Religious Education Curriculum - 2011/2012
The goals of the RE program are:
- To encourage children in the development of their own UU identity
- To encourage spiritual growth
- To provide religious literacy
- To encourage a social conscience
There are five themes that are reflected within the RE curriculum:
- UU identity
- Jewish/Christian heritage
- Religions of the world
- Social responsibility
- Concepts of God
PreK (ages 3 and 4)
Chalice Children (all year)
Based on the premise that children learn best through experience, this program helps nurture spiritual growth, creativity and a sense of community through imaginative activities and rituals such as rhymes and fingerplays. Classes introduce children to concepts such as birth and death, dreams and the natural world.
Grades K-1
Creating Home (fall)
This program helps children develop a sense of home that is grounded in faith. The class will discuss the purpose of having a home and the functions a home serves, for us as humans and for other animals. It introduces the concept of a "faith home" — our congregation — which shares some characteristics with a family home. Like a family home, a faith home offers its members certain joys, protections, and responsibilities.
Stories About God (spring)
This liberal and eclectic theology looks at God as the central symbol in a religious communication system. It is story-based and covers three themes: God is a oneness that can take many forms; God is love and worth that can take many forms; and God is mystery that can take many forms. It addresses the spiritual and theological needs of young children, allowing them a variety of experiences with the entity called God, and to explore the ultimate reality, values, and mystery about life.
Grades 2-3
Super Heroes – Bible People (fall)
The goals of this values-based curriculum are to introduce children to the stories of people from the Bible who have acted with courage and wisdom in their attempts to lead their lives fully and make the world a better place for others; to show how the lives of these people confirm the principles which we, as UUs, strive to promote; and to encourage the children to lead their own lives fully, using their own positive "super powers" as they interact with the world around them, and growing both spiritually and ethically.
UU Super Heroes (spring)
This values-based UU identity curriculum encourages children to explore the lives of famous people who were Unitarians, Universalists or Unitarian Universalists. Each lesson of this curriculum explicitly incorporates one or more of the Unitarian Universalist Principles. This curriculum has lessons on the UU core values of letting your conscience be your guide, welcoming people of all abilities, and caring for the earth.
Grades 4-5
Holidays & Holy Days (all year)
This curriculum includes a whole year of celebrations. Holidays are the age-old vehicle of religious socialization, setting time aside to remember a great person or event, give thanks for life's bounty: harvest, safety, freedom, warmth, or invoke light and gladness for overcoming darkness and danger, death and drought. Festivities tell a story which children absorb through experiences far more than through words. The class will learn about and celebrate holidays and holy days of world religions throughout the year.
Grades 6-7-8
Popcorn Theology (fall)
Popcorn Theology takes the concept and popularity of movie night to explore issues of theology and ethics for UUs. Each class has a selected excerpt from a popular movie, such as Forrest Gump or Field of Dreams. The excerpt leads to a discussion and activities that explore theological and ethical issues faced by middle schoolers and UUs.
The Gospel According to the Simpsons (spring)
This curriculum explores the religious themes prevalent in the popular animated comedy series. Each session will include a viewing of an episode prior to discussion of a relevant topic. Topics include prayer, morality, God, pluralism, the institutional church, hell and the devil, and the Bible.