity 1: Welcoming Web Game | 10 |
Alternate Activity 2: Life Cycle Nature Walk | 30 |
Alternate Activity 3: Metamorphosis Video | 10 |
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. When you feel settled and relaxed, consider:
Allow your 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:
Did you ever wonder about how caterpillars become butterflies and tadpoles become frogs? Today we will learn about metamorphosis, an amazing thing that happens to some creatures in our interdependent web.
Ask if anyone has heard the word "cocoon" or the word "chrysalis" before and know what it is.
Including All Participants
At this age there is a very wide span in terms of reading abilities; 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 — A CATERPILLAR GROWS UP (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, read or tell the story, "A Caterpillar Grows Up."
When the story is finished, lead a brief discussion with 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: FROG METAMORPHOSIS (20 MINUTES)
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants act out the life cycle of a frog.
Gather the children in a circle. Tell them that they are going to become frogs today. Ask if they know what a frog is when it starts life and where frogs are usually found. Usually someone will know that frogs start as eggs in a pond; some will say a tadpole.
Say in these words or your own:
Now we are ready to become frogs. Follow me and do what I do.
Frogs start as a tiny glistening egg placed in the pond by a mama frog. [Crouch down in a ball.]
The glistening eggs hatch into little tiny tadpoles.
[Rise part of the way up, but stay halfway bent over.]
We tadpoles swim quickly around, darting here and there in the pond looking for food.
[Put two hands together and point them from the lower back like a tadpole tail.]
What's next? We become froglets when our legs begin to grow.
[Put hands along the hips and out to back for back legs then put hands in along ribcage near the shoulders for front legs.].
Froglets still have a tail, but it's getting shorter and shorter. As we become grown-up frogs, we will be able to travel on land. I think you know how frogs move around on land—show me!
[Crouch down again and hop onto land and all around.]
Some frogs live on mainly on land and some still live in the pond, but all frogs are always looking for a tasty mea—l—mosquitoes and other good things to eat.
[Stick out tongues to catch mosquitos.] Glump!
Now, let's hear from our chorus of frogs!
[Invite children to make frog sounds.]
As time and interest allow, repeat the process of metamorphosis.
ACTIVITY 4: EGG CARTON CATERPILLARS (15 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Children create a caterpillar to take home.
Give each child a half of an egg carton (six sections, attached in a line). Have the children use crayons or makers to color the outside. When the caterpillar is ready for its antennae, an adult should poke two holes in the "head" section and help the child thread the pipe cleaner through the holes to create antennae. Then, pipe cleaners can be curled around a pencil. Children can either draw eyes or glue on "googly eyes."
Optional: Invite and help the children to make coffee filter butterflies.
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 that metamorphosis is the way in which caterpillars become butterflies and tadpoles become frogs. 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 butterfly to remind us of the mystery and wonder of metamorphosis.
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: CITIZEN SCIENTISTS (60 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Review seasonal projects suggested in Burns' book, and select one appropriate for your locale and the time of year. The projects include Fall Butterflying (tagging Monarch butterflies), Winter Birding (counting birds for the Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count), Spring Frogging (monitoring frog population for the Frog Watch program), and Summer Ladybugging (ladybug spotting for the Lost Ladybug Project). The book offers instructions and resources for these projects. Find alternate projects at Citizen Science Central (at www.birds.cornell.edu/citscitoolkit/projects) or Science for Citizens (at scistarter.com/index.html).
Choose a date and time for a family gathering. You might invite the wider congregation to participate as well.
Decide who will lead the introduction and discussion of Citizen Scientist. You may wish to talk with congregation members who are elementary science teachers, scientists, or naturalists and invite them to participate. If the congregation participates in the UUA Green Sanctuary (at www.uua.org/environment/sanctuary/index.shtml) program, invite members of that committee to participate. If any families already participate in Citizen Science projects at home or at school, invite them to talk about their project.
Families of the World of Wonder group connect with each other in a way that fosters shared commitment in caring for the earth, by becoming involved with Citizen Science projects.
When families have gathered, introduce the concept of citizen scientists by reading or paraphrasing from the book. Describe the project you have chosen. Solicit input from families to build support and help shape the project. Make plans to communicate with families and the wider congregation about next steps and after the work has been done, to share their experiences.
Close the gathering by asking the children to lead the song "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands."
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
Awaken to the universe's simple gift of the butterfly. Watch with fascination and joy as a jeweled treasure glides by and gently touches your soul. — Kristen D'Angelo, freelance writer, blogger, and photographer
IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned about metamorphosis in both butterflies and frogs. We heard the story "A Caterpillar Grows Up," made egg carton caterpillars, and role-played the life cycle of a frog.
EXPLORE THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Talk about... the life cycles of other creatures, such as dragonflies. Make the comparison to human birth and growth; consult the UUA's Kindergarten/1stGrade Our Whole Lives Sexuality (OWL) (at www.uua.org/re/owl/) Education program for resources.
EXTEND THE TOPIC TOGETHER. Try...
A Family Adventure. The Faith in Action activity for this session invites families to become citizen scientists, as described in UU Loree Griffin Burns (at www.loreeburns.com/)' book, Citizen Scientists: Be a Part of Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard (at www.amazon.com/Citizen-Scientists-Scientific-Discovery-Backyard/dp/0805095179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335889712&sr=8-1). Read the book together and choose a project.
Family Discovery. Watch nature shows, such as PBS Nature, Planet Earth or Life. Many wonderful videos show metamorphosis in time-lapse photography. On YouTube, watch Monarch Butterfly (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUSKxWMIh0) Life Cycle (2:11) or Frog Life Cycle (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MupYQMAaKA) (2:22).
A Family Game. Try a guided meditation or some creative movement to act out the metamorphosis of a frog or a butterfly. You'll find a Butterfly Soul Awakening mediation here (at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSvF-KSg0J4). Maureen Garth's meditation books (at www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=maureen+garth) for children include Earthlight, Moonbeam, Starbright, Sunshine, and Inner Garden. An Examiner article explains how to use poetry to inspire creative movement (at www.examiner.com/article/butterfly-poetry-enriches-children-s-creative-movement).
A Family Ritual. Make time each week to go for a nature walk with your family, even if it's only to your own back yard. Find ways to nurture your family's sense of wonder each day.
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: LIFE CYCLE NATURE WALK (30 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
Participants experience nature directly.
Take a walk outside. Ask the children what they think a lifecycle is. Say, in these words or your own:
Lifecycles are the stages that an animal goes through as it grows up. They usually start out eggs, then they become baby animals, then grown-ups. But some animals, like frogs and butterflies, have a baby animal stage that doesn't look anything like the grown-ups.
Tell them as you walk you're going to be nature detectives and you'll look for evidence or clues of animals of any stage, living or traveling where you walk. Look for nests of all kinds (insects, birds, squirrels). Talk about the homes animals have as they are babies and when they grow up to be adults. Look for spider webs, log piles, holes in the ground, tree branches, and other places that might be home to an animal at some stage of its life.
After your walk, process with questions such as:
Including All Participants
Determine whether there are any relevant allergies within your group, such as bee stings or pollen, and plan accordingly.
If you have a child who uses a wheelchair or has limited mobility, select a location that is accessible, with paved paths.
ALTERNATE ACTIVITY 3: METAMORPHOSIS VIDEO (10 MINUTES)
Materials for Activity
Preparation for Activity
Description of Activity
These two short videos show the metamorphoses of a Monarch butterfly and a frog, in time-lapse photography. You might play these during while the children create egg carton caterpillars (Activity 4).
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 6:
STORY: A CATERPILLAR GROWS UP
Adapted from The Family Finds Out by Edith Hunter (Boston: Beacon Press, 1966).
Ellen was sitting up on a branch of the apple tree, swinging her legs. Her mother was looking over the vegetable garden.
"Want to see a nice fat green worm?" her mother called.
Ellen jumped down from the tree and ran over.
"I guess that's a cabbage worm," said her mom. "He's sitting on a cabbage leaf. See the big holes he's eaten in the leaf?"
"He's just the same color as the leaf," said Ellen. "He's hard to see."
"I suppose there are a lot more of these worms around," said her mother. "They don't help us a bit, because they eat the cabbages."
"Would that worm grow up to be a butterfly, like a caterpillar does?" asked Ellen.
"I guess so," said her mother. "I suppose that really is a cabbage caterpillar, not a worm, and there are cabbage butterflies. You know those yellow ones with big black spots?"
"Do you think we could keep him, Mommy, and watch him grow up?" asked Ellen. "Maybe we could see him turn into a butterfly!"
"We could try it, Ellen. We know what he eats. You could feed him cabbage leaves every day."
"Let's show him to Daddy," said Ellen. "Maybe we can find something to keep him in." She ran off into the house holding the green cabbage caterpillar close in her hand.
Her father was working in the kitchen. "See my caterpillar, Daddy," said Ellen. "I'm going to watch him grow up into a butterfly. Would you help me find a house for him?"
"Let's build him a house right now," he said. "I have four small panes of window glass. We can use those for the sides of the house, and a piece of screen for the top of the house, and some wood for the floor of the house."
In just a few minutes they had made a fine large glass house and Ellen put the caterpillar right in. They put the screen over the top.
"You can pull up one little cabbage plant each day to feed your caterpillar," said her father. "There are more plants growing in the garden than we will ever be able to use. Probably if you wet the leaves before you put them in, he'll get enough water. We'll keep his glass house on the living-room table, so we can all see what happens to him."
Ellen ran right out into the yard and her mom helped her pull up one baby cabbage plant. Ellen brought it in and wet the leaves. Then she put it into the glass house.
"There you are, Mr. Caterpillar! I hope you'll grow up to be a butterfly soon," said Ellen.
For three days the caterpillar crawled around inside his glass house. Ellen put in fresh cabbage leaves each day. He seemed to be fine. On the third day he crawled up the glass on one side of his house. About half way up, he stopped.
When her parents came home from work that night Ellen said, "My caterpillar is just sitting on the side of his house. He hasn't moved all day. Do you think he's dead?"
They looked at the caterpillar. He seemed rather dried up. He wasn't moving at all. "But if he were dead," said her father, "I should think he would fall down. We'll just have to wait and see. I never raised a butterfly before."
"You know," said her mother, "when a caterpillar is nearly ready to become a butterfly he stays very still for a while. Sometimes he spins a cocoon, or he buries himself in the ground, or he just sits quietly in his old skin. They call him a chrysalis when he's doing that. Then, when he's ready, he comes out a butterfly."
They decided that either their caterpillar was a chrysalis now or he was dead. For about a week he didn't seem to change much, except he got a little smaller looking. He didn't look like a caterpillar any more even, just a dried up little skin.
A few days later, Ellen was standing in front of the glass house, wondering if anything was ever going to happen to that old caterpillar. Suddenly she noticed something! "Mom, Dad" she called. "I think I can see yellow wings inside. I'm sure I can."
Her parents came into the living room quickly.
"See," said Ellen, "there are two tiny yellow wings all folded up in there. I see some black spots too. Do you think he is going to come out and be a butterfly now?"
"I guess that is exactly what is going to happen," said her mother. "Why, this is the most wonderful thing I have ever seen! Let's take the glass house out on the porch. We'll watch the butterfly come out."
They put the caterpillar's house on the porch railing and sat down beside it. They waited and waited and waited. Nothing seemed to be happening.
"Maybe it will take a long time still," said her father. "I guess we better not just sit here the rest of the day. Let's go weed the beets and then come back and take a look."
After they had worked for a little while, Ellen said, "I'm going to go see the chrysalis for a minute," and she ran up onto the porch.
"Oh, look!" she called to her parents. "He's a butterfly, already! He's come out. He's beautiful!"
They came running. Instead of a dried-up old worm, there was a beautiful creamy yellow butterfly! His wings looked soft as silk. They were much, much bigger than the little wings that Ellen had seen all folded up. Now the butterfly was flapping them back and forth, back and forth.
"Oh, I'm so sorry we missed seeing him come out of the chrysalis," said her dad. "I shouldn't have been in such a hurry. But isn't he a beauty? See his long tongue! He can reach way down in the flowers with that." The butterfly kept unrolling his tongue, and then rolling it up again.
"I'm going to take off the roof of his house now," said Ellen, "so he can fly away if he's ready." The butterfly did not fly away right away.
Then after a minute her mother slipped her finger down next to him. Carefully he put out one of his long legs, his long new butterfly legs, and stepped onto her finger.
Then Ellen put her finger next to her mother's. Once again the butterfly reached out a long leg, and stepped out onto Ellen's finger. Ellen lifted up her hand carefully. She held the butterfly out over the porch, in the bright afternoon sun.
For a moment he clung to her finger. And then, opening out his silken wings, he flapped them gently and rose up in the air.
"Fly away, fly away, butterfly dear," Ellen and her parents sang as the lovely yellow butterfly flew off. They watched him fly across the street to the meadow.
"He's landing!" said Ellen. "He's landed on a meadow flower!"
It made them glad to see their very own brand-new butterfly having his first drink of the sweetness of a flower.
WORLD OF WONDER: SESSION 6:
LEADER RESOURCE 1: MURAL IMAGE — BUTTERFLY
FIND OUT MORE
Visit the Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth (at www.uuministryforearth.org/) or the UUA's Green Sanctuary (at www.uua.org/leaders/environment/greensanctuary/index.shtml) program to learn how UUs are involved in taking care of the earth.