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Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

THE QUALITIES OF CONSULTATION G2 L21

WELCOME

LESSON 21: THE QUALITIES OF CONSULTATION

When people come together to consult, they share their ideas with the purity of heart and radiant spirits. They all know that, in order to discover the right way forward, they must each contribute their thoughts and understanding. They speak courteously to one another and use kind and gentle words. More importantly, they know that they must listen carefully to one another and think about what each person is saying.It is in listening and thinking, not just speaking, that ideas come together; new and wonderful ideas are born. 

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 8 and 9 we will continue to memorize the prayer below

O my God! O my God! Thou seest these children who are the twigs of the tree of life, the birds of the meads of salvation, the pearls of the ocean of Thy grace, the roses of the garden of Thy guidance.

O God, our Lord! We sing Thy praise, bear witness to Thy sanctity and implore fervently the heaven of Thy mercy to make us lights of guidance, stars shining above the horizons of eternal glory amongst mankind, and to teach us a knowledge which proceedeth from Thee. 

Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

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Quote for class to memorize

You may wish to draw on the following ideas in presenting the quotation the children are expected to learn today:


When people come together to consult, they share their ideas with purity of heart and radiant spirits. They all know that, in order to discover the right way forward, they must each contribute their thoughts and understanding. They speak courteously to one another and use kind and gentle words. More important, they know that they must listen carefully to one another and think about what each person is saying. It is in listening and thinking, not just speaking, that ideas come together; new and wonderful ideas are born. Think of making a soup. Many different ingredients are put together in a pot, like carrots and beans, salt and water, and as they cook over the fire, all the separate things melt together into one whole and become a delicious meal for everyone to enjoy. In consultation, as all the participants share their thoughts lovingly, listen patiently and think carefully, with their hearts turned to God and confident in His blessings, the most beautiful ideas emerge. Of course, in the way ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke to others, we see the perfect Example of how people should consult together. He was detached, patient and humble. He always
encouraged others to talk and listened with calm attentiveness. He never argued or insisted on an idea. One friend who lived at the time of the Master wrote that He spoke “as if offering a gift to a king”. Imagine you were giving a gift to a king. With kindness and gentleness, you would present your gift. When we share our ideas with one another, we do the same, wherever we are, whatever we are doing—in our classes here together, with our family and friends, at home and school. To help us remember some of the beautiful qualities we try to show when we speak with another one, let us memorize the
following quotation:

They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care and moderation to express their views

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
MEANING OF WORDS
Proceed


1. Paulo saw that there was a large tree blocking the road ahead. He could not move forward because of the tree. He could not proceed.
2. After children finish their classes for Grade 1, they move on to those for Grade 2. After Grade 1, children proceed to Grade 2.

Devotion


1. When Soraya prays, she shows her love for God and her wish to follow His teachings. When she prays, Soraya shows her devotion to God.
2. Mark gets up early every morning and works hard all day. Mark shows great devotion to his work.


Dignity


1. When Lillian recites prayers, she sits up straight and uses a calm, clear voice, knowing
that the Word of God is precious. When Lillian says prayers, she shows dignity.
2. Amos was playing a game with other children, and one of them knocked him over by
mistake. Amos did not get upset and told his friend not to worry. Amos responded with dignity.


Moderation


1. The human body must have the right amount of nourishment. If we eat too much or too
little, our bodies will not be healthy. We must eat with moderation.
2. Bhojraj likes to ride his bike very fast down the hill. His mother told him to slow down or
he might fall and hurt himself. Bhojraj’s mother wants him to use moderation when
riding his bike.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
Now explain to the children that you are going to tell them a story that will help them understand the importance of exercising moderation in one’s speech.


During His visit to the West, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a group of friends met with a man who was writing an article about the Bahá’í Faith. The man had many long and complicated questions, mainly about the history of the Faith. Throughout the interview, the Master sat quietly, listening with patient attention to the man’s inquiries. Now, his questions were
quite lengthy indeed, and the man seemed to talk on and on. He did not seem to realize the importance of moderation. Only every so often did he pause long enough for others to say a few words, sometimes no more than a yes or no.

Most of the friends in the room grew impatient—but not ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He sat perfectly relaxed, His eyes full of love and understanding. If the man hesitated for a moment, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke briefly in reply to his question and then waited courteously for him to continue.
At last the man finished speaking, and there was a long silence. Then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed the man with great dignity and care. His melodious voice filled the air. In only a few short minutes, the man was transformed. His heart had been touched by the Master’s gentle and loving words. Now he could see the spirit of the Faith. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá rose, warmly embraced the man, and walked with him to the door. At the doorway He paused. A large bunch of roses brought by one of the friends had caught His eye. So large was the bunch and so long the stems that they had to be placed in a stand for umbrellas. No vase was big enough to hold them. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gathered the flowers in His arms and presented them to His guest. The man’s head could barely be seen peeking out above the mountain of flowers, but the joy radiating from his face could not be missed. Sometimes a few words said with thoughtful care are all that is needed.

Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES

After carrying out some warm-up exercises, similar to those in previous lessons, the children can undertake the following activity, which is intended to help them think about the qualities mentioned in the quotation they memorized earlier.
First ask the children to imagine they are offering a gift to a king or queen. How do they hold the gift? How do they approach the king or queen? What tone of voice do they take? What words do they choose? Then divide the children into pairs, and have one child in each pair pretend to be the king or queen and the other the gift-bearer. They can then switch roles. Afterwards, gather the children together and ask them some questions:

How did they show courtesy?

How did they demonstrate care?

What did it mean for them to conduct themselves with dignity?

Help them think through how their words and actions became a reflection of these qualities.
Next ask the pairs to improvise a few short scenarios, in which they will demonstrate the
same qualities discussed above. You should think of some situations suited to the capacity of the students in your class. For instance, one child could pretend to be an older brother or sister helping a younger sibling in his or her efforts to learn a short quotation by heart.

In another scenario, two children could be trying to decide what game to play—one wanting to play a particular game and the other wanting to play something else. With your help, the pairs can embellish the scenarios with the relevant details before acting them out.

Remind them, as they do so, how they spoke and acted when offering the gift to the king or queen.

Content coming soon

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CRAFT IDEAS
LISTENING: HAVE YOU EVER MADE A “TELEPHONE” OUT OF TIN CANS AND A PIECE OF TWINE?

Well, you really need to know how to listen and take turns talking for the telephone to work. 

Materials:

  1. Two empty  cans (like one’s canned pears or beans come in) 
  2. Twine, about 3 to 4 meters. Longer is even more fun

Instructions

Make a hole in the bottom of each can 

Pass the twine from the bottom to the inside of the can and tie in a knot. ( the knot is inside the can) do the same for the other can. 

now stretch the twine out by holding on to and moving the cans apart. Hold the can to your ear to listen, or to your mouth to speak.

Here is a website where they made the telephones with fruit cups

Make some talking lips and start consulting!
Based on the story, make a rose, then combine everyone’s roses and give as a gift to someone.
Make a prayer book with all 7 prayers from grade 2

Today was a celebration of all the things we learned over the last 21 lessons of Grade 2 – wow! Over this past year, we have worked our way through 7 different themes: PRAYER, OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAWS, SEEKING KNOWLEDGE, LIVING IN HARMONY, BEING A GOOD FRIEND, SERVICE AND CONSULTATION.

All of them represent patterns of conduct, that show the inner qualities of the virtues we studied in Grade 1. It’s been quite a journey.

To remember the 7 prayers the children have memorized as part of these lessons, You can compile them, if you have not already done so, into a special prayer book.

It is suggested that you review with the children the quotation they memorized earlier today, before asking them to recite the two below they learned in Grade 1 related to sincerity and detachment:


We should at all times manifest our truthfulness and sincerity . . .

‘Abdu’l-Bahá,

Know that thy true adornment consisteth in the love of God and in thy detachment from all save Him . . .

BThe Summons of the Lord of Hosts
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

Two Ears, One Mouth 

Mild as Milk 

What Do You Say? 

Clash at the Monster Bash 

Mine rich in gems feast pages

Volume 1 and Volume 2

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN
HERE
Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

THE BENEFITS OF CONSULTATION G2 L20

WELCOME

LESSON 20: THE BENEFITS OF CONSULTATION

True consultation leads to greater understanding and is a source of good and well-being.

iI is important to have frank and loving consultation on all matters, in the context of fostering unity in the Bahá’í community. Bahá’í consultation can be understood as the collective search for truth. Participants in consultation see reality from different viewpoints and, as these are expressed and discussed with the purity of motive and radiant spirits, clarity emerges. In this way, we are able to gain insight and understanding and find solutions to problems that we might not otherwise discover. Consultation provides the opportunity for us to approach situations and challenges in new ways and opens up
new possibilities for fruitful action. In this respect, whether concerned with reaching a specific decision, solving a problem, or simply analyzing an issue, consultation is one of the most powerful instruments for building unity, both of thought and of action.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 8 and 9 we will continue to memorize the prayer below

O my God! O my God! Thou seest these children who are the twigs of the tree of life, the birds of the meads of salvation, the pearls of the ocean of Thy grace, the roses of the garden of Thy guidance.

O God, our Lord! We sing Thy praise, bear witness to Thy sanctity and implore fervently the heaven of Thy mercy to make us lights of guidance, stars shining above the horizons of eternal glory amongst mankind, and to teach us a knowledge which proceedeth from Thee. 

Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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Quote for class to memorize
The ideas below will assist you in explaining to the children the quotation they are expected to learn today:

We know that all of creation- the entire universe and all that is in it-is held together by the force of love. Everything is connected into a beautiful whole, and humanity is like one family. Unity and harmony are part of creation. And when we come together to consult and share ideas, we are able to understand the world around us better and better. We see its unity and harmony, and we become more and more united in our thoughts and understanding. Sometimes we may need to talk for a long while to see a united way forward; other times we see the path more quickly. And with our thoughts and views united, we are able to make better and better plans and to carry them out more and more effectively. We all understand what we need to do. That is how consultation enables great things to be achieved.

In the same way that the strength of several people, ‘Abdu’l-Baha tells us, is greater than the strength of one person, it is better to have the views and ideas of many people than just one. Through the coming together of views, solutions are revealed; truth can be seen. For example, ‘Abdu’l-Baha explains, if the people of a village consult about their affairs, the right solutions will surely be made clear to them. To help us remember that true consultation is the source of good and well-being, let us memorize the following quotation:

Say: no man can attain his true station except through his justice. No power can exist except through unity. No welfare and no well-being can be attained except through consultation

Bahá’u’lláh
MEANING OF WORDS
Station

In some places, the king is considered the foremost person in the land. The king holds the highest station in the land.

To tell lies or speak badly of others is not noble conduct. It is beneath the high station that God has given us.

Power

Lucien’s flashlight cannot give light without a battery.  The flashlight draws its power from the battery.

The cart that Delara’s family uses to take grain to the market is very heavy and is pulled by two large horses. One horse alone does not have enough power to pull the cart.

Welfare

A mother lion cares for her cubs. She shelters them, protects them, and teaches them to find food. She sees to their welfare until they are grown.

During the storm, the first thing Miad did was to make sure that all of the children were in a safe place. The welfare of the children was Miad’s first concern.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A story about the benefits of consulting

Not long ago, in a country where many people farmed the land, heavy rains caused flooding across an entire region. The rivers overflowed their banks and the flood waters destroyed houses, bridges, schools, roads, and fields, sweeping away the crops that had been planted. When the floods were over, most people were left with nothing. They had no homes, and there was little food.
Now, the Bahá’ís who lived in other parts of the country, knowing that the people of the region were suffering, came together to consult to find a way to assist. They realized, of course, that the people needed food. But, as the Bahá’í friends discussed the matter, it became clear that it would not be enough to simply send food. It would be important for the people to be able to grow crops again. How could they help this to happen?
If they could only get seeds, the people of the region could farm and grow food for themselves as they had done before the flood. Everyone could see that this would be a good way for them to help. So what did they do? They decided to use money contributed by their community to buy many tons of corn seeds. Trucks were piled high with sacks of seeds and transported to the areas that had been worst affected by the floods. The people expressed joy and gratitude, singing and playing drums. With these seeds, they could start farming again, and in spite of the suffering caused by the floods, everyone felt hopeful, strong, and happy.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THE STORY HERE
Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES

Begin this period by having the children do select warm-up exercises in their imaginary squares. You can then help them carry out a large-group improvisation, which will serve to strengthen their understanding of the nature of true consultation. First, ask each of the children to create a character by thinking of someone who might live in a village.

You can help them by asking each one, “Who are you? How old are you? What are you wearing? What are you doing?” Once they have all decided on a character, the story begins. It takes place in a village, and this is what happens:

SCENE 1

The story opens with a scene from an ordinary day in the life of the village. The children pretend to carry out activities related to their characters. Everyone in the village is well fed and happy. They work hard and enjoy life.

Allow the children a few minutes to improvise the scene and then call out “Freeze”. You can then introduce scene two.

SCENE 2

A fierce hurricane hits the village. Everyone runs for shelter. The children can pretend they are trying to save their possessions and help one another.

Again, allow the children enough time to elaborate on the scene, then call out “Freeze” and introduce scene three.

SCENE 3

The hurricane has passed and the villagers emerge from their shelters. No one has been hurt but most of the village has been destroyed. The villagers try to salvage what is left of their belongings. Their efforts are in vain; almost everything has been lost. They are upset but do not bemoan their situation. They come together to consult about what to do next.

Encourage the children to remember their characters and to make suggestions about how to rebuild the village. Give them time to come up with different ideas. At the end of the consultation, they set about working to make the village even better than before.

After the children have improvised the scene, call out “Freeze” and present the final scene.

SCENE 4

The village has been rebuilt, thanks to the hard work of all the inhabitants. And, to everyone’s delight, it is even better than they could have imagined. The villagers gather together and celebrate.

CONTENT COMING SOON

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CRAFT IDEAS
BASED ON THE STORY:

We can also send seeds to people: try making some seed paper.

This website has good instructions

here is a video showing how to make seed paper

Based on the quote where we know that the strength of many is better than the strength of one:
  1. Get popsicle sticks (large ones are great).
  2. Write the name of family members, or community members or friends or any combination of these
  3. Decorate the sticks as you like
  4. Tie with a ribbon to symbolize we are held together with love
Based on Story: express your joy

In the story, the community expressed their joy by playing the drums. If you also like to express yourself with music, why not make your own instruments or even just drums?

See this website for easy-to-make instruments

comic book template

Review the quotation from today’s lesson, and then remind the children of the qualities of trustworthiness and radiance and the quotations they memorized in Grade 1:

O Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love . . .

 Baha’u’llah

Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself

Bahá’u’lláh
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

Nur’s Nook: Powerful Puppets Express yourself with puppets

Maya’s Mysteries: Gift of Listening Quiz yourself on listening skills

Picture of Unity — Consultation tips with missing words

Zeke & Rhombus: Talking Peace — Consultation tips in Zilizag code

Family Consultation — Practice consulting with your family.

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN

HERE

Categories
Baha'i Free Ruhi Book 3

ENLIGHTENING UNDERSTANDING G2 L19

LESSON 19: ENLIGHTENING UNDERSTANDING

These next 3 lessons are all about ‘consultation’ and how consultation leads to greater understanding. When we consult, we come together in search of truth, discussing possibilities, talking over ideas and sharing understanding. All the participants contribute in whatever way they can so that a unified vision of the way forward can emerge.

How and when can use the gift of consultation? 

As we continue to read and learn through prayer, quotes, songs and stories we will be able to better answer some of these questions

For lessons 8 and 9 we will continue to memorize the prayer below

O my God! O my God! Thou seest these children who are the twigs of the tree of life, the birds of the meads of salvation, the pearls of the ocean of Thy grace, the roses of the garden of Thy guidance.

O God, our Lord! We sing Thy praise, bear witness to Thy sanctity and implore fervently the heaven of Thy mercy to make us lights of guidance, stars shining above the horizons of eternal glory amongst mankind, and to teach us a knowledge which proceedeth from Thee. 

Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá!

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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The following ideas will assist you in presenting the quotation that the children are expected to memorize today:

We have thought a great deal about the importance of showing our love for God through service to His loved ones. We try to contribute to the betterment of the world in all we do and to manifest at all times those qualities that help us to serve. We have God’s teachings to guide us, and we are all working together to build His kingdom on Earth. Sometimes, of course, we do not know how best to move forward, but God has given us a most wonderful gift to help us learn little by little how to put His teachings into practice and follow His Divine guidance. It is the gift of consultation.
When we consult, we come together in search of truth, discussing possibilities, talking over ideas, and sharing understanding. All the participants contribute in whatever they can so that a unified vision of the way forward can emerge. We can use the tool of consultation to help us with all matters, great or small. We know that, as we take action, reflect on our efforts, discuss what we have learned in a loving and prayerful manner, and study God’s teachings and His creation, the path that lies ahead will become more and more illuminated. In this way, consultation is like a lamp that guides us to greater and
greater understanding.
During His travels in the West, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had the occasion to observe the discussions of a group that had come together to make some important decisions for their country. He was not impressed by what He saw. In this meeting, He said, fighting and arguing ruled the day. It had become a battleground, with everyone standing in opposition to the others, trying only to promote their own ideas and opinions. They had lost sight of their objective, which should have been to see the truth of the matters before them. The result was mostly confusion and turmoil. True consultation, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained, is spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views in opposition and debate. To help us remember to rely on consultation to lead us to greater understanding, let us memorize the following quotation:

Take ye counsel together in all matters, inasmuch as consultation is the lamp of guidance which leadeth the way, and is the bestower of understanding

Bahá’u’lláh
MEANING OF WORDS
Exert every effort

Collis and his family lived in the countryside.  He was tired from tending the crops but worked hard to finish the day’s work.  He exerted every effort to finish the work before the end of the day.

The teacher spent many hours working with students to make sure they know their lessons well.  The teacher exerted every effort to help her students.

Understanding

Amelia read the lesson twice.  However, only after her sister explained the lesson to her did she gain the necessary understanding.

Arnold’s mother always spoke to him about the importance of unity, but his understanding grew as he made friends with children of many different backgrounds and experienced unity firsthand. 

Strain every nerve

To climb to the top of the mountain required all of Franco’s strength.  He had to strain every nerve to reach the top.

The jar was closed very tightly, and though Zayn strained every nerve, he as unable to open it.

Accomplishments

The old man never talked about his past, even though he had done much during his life.  He was a humble man and never spoke about his accomplishments.

The discovery of fire was one of humanity’s earliest accomplishments.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

The story today shows how consultation can be like a lamp, guiding people through difficult problems, leading to new solutions, greater understanding, and wonderful outcomes.

This story is about something that happened not too long ago in a Baha’i community in a very big city in Europe.

It was an exciting time for the Baha ‘is. They had prepared themselves well and were at last ready to start a special project to invite the people of their city to join them for devotional gatherings, study circles, and classes for children and junior youth. To make a plan, all the friends  came together and consulted. They decided to form teams that would be able to move around the whole city, going to different neighborhoods to tell people about the various activities and invite them to take part.

As the meeting finished and the friends were going home, a few flakes of snow began to fall from the sky. No one thought much of it until after a couple of days, when the whole of the city was covered by a huge blanket of snow! It was quite unexpected and everyone in the city was taken by surprise. All the schools were closed because the teachers and children could not get there through the heavy snow. Shops were closed because the shopkeepers could not reach their shops. Buses and trains had stopped running and cars were stuck with so much snow covering them that you could not even see them. No one could travel anywhere in the city.


So a few of the Baha ‘is consulted again about what to do. Here were all these wonderful plans that just could not be carried out. At first everyone felt very sad and discouraged. What was to be done? Should they give up? How could the obstacle of the snow be turned into an advantage? As they prayed together and consulted about these ideas, a new plan came to light.


“If the friends can’t leave their homes to travel across the city, why don’t we all visit the people who live right next to us, on our own streets  or in our own apartment blocks?” said one of the friends.
“That’s right!” exclaimed another, “We wouldn’t need any transport-no car or bus or train-we would just need to put on our warm boots and take a few steps through the snow!”


Everyone began to get excited about this new plan. As soon as the consultation finished, they telephoned all the teams to share with them this new idea.  The friends were delighted! They had not thought about this possibility before, but visiting their neighbors and inviting them to join activities seemed like the perfect thing to do. Now the project could go forward! Everybody was able to carry out the plan and their hearts were filled with joy.


The people receiving visits in their homes were very happy, too, that their Baha’i neighbors were visiting them during this difficult cold winter. One family said that their children would like to come to children’s classes, but even without snow it was hard for them to travel around the city. So they decided to start a new class in their own home and invite their relatives and neighbors.


Because of the visits these teams made to people who lived close to them, within a short time, many new friends joined devotional gatherings and study circles, and four new children’s classes, just like the one we are having today, were started.

Draw any part of the story
DRAMA / GAMES
You can begin this period with selected warm-up exercises. Then explain to the children that the next activity will help them think about how consultation can guide us and lead us to insights we might not gain alone.

Ask the children to imagine they live in a small village in a large kingdom. One night, the king arrives riding an animal no one has ever seen before, called an elephant, and he camps just outside the village. The villagers hear about the king’s arrival, and are so curious to find out more about the elephant that they send a group of six young people out to the camp immediately, giving them a lamp to guide them through the dark, moonless night. Six children from your class can be asked to assume the part of the youth. When they arrive at the camp, everyone is already sleeping, and they put out the lamp so as not the wake the king. Now they cannot see a thing! But they can hear some strange noises coming from the edge of the camp and they follow the noises, thinking this must be the elephant:

The first person is in such a hurry that he runs straight into the side of the elephant. He spreads out his arms and feels the wide side of the elephant and decides it is like a wall.

The second person waves his arms about in the air, and suddenly grasps the elephant’s trunk. It feels like a snake to him, and he notes his discovery.

The third person touches the elephant’s tusk. It is hard and smooth and has a pointed tip. She decides that an elephant is like a spear.

The fourth person feels along the ground and finds one of the elephant’s legs. As she touches its rough skin, the elephant stomps its foot. So she thinks that an elephant is like a tree trunk that bends and can bang on the ground.

The fifth person reaches out and happens to grab the elephant’s tail. He decides that an elephant is just like a small bit of rope.

The sixth person runs up to the side of the elephant and feels a kind of breeze from the flapping of the elephant’s ear. She reaches out and touches the ear and decides that an elephant is like a living fan. Then she rushes to join the others, and they all head back to the village.

Now ask the children to pretend they are back in the village. At first there is confusion, as each person repeats what he or she has found. Then, an old man happens by and reminds them that if they consult they might get a better idea of what an elephant really looks like. Taking turns, everyone explains what he or she felt to the villagers, who can be played by other children in the class. You can guide the children through the enactment of what happens next:

All agree that the elephant is covered with rough skin and that it must be very large, for none of the youth could feel its back or the top of its head. They also know that the king rides the elephant, so they think it probably has four legs like a horse or camel or other animals that people ride. They realize that the “tree” was the only part of the elephant that rested on the ground and decide that this must be what its legs are like. Then they realize that the “rope” and the “snake” were at opposite ends. They suggest that one is a nose and the other a tail. And they think that the “fans” and “spears”, which were so close to the “snake”, might well be ears and teeth. As they discuss what they know and what they have learned, they slowly piece together a picture of the elephant as a very large animal with broad sides and rough skin, four thick legs and two very long teeth, a small tail and very long nose, and two big floppy ears. The next day, when the king rides through the village atop the elephant, they are delighted to see that the creature walking in front of them was exactly like the one they had drawn the night before.

CONTENT COMING SOON

DOWNLOAD COMPONENTS HERE

THERE IS A SONG IN DAYSPRING MAGAZINE THAT GOES LIKE THIS:

Consultation means Finding out What everybody Is thinking about.
You listen to them. And they listen to you. Then you all do What most of you Want to do!

LETS FIND OUT WHAT EVERYONE IS THINKING ABOUT

Use the template below and draw or write what you are thinking about or anything you are thinking about.

MAKE LISTENING EARS

GET PRINATABLE HERE

TAKE A VOTE AS TO WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO

MAKE A YES AND NO SIGN TO HOLD UP DOWNLOAD HERE

MAKE A POP UP CARD WITH ALL THE WORDS FROM THE QUOTE.

SEE CLASS HERE

MAKE A LAMP OF GUIDANCE

Lots of different templates for lamps. Here is a link to a “lamp” made with a mason jar and lights from a dollar store

You could have the children recite the two quotations below that they learned in Grade 1, one related to humility and the other to thankfulness after they have reviewed the quotation they memorized in this lesson.

O Son of Man! Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee

 The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh

Be thou happy and well pleased and arise to offer thanks to God, in order that thanksgiving may conduce to the increase of bounty.

`Abdu’l-Bahá
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

More Than Meets The Eye

Word Robot

Universal Language

DAYSPRING MAGAZINE

CONSULTATION

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN

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Categories
Baha'i Free Ruhi Book 3

WORKING IN A SPIRIT OF SERVICE G2 L18

WELCOME

LESSON 18: WORKING IN A SPIRIT OF SERVICE

As we grow up, we each become engaged in different kinds of work and make an effort to learn the skills and abilities, knowledge, and qualities, we need to serve. Be it as a farmer, a doctor, a teacher, a scientist, a musician, or a factory worker. You too will need to think about how you will contribute to the welfare of society as you grow older.

With this introduction, the children then brainstormed some ideas of possible occupations and specifically, what professions they would like to carry out – we had it all, from zoo keeper to fashion designer, to ornithologist – there are so many options out there!

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

This is the last lesson to memorize the prayer below

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
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Use this link to download and print

Quote for class to memorize
The following ideas will assist you in presenting the quotation that the children are expected to memorize today:

With love and kindness, joy and eagerness, we work diligently throughout our lives, striving to contribute to the good of those around us. As we grow up, we each become engaged in different kinds of work and make effort to acquire the skills and abilities, knowledge and qualities, we need to serve. There are many things that must be done in this world, and each person must determine how best to apply the talents and capacities he or she has been given by God. Think of the farmer who works from early morning until evening to produce the food others need to survive; think of the factory worker who lends his or her skills to the manufacture of goods that will benefit many; the schoolteacher devotes his or her days to helping young students learn to read and write; the musician practices for hours upon hours in order to create music that will bring joy to the hearts of others; the scientist spends a lifetime observing the universe and looking for patterns in its workings, to make discoveries that will lead to new understanding and that will give rise to new technologies. The Baha’i Writings tell us that work done in the spirit of service is accepted by God as worship.

You, too, will need to think about how you will to contribute to the welfare of society as you grow older. There will be many ways that you can apply the talents and capacities God has given to you, and as you make effort and work diligently, Divine confirmations will reinforce you, and you will begin to see more and more possibilities to serve others. You will, of course, continue to study and learn and will strive to achieve excellence, whatever path you take in life. Even the Baha’is who followed Baha’u’llah into exile from His homeland and who had little means learned the art of making rush mats. It was ‘Abdu’l-Baha who found an instructor to teach them this skill, a skill which He Himself had earlier acquired. During His travels in the West, ‘Abdu’l-Baha explained to one of the friends: “. . . it is incumbent upon every soul to acquire a trade and an occupation. For example, l know how to weave or make a mat, and you know some other trade. This, in itself is an act of worship, provided that it is conducted on the basis of utmost honesty and faithfulness.” To remember the importance of engaging in some form of work, in a spirit of service to humanity, let us memorize the following words of Baha’u’llah:

It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation – such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God

Baha’u’llah
MEANING OF WORDS
incumbent

Every parent must be responsible for making sure that their children receive an education. It is incumbent upon parents to see to their children’s education.

It is incumbent upon every person to pray each day.

Engage

Jacob’s brothers all have different jobs. One is an electrician, one is a fisherman, one is a teacher, and one is a painter. Each of Jacob’s brothers is engaged in a different occupation.

Each day, Marwan goes to school, assists her brother with his studies, practices playing football, and helps with the household chores. Throughout the day, Marwan engages in many activities.

Occupation

Ariadne spends most of her time looking after her family-caring for their home, tending to their well-being, and making sure they have what they need. Ariadne’s main occupation is the care of her family.

Penelope is an architect. She spends her days designing apartment buildings in which families live. Penelope is an architect by occupation.

Rank

Firefighters must always follow the orders given to them by the head of the fire department. The head of the fire department holds the highest rank in the department.

After many years of wood-working, Alberto became very skilled in carpentry.  He achieved the rank of Master Carpenter.

Worship

Once a week, Miguel’s parents invite their neighbors to their home to pray for the well­ being of their village and their families and to offer gratitude to God. They gather together to worship and praise God.

In every part of the world, one finds special places where people gather to give praise and thanks to God. People go to these places to worship God together.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
The story below, about a young man named Muhammad who grew up in ‘Akka in the time of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, will help the children to see the joy that working hard to achieve excellence brings.

In ‘Akka, ‘Abdu’l-Baha had organized a small school for the Baha’i children who lived in the Holy Land. There were very knowledgeable Baha’is in ‘Akka at the time, so the children had the opportunity to learn from a most wonderful group of teachers. Among the subjects taught at the school was calligraphy, which is an art highly esteemed by Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha. It is the art of writing profound and meaningful phrases, poems and tablets in a most beautiful way, almost as if they were paintings.

On Thursday afternoons the children of the Baha’i school had a special bounty. Each would take the best piece of calligraphy he or she had written during the week and show it to ‘Abdu’l-Baha who would inspect it, praising and encouraging the child as He saw fit. If the calligraphy piece was particularly well done, He would write a short sentence of praise at the bottom of the paper in His own handwriting. For the children, a sheet ennobled by ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s handwriting was a treasure they would cherish for the rest of their lives.

One year, there was a young boy of twelve or thirteen in the school who was intelligent, but eager to avoid unnecessary exertion. He loved to play and, as a result, did his homework hastily and poorly. Now this young boy, whose name was Muhammad, had an ardent desire to win the good pleasure of ‘Abdu’l-Baha. But when it was time to sit down and practice his calligraphy, he would get the urge to go out and play. Then one week Muhammad managed to show tremendous willpower. He worked hard, and when Thursday came, he presented to ‘Abdu’l-Baha a very nice piece of calligraphy. The Master was delighted and wrote at the bottom of the sheet words of commendation.

As you can imagine, Muhammad was beside himself with happiness. He looked at the handwriting of ‘Abdu’l-Baha under his calligraphy, convinced he was the most fortunate boy in the whole universe. “Why could I not do this every week,” he thought, “and receive this honor every Thursday?” So the next week he tried again, but unfortunately his willpower was not strong. He did not produce a single piece of calligraphy that could possibly win ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s approval a second time. Then Muhammad said to himself, “‘Abdu’l-Baha is so busy. He has so many things to do. He would never remember the calligraphy of a little boy.” So he took a fine pair of scissors and cut off the bottom of the sheet that he had presented the week before, removing ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha’s words of praise. You can see what Muhammad’s intention was. He was going to show the same piece of calligraphy to ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha again. This was a blameworthy act, although Muhammad had always been a truthful and trustworthy child. He tried to forget his plan, but could not. His mind had been poisoned by a dishonest thought, and he was not strong enough to overcome it.

On Thursday afternoon, Muhammad stood in line with the calligraphy piece from the previous week in his hand. He was already feeling the pangs of remorse. He was so ashamed of himself that he could hardly look at ‘Abdu’l-Baha. Then finally, his turn came. As always, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was loving and kind. But, of course, the moment He saw the calligraphy. He knew what had happened. How do you think the Master reacted? Did he announce Muhammad’s wrongdoing to his companions and shame him before the others? Not at all.  With great love, but also with unmistakable firmness, He noted how closely the piece of calligraphy matched the one that Muhammad had presented the week before. He said no more, but patted the boy in such a way that made it perfectly clear to Muhammad that ‘Abdu ‘1-Bahti realized what he had done.

Download the story as a PDF here

Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES

As always, have the children stretch in their imaginary squares as warm-up and then carry out one or two other exercises from the previous lessons. Then explain to them that the next exercise will help them to think about how they can serve humanity as they grow up.

Ask the children to sit silently for a few moments and imagine what kind of work they might want to do in the future. Once each child has an idea in mind, call on them one by one to stand up and act out some of the tasks involved in the work they have chosen. For example, if one child hopes to be a doctor, he or she might pretend to examine a patient; another might think of being a teacher and pretend to give a lesson. After each child has finished his or her improvisation, the other students should guess what he or she was pretending to be and then discuss briefly how such an occupation can contribute to the betterment of the world. To begin the exercise, you might wish to choose a child with strong drama skills who can provide an example for the others to follow.

CONTENT COMING SOON

CRAFT IDEAS
A Beautiful Piece Of Calligraphy

Our craft/art activity was inspired by today’s story on calligraphy. During the time of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the children in ‘Akka were taught to do calligraphy. One boy found it very hard to concentrate and patiently practice it, as he would rather go out and play. One day, he used all his willpower to persevere and produced a beautiful piece of calligraphy, so when it came around to show his work to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he received praise for it and was the happiest boy in the world. But the following week, he hadn’t produced any more work to present and thought if he would show the same piece again, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá surely wouldn’t remember… But of course He did and commented on  the fact how closely this piece matched the one he showed last week…

We noticed that doing calligraphy takes a lot of patience, perseverance and care – and probably a lot of practice to become good at it. The perfect exercise in endurance and excellence 

We used the FREE FONTS FROM THIS SITE  to trace our names and practice a little calligraphy.

THIS IS ANOTHER WAY TO PRACTICE CALLIGRAPHY
THERE ARE LOTS OF LOVELY IMAGES ON PINTEREST. HERE TO ARE SOME Baha’i CALLIGRAPHY

Notice how some calligraphy looks like shapes. We can take any shape and write in it for a similar look. Try using a free shape and write in it

After you have helped the children to review the quotation they memorized in this lesson, you can assist them in reciting the quotations below, which they learned in Grade 1, related to honesty and patience:

Beautify your tongues, O people, with truthfulness, and adorn your souls with the ornament of honesty

 Baha’u’llah

He, verily, shall increase the reward of them that endure with patience

Baha’u’llah
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

MISSION OF PIECE

A PRECIOUS GIFT

LIFE’S BALANCING ACT

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

CLUES TO YOUR CAREER

YOUR CAREER ADVENTURE

POWERPOINT LESSON

HERE

Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

WORKING HARD FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL GRADE 2 LESSON 17

WELCOME

LESSON 17: WORKING HARD FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL

The last lesson was about service – and how we need to work hard and make an effort every day for the benefit of humanity. Taking ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the perfect Example, we see how there is no time to be idle (or bored!) One way to work for the benefit of all was through service. In this lesson, we will continue to learn by memorizing the quote and listening to the stories.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

We will continue to memorize the prayer below

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O, God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Quote for class to memorize
The ideas below will assist you in explaining to the children the quotation they will learn today:

If we are to serve God and humanity, effort is required. We must be diligent and hard working. Like trees that give forth goodly and wondrous fruits for the benefit and enjoyment of all, we make effort and work for the good of those around us. And we know that God promises to assist our efforts. So we rise every day, turn our hearts to Him in prayer, and then set out, confident that His love surrounds us and eager to do what little we each can to make this world an earthly paradise. And at the end of each day, we think about what we have done and thank God for His aid and assistance, knowing that we will try even harder the next day. How sad if we waste the time we have been given in this world, and all the talents and capacities with which we each have been blessed, and do not use them in service to God’s loved ones.

Throughout His life, ‘Abdu’l-Baha was constantly active, working for the good of all. Early each morning He would make His round of visits to the inhabitants of ‘Akka. He would visit the elderly, the sick, and the suffering, seeing to their needs and offering them comfort and assistance. During the rest of the day, He would tend to the affairs of the Baha’i community. He would direct various projects, dictate letters, write, and receive visitors. People from all walks of life would bring their problems and concerns to Him, seeking His guidance and counsel. He would give them encouragement and advice and would help to ease their difficulties. Those who worked for the Master had difficulty keeping up with the fast pace of His busy life, but they were assisted and strengthened by His great spirit and words of encouragement. And we strive to follow ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s example and spend our time in active service to others.:,

To help us remember to always be working hard for the benefit of all, let us memorize the following quotation:

Waste not your time in idleness and sloth.  Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others

Baha’u’llah
MEANING OF WORDS
Idleness

When Furio came home from school, he did his homework, then helped his mother and assisted his younger brothers and sisters with their studies. Furio did not rest for a single moment. He was never idle.

An old steam train ran through the town for many years but now it is no longer in use and sits idle by the side of the tracks.

Profit

Fei Li was very gifted at making crafts, which she had learned from her grandmother. Fei Liwanted to teach crafts to others so they could also develop the ability to make beautiful things. Fei Liwanted her talents to profit others.

The doctor looked at the old woman. He could see she was not well and told her that her health would improve if she spent more time in the sunshine. She would profit, he said, from taking a long walk outdoors every day.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
Service To Humanity

His heart filled with the love of God, ‘Abdu’l-Baha spent every moment in service to humanity.  He is the perfect Example of how we should serve.  I would like to tell you a story about Abdu’l-Baha.

There once was a very proud man who did not understand the Station of ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha. One day, he approached Abdul-Baha in the street and said, “So, You are called the Servant of God.”  ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha replied that, indeed, that was His name. The name ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha actually means ” Servant of Baha” or Servant of God.

“Well,” said the man proudly, “I am Moses.” Now, the man was referring to the Prophet of God, Moses, and it was not really his name at all. We will learn more about Moses next year when we study the lives of many of the Messengers of God, like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Muhammad, the Bab and Bahau’llah, but for today you need to know that Moses was one of the Messengers of God that came long before Baha’u’llah.

Why do you think he was calling himself Moses?

The man was trying to annoy ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha, but Abdul-Baha did not respond to his jest. Instead, He told the man to meet Him the next morning at the same spot on the street, and they would go together and serve the people like the great Moses had done.

The man agreed, and the next day from morning to evening he accompanied Abdul-Baha as He visited the sick and the suffering, served the needy and met with the people who were thirsty to receive His love and His wise counsel.

By evening, how do you think the man who called himself Moses was feeling? He was extremely tired. Yet, he would not let go of his pride, and when ‘Abdu’l-Baha asked him to accompany Him the next day, he accepted.

Again by the evening of the second day, the man was exhausted,  but he accepted to accompany  ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha for yet another day.

On the third day when they returned from their arduous work, do you think he wanted to go again? No! The man could not bear the thought of working so hard, not even for another minute.

He had learned his lesson and had caught a glimpse of  ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha’s greatness.  So as they went to part ways, and before  ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha could  invite him for another  day  of  work,  the  man  said  with  great humility:  

” ‘Abdu ‘l-Baha,  tomorrow morning I will no longer be Moses. “

  • What can we learn from this story?
  • What are some examples of ways we can serve others in our daily lives? (ex. sharing with others the Word of God)
Download the story as a PDF HERE
Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES

After the usual warm-up exercise, carry out one or two activities with the children that will strengthen their skills and abilities related to creative drama. They can then improvise in pairs a short scene that will help them gain further understanding of the theme of this lesson, working hard for the benefit of others. While all the children are seated, take them through the following scene, encouraging them to embellish it with their imaginations by asking them questions such as, “What do the characters look like?”, “What actions are they carrying out?”, and “What expressions are on their faces?”. In this way, you will assist them in working out the details of the scene before they begin their improvisations.

A king is traveling through the countryside and sees a very old man working in a field. The king is surprised to see such an old man so hard at work and asks the man what he is doing. The old man explains that he is planting fruit trees. The king inquires how long it will take for the trees to bear fruit. The old man tells him it will take a very long time, indeed, and that he will not live to taste the fruit from the trees he is planting. The king is confused. He wants to know why the old man is using his energy to grow fruit that he will never be able to eat. The old man smiles and explains that, in his life, he has eaten fruit from many trees that were planted by others and that he wanted to plant trees for the benefit of those who will come after him. The king is pleased with this answer and gives the old man a gold coin. The old man smiles and tells the king that the trees did not take so long to bear fruit after all. He has hardly finished planting them and already they have brought him a reward from the king.

CONTENT TO BE UPLOADED SOON

DOWNLOAD COMPONENTS HERE

CRAFT IDEAS
BIRD FEEDERS

As a craft we made some lovely little bird feeders – reminding ourselves, that we can extend our service to include the animal kingdom too  Cut out from egg cartons, decorated and attached with some string, they hand in the trees, full of breadcrumbs for the birds to feed on

SERVICE PROJECT IDEAS

Make a cupcake out of socks and send to a retirement home. We did this and it was so well received. My photo is lost but here is the original video we based it on. The second time we did this project, we purchased cupcake liners as time was short, and did not make our own. You will need stiff cardstock liners if you go looking, not the regular paper ones.

Wash rag in a small flowerpot: this one was so easy we did not use felt but used green tissue paper to surround the flower like a gift

AN ENDLESS CARD

Service to humanity is a daily endeavor. we don’t stop. with this in mind, let us make an endless card. they are cool and moderately easy. I will try to upload one related to less soon. In the meantime take a look and maybe you can send me YOUR template and photo to add to this craft!

SOME MORE IDEAS

Make Things For Your Community:

Knit scarves or hats for families in shelters.

Bake cookies and snacks for food pantries.

It is suggested that you review with the children the quotation they memorized from
today’s lesson, after which you can help them recite the following quotations that they learned in
Grade 1 about faithfulness and truthfulness:

Happy is the faithful one who is attired with the vesture of high endeavor and hath arisen to serve this Cause

Bahá’u’lláh

Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues

‘Abd’u’l-Bahá
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

MUSIC: BOTTLE OF SUNSHINE

AGENT OF SERVICE

CHANGING THE WORLD

BE GRAPE-FUL

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN

HERE

Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

LIVING A VIRTUOUS LIFE RUHI BOOK 3 G2 L16

WELCOME

LESSON 16: LIVING A VIRTUOUS LIFE

The next 3 lessons are about devoting our lives to service.

What does that mean: to devote our lives to service? How do we even start to do this with so much going on in our lives every day? 

The first step in this process is to live a virtuous life.

What exactly does living a virtuous life mean?

By reading the story, and learning the prayer and quote in the next three lessons, we will begin to understand how we can devote our lives to service. We can then also understand what service is and how we can serve every day of our lives.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 8 and 9 we will continue to memorize the prayer below

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
SEND A POSTCARD

Use this link to download and print

Quote for class to memorize
The following ideas will assist you in explaining to the children the quotation they are expected to learn today

God loves us and always wants us to be near Him. One way that we are able to draw nearer to God is through service. We serve God when we serve His loved ones. There are many ways in which we can serve our fellow human beings. We can, for example, visit the sick, help those in need, and share what we learn with others. We should strive to serve all people, whether rich or poor, friends or strangers.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was our perfect Exemplar. He showed us what it means to walk a path of service to humanity.  His entire life was dedicated to helping other people. In fact, His very name means “Servant of God”. He was never concerned for His own needs or comfort. He did not seek after wealth or power. He never wanted any titles or recognition. His only desire was to serve God and humanity. “My station is the station of servitude,” He often told the friends. This is the highest station-to place oneself in the service of others. This is the station that we are all trying to achieve. What greater joy than to bring joy to another soul. What greater honor than to be seen as a true servant of God and humanity. That we may all follow in the ways of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, let us memorize the following quotation:

That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race

‘Baha’u’llah
MEANING OF WORDS
Dedicate

Dervi always pays close attention during art class and spends many hours preparing herself for each class. Dervi dedicates much of her time to the arts.

Hung Wei’s father has a vegetable garden. Everyday Hung Wei helps his father weed and water the garden. Hung Wei is dedicated to helping his father.

Service

Mumbi, Apiyo and Tocho cleaned the schoolyard after the storm had left it full of broken branches and leaves from the trees. They were happy to render this service to the school.

Sachiko walks four kilometers to give a children’s class. She is happy to walk this far each week because she wants nothing more than to be of service to the community.

Human race

At school we saw pictures of people from many different countries. All of these people belong to the human race.

The museum has musical instruments from all over the world. Looking at their many shapes and sizes, the children were reminded of both the diversity of the human race and of the love of people everywhere for music.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A Story On How To Serve

You can remind the children of the story of Lua Getsinger they heard in Lesson 2 regarding prayer and then tell them the following story about her, which will help illustrate for them what it means to be a servant of God.

You remember from our lesson on prayer that Lua Getsinger was one of the early Bahai’s in the West who visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in the prison-city of ‘Akka. One day during her visit, the Master took her aside and explained to her that He had many pressing matters to attend to and would not be able to call upon a friend who was very sick. He wished Lua to go in His place. He told her to take some food to the sick man and care for him as He had been doing.

Lua learned the address of the man and immediately set off to do as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had asked. She felt proud that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had entrusted her with a task that He would usually have carried out Himself. But, only a short while later, she returned to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in a state of excitement. “Master, “she exclaimed, “surely you cannot realize to what a terrible place you sent me. I almost fainted from the awful stench, the filthy rooms, the degrading condition of that man and his house. I fled lest I contract some terrible disease.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá gazed at her sadly and sternly. If she wanted to serve God, He explained, she must serve her fellow man, because in every person she should see the image and likeness of God. Then He told her to go back to the sick man’s house. If the house was dirty, she should clean it. If he was hungry, she should feed him. He asked her not to come back until all of this was done.  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had done these things for His friend many times, and she should be able to do them this once, He told her with firmness. That is how Lua learned an important lesson about what it means to serve her fellow human beings.

Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES

This period of the class can begin with the usual stretching exercise. You may then lead the class in the next set of activities related to the theme of this lesson, that is, the spirit of service. Explain to the children that today they will improvise a situation that will help them gain further understanding of what it means to serve humanity. Divide the youngsters into groups of three and then describe the following scenario for them:

Ask the children to imagine that they arrive home one day and their mother tells them that their aunt is sick. Their mother has prepared some soup for her, and the children ask whether they can take it to their aunt and look after her for a while. Their kind offer brings joy to their mother’s heart, and the three children set off with the pot of soup. Have the children show you how they would carry the soup carefully to the aunt’s house, making sure not to spill it. When they arrive at the house, they greet their aunt and inquire after her health. First, they take care of her needs. Ask the children to tell you what specific things they would do for her. Perhaps she is cold and needs more blankets, or requires water or a book, and they bring these things to her. They can demonstrate for you how they would carry out these tasks. Next, they look around the aunt’s house to see what chores need to be done, for example, washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, or doing the laundry, and they practice performing these tasks. Once they are familiar with all the elements of the scenario, each of the groups can act it out in its entirety.

Content coming soon

DOWNLOAD COMPONENTS HERE

CRAFT IDEAS
We read earlier: What greater joy than to bring joy to another soul…

There are many ways to bring joy. here are some suggestions:

  1. Bake a cake or make cookies for someone who is ill or sad.
  2. Send a card, or make one and send it.
  3. Help someone with a task they are struggling with
  4. Pick flowers or buy flowers and take them to someone who needs cheering up
  5. Can you sing or play an instrument? then why not do so to bring joy to the heart of a friend?
Make Yummy Cookies

This is also posted on my old blog Here

The first cookie is known as Christmas Crack: don’t let the name scare you away. This cookie takes 5 minutes and is one of my cheating recipes, i.e. you do not make it all from scratch but use a prepared ingredient, in this case, saltine crackers.

The first time I heard of using salt crackers in a cookie I was not interested but think “salted caramel” and it is close to what magic happens in this recipe.

This cookie has semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips melted on top of salt crackers that have been covered in caramel.

The second recipe I found in a children’s cookbook years ago and again the name scares you away: Fat Albert! The base for this cookie is graham crackers again a caramel covering and lots of sliced almonds.

Use: To give to someone the gladden their hearts.

We are thinking of using cookies in little cellophane bags for table decorations. I also make these for Naw-Rúz to have on hand when we have visitors.

Age: Some of this can be “done” by children age 3 and up. All ages can help eat!

Time 10 minutes

Christmas Crack and Fat Alberts are the same measurements for the ingredients except for the fact that one uses almonds and the other chocolate. The cook time and temperature are also the same so the directions below are for both.

Christmas Crack Ingredients

28-30 Saltine Crackers

250 mL (1 cup) Butter

250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar

500 mL ( 2 cups) chocolate chip

Fat Albert Ingredients

28-30 Graham Crackers

250 mL (1 cup) Butter

250 ml (1 cup) brown sugar

500 mL ( 2 cups) chocolate chip

Directions for both:

  1. Heat the oven to 400F (200 C)
  2. Cover the cookie sheet with graham crackers for Fat Alberts or saltine crackers for Christmas Crack crackers should be touching.
  3. Melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan.
  4. Stir in the sugar and bring mixture to a boil. Be careful not to let the mixture boil over.
  5. Pour the sugar mixture over all the crackers (graham or saltine)
  6. For Fat Alberts: sprinkle the almonds now.
  7. bake for 5 to 8 minutes until bubbly.
  8. Remove from the oven
  9. For Christmas Crack immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips and as they start to melt use a spatula to spread over the surface. try to cover all the surface and you can also let it seep in between the crackers.
  10. Let cool and then break into squares.

TIP: I cut both sugar and butter to 3/4 cup without the taste or look of the cookie being affected.

Download the pdf here

Make a musical instrument

Making musical instruments from items around the house is easy. Zing instruments blog has some easy ideas. It is sure to cheer the heart of someone. Have fun!

Flowers

We have made so many flowers in the past I am sure you are all experts. Here are a few easy flowers to make if you need them:

BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE HAS A CRAFT SAVING FOR SERVICE

The link is here

Here are some other ideas for making a bank to save up for service:
Coin Bank Made from any type of can with a plastic lid

here

DRAW SCENES FROM THE STORY

comic book template

You can review with the children the quotation from today’s lesson, before helping them to recite the following passages they memorized in Grade 1 regarding the purity of heart and sincerity:

O Son of Spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart

 Baha’u’llah

We should at all times manifest our truthfulness and sincerity

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

SAVING FOR SERVICE

WE CAN MOVE THE WORLD (MUSIC)

LUA GETSINGER (STORY)

WHAT IS YOUR SERVICE STYLE

COOKING UP ACTION

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN

HERE

Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

Devoting One’s Life To Service Ruhi book 3 Grade 2 Set 6

RUHI BOOK 3 GRADE 2 SET 6

THE THREE LESSONS IN THIS SET ARE AS FOLLOWS:

  1. LESSON 16: Living a Virtuous Life
  2. LESSON 17: Working Hard for the Benefit of All
  3. LESSON 18: Working in a Spirit of Service

THE PRAYER WE WILL BE MEMORIZING IS:

O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are the handiwork of the fingers of Thy might  and the wondrous signs of Thy greatness. O God! Protect these children, graciously  assist them to be educated and enable them to render service to the world of humanity. O God! These children are pearls, cause them to be nurtured within the shell of Thy loving-kindness. Thou art the Bountiful, the All-Loving.

EACH LESSON WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT QUOTE TO MEMORIZE

LESSON 16

That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race

Baha’u’llah

LESSON 17

Waste not your time in idleness and sloth.  Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others.

Baha’u’llah

LESSON 18

It is incumbent upon each one of you to engage in some occupation – such as a craft, a trade or the like. We have exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship of the one true God

Baha’u’llah
Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

BEING A FRIEND TO THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE G2 L15


True friends care for each other. They enjoy spending time together, and each wants what is best for the other. If we see our friends are sad, we do what we can to bring joy to their hearts. If a friend is sick, we want to make sure he or she is well cared for. Because we want what is best for our friends, we listen to them and always try to pay attention to their wishes. It is a joy to give something up when we know it will make our friend happy or help him or her to progress. In friendship, we give of our time and our possessions and share our happiness and our learning. What a blessing to have many true friends.

Of course, sometimes friends (and we) make mistakes. and we may feel sadness in our hearts – but we can be forgiving. When our hearts are filled with generosity and we remember our love for our friend, we can forgive and the sadness goes away.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 8 and 9 we will continue to memorize the prayer below

O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart. O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee. Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy! Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever thou hast ordained for me. Thine is the absolute authority to command.

The Báb
SEND A POSTCARD HERE
Quote for class to memorize
The following ideas will assist you in presenting the quotation that the children are expected to memorize today:


True friends care for each other. They enjoy spending time together, and each wants what is best for the other. If we see our friends are sad, we do what we can to bring joy to their hearts. If a friend is sick, we want to make sure he or she is well cared for. Because we want what is best for our friends, we listen to them and always try to pay attention to their
wishes. It is a joy to give something up when we know it will make our friend happy or help him or her to progress. In friendship, we give of our time and our possessions and share our happiness and our learning.

What a blessing to have many true friends. Of course, sometimes a friend makes a mistake, and we may feel sadness in our hearts, but
we remember that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was always forgiving, and so we are forgiving too. And when our hearts are filled with generosity and we remember our love for our friend, the sadness goes away. You know there are times when you make mistakes, and your friend is forgiving to you. What is important is that you both know neither would ever want to bring sadness to the heart of the other. It was the wish of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that no soul should ever be hurt or grieved. There is no greater gift, He told us, than bringing joy to another heart. “I beg of God,” He prayed, “that ye will be bringers of joy, even as are the angels in Heaven.” That we may form such loving bonds of friendship with many souls, let us memorize the following quotation:

….strive ye with all your might to create, through the power of the Word of God, genuine love, spiritual communion and durable bonds among individuals

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
MEANING OF WORDS
Genuine

The bag looked like it was made of leather, but it was really made of a plastic material. The bag was not made of genuine leather.

Some rings only look like they are gold, but the king’s ring is genuine. It is gold with a beautiful red stone.

Durable

When choosing a fabric to make her children’s clothes, Mrs. Singh looked for one that would not tear easily. She chose a durable fabric that would last a long time.

The wheels on a tractor are big and thick so that they can go over rocks and dirt easily and still work fine. The wheels on a tractor are durable.

Bond

A dog often feels an attachment to its master. There is a special bond between a dog and its master.

There is a strong bond between a mother whale and her young calf, and they stay close together for long distances in the ocean, with the mother feeding the calf and protecting it from enemies.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

Songs for grade 2
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A STORY ABOUT THE NATURE OF FRIENDSHIP
Here is a folktale about a mountain and a meadow that will help the children to think about the nature of friendship.

Once there was a mountain whose peak was so high that it might have been the tallest mountain in the world. It was so tall that the clouds were its only company. But the mountain enjoyed playing with its big billowing friends! And the clouds, too, were happy to gather around the mountain’s snowy peak. Sometimes they would laugh so heartily that they would cry, raining tears on the earth below.

Then one hot summer the mountain found itself alone for many days. Not a single cloud could be seen in the sky, and the mountain felt very sad, missing its blustering friends. “Why don’t the clouds run and play in your big bright blueness anymore?” it asked the wide sky.

“They have all gone to the kingdom of winter, very far from here,”

the sky replied.

“They will not return until the end of summer. “

“But I miss them so much!” cried the mountain with a sigh. “Maybe I should go to the winter kingdom as well and visit my friends. “

“You are a mountain,” the sky said firmly. “Mountains are heavy and cannot fly as the clouds can. You must remain in the same place. “

Now the mountain became very sad indeed and started to cry. Huge tears ran down its face, and soon streams and rivers were flowing from its snowy peak. Then something wonderful happened. The dried, cracked soil in the plain far below began to drink up the mountain’s tears. Before long, the plain was covered in fresh green growth.

The grateful plain called up to the mountain. “Kind mountain!” it said, “Thank you for saving me from a terrible fate! Your pure water has healed all my wounds. Look at how it has helped me!”

The mountain was so surprised that it stopped crying. Until then nobody had ever spoken to the mountain from below. It looked down and gasped when it saw the flourishing green meadow, shining and fresh.  To see its beauty made the mountain content. How happy it was to have found a new friend in the meadow.

Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES
To help the children continue developing the skills and abilities of creative drama, you may have them carry out the following activities:

Begin by having the students stretch as usual in their imaginary squares. Ask them to remain in their squares and pretend to do the following, first with a sad look on their faces: sweeping the floor, building a table, helping someone to find something he or she has lost on the floor, climbing a ladder to pick some fruit from a tree, washing dishes, making soup. Next, ask them to go through the same movements, but this time with happy expressions.

Ask the children to act out the following to show how they would be a good friend:

A young boy learns that one of his friends is not feeling well

A little girl notices her friend is sad

One child in the class sees that another is afraid of the dark

A young girl learns that her friend has done something wrong

The next set of activities is again related to the theme of today’s lesson, that true friends care for each other. Divide the students into groups of three and explain to them that they are going to improvise a story based on the following situation:

Naw-Ruz, the Bahai new year, is a few weeks away, and the community is planning to have a special celebration. Sarah, Marion and Marco have been working especially hard to prepare a children’s program. One day Marion and Marco wait for Sarah so that they can continue their work, but she does not arrive. Later they inquire after her and find out that she has fallen down and hurt her ankle, and the doctor has told her to stay off of it for a while. At first Marion and Marco are worried about the children’s program. How will they finalize everything without Sarah’s help? But then they think of Sarah and realize how sad she will be if her ankle does not heal fast enough for her to participate in the program. They remember the words of ‘Abdu’l-Baha that the best way to help those who are not well is to bring joy to their hearts. So Marion and Marco decide to visit Sarah every day to cheer her up. By the time Naw-Ruz arrives, Sarah’s ankle is fine and the three friends together carry out the program for which they have worked so hard.

To help the children begin their improvisations, ask them what they think Marion and Marco did when they visited Sarah. How did they bring joy to her heart? Did they continue, for example, to plan the program with her during their visits?

ALTERNATIVE

Sit in a big circle and pass around various every-day items (a ball, remote control, pen, piece of fabric, etc) – each child, in turn, has to pretend this object to be of a certain use (fabric – this is my hanky, my blanket, my apron, my turban, etc). 

To add to the lapbook for this set we created a mini book with the scene from the story drawn in. The children stuck the extra pieces in

A friend to all humanity

How to Make The Mini Book

I made my book a little big and needed to attach pieces, a simple but slightly smaller version :

You will need 2 colors of Cardstock. 8.5 inches x 11 inches

I used blue for the base and White for the drawing.

Glue, markers, stickers, pen

CRAFT IDEAS
Friendship Bracelet:

I am sure most of you have made lots of friendship bracelets. maybe, you can help others in your class make one?

If you have not made friendship bracelets in the past. Here is one link you can visit. This one is another

Friendship House
Foam Heart

Make a foam heart necklace here

Send a Postcard

Send a postcard to a senior, the Canadian Troops, a fireman, or a refugee. The list is endless

Easy craft ideas

This website has so many ideas: rock painting, bracelets and more

DRAW SCENES FROM THE STORY

comic book template

Brilliant Star Magazine

PAPER AIRPLANE

WILD FOR BIO DIVERSITY

MAP YOUR FUTURE

Review the quotation from today’s lesson, and then remind the children of the qualities of trustworthiness and radiance and the quotations they memorized in Grade 1:

To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues

 Baha’u’llah

Blessed is he who mingleth with all men in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love

Baha’u’llah
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

HOW WARM IS YOUR WELCOME?

BACK FROM THE BRINK

RILEYS RAINFOREST

MUSIC: TREBLE CHEF

POWERPOINT LESSON PLAN HERE
Categories
Baha'i Children class Free Ruhi Book 3

GOD IS OUR BEST FRIEND G2 L13

WELCOME

LESSON 13 : GOD IS OUR BEST FRIEND

In set five of grade 2 lessons, we’re looking at how to be a good friend. Lesson 13 focuses on the one true friend, that we will always have by our side – God. Because he loves each one of us and cares for us all, He overlooks our shortcomings and forgives us when we forget to follow His guidance. Knowing that God is there for us always, makes us feel we’re never alone. Of course, there are many other friends we have as well, some stay with us for a long time, and some come and go. It’s these relationships we need to nourish and look after.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 13,14 and 15 we will memorize the prayer below

O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and toward all Thy signs I set my heart. O Lord! Whether traveling or at home, and in my occupation or in my work, I place my whole trust in Thee. Grant me then Thy sufficing help so as to make me independent of all things, O Thou Who art unsurpassed in Thy mercy! Bestow upon me my portion, O Lord, as Thou pleasest, and cause me to be satisfied with whatsoever thou hast ordained for me. Thine is the absolute authority to command.

The Báb

SEND A POSTCARD TO A FRIEND

Quote for class to memorize
The following explanation will help you present the quotation that the children will memorize today:


None of us is alone in this world. There are so many people alongside each one of us,
encouraging and assisting us as we grow—our fathers and mothers, our aunts and uncles, our brothers and sisters, our cousins and classmates, our teachers and neighbors.

Throughout our lives we make friends with more and more people. Some of these friendships will last a long time, and others may not. But no matter how many come and go from our lives, we know that God is always with us. He loves each one of us and cares for us all. He has created every good thing in this world for our well-being and has given us laws and teachings to guide and protect us. He overlooks our shortcomings and faults and sees that which is praiseworthy in each one of us. If we do something wrong, He forgives us. He is the All-Merciful, the Compassionate. We listen to His counsels and follow them, through times of joy and times of difficulty, because we know that He is our Creator and our true Friend.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that we should thank God under all conditions and put all our affairs in His hands. We should not dwell on the unpleasant things of life but should trust in the bounty and bestowals of God. His Bounty never ceases to flow, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá assured us. It is everlasting. What chance do we have of attaining true happiness if we turn away from God’s blessings and forget His love for us. We should always remember, as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá told us, that God is more a friend to each one of us than we are to ourselves. Let us memorize the following quotation:

Incline your hearts, 0 people of God, unto the counsels of your true, your incomparable Friend

‘Abdu’l-Bahá,
MEANING OF WORDS
Incline

Emmet noticed that all the flowers in the field leaned in the direction of the sun. The flowers were inclined towards the sun.

From the back of the classroom, Tina was not able to hear the teacher well, so she leaned forward and turned her head to listen to him. Tina inclined her ear towards the teacher in order to hear him better.

True

The table in the kitchen was old and scratched, so Ludo decided to remove the layer of paint, revealing the beautiful wood underneath. When Ludo finished, the true color of the wood could be seen.

Adam always did what he promised. His words always matched his deeds. Adam was true to his word.

Incomparable

The Himalaya Mountains are the tallest in the world. No other mountains compare with them in their grandeur. The Himalaya Mountains are incomparable in their majesty and grandeur.

The melody touched her heart like no other she had ever heard. She found the melody incomparable in its beauty.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
Maye Mngani (O Friend)” by Sanele & Xolani
The following chant will be part of our story, you can listen to it now or wait and include it as part of the narrative.
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A Story From The Early History Of The Faith

You can now tell the children the following story from the early history of the Faith, helping them to see that trust in God will strengthen them in times of difficulty and will enable them to pass through such times without letting bitterness into their hearts.

You already know that, before ‘Abdu’l-Baha and His family were forced to leave their homeland, His Father, Baha’u’llah, was arrested and sent to prison by an unjust government, which was fearful of the truth of the Divine message He proclaimed. During that time, not only Baha’u’llah, but many of those who responded to the call of this message were taken from their homes and families and locked in the most terrible prison, an underground dungeon, where they were bound in heavy chains.

The prisoners could breathe no fresh air and the floor was covered in filth and crawling with rats and insects. No light reached the dungeon; it was always icy cold. As the prisoners sat facing each other in that horrible place, Baha’u’llah taught them to chant verses that reaffirmed their trust in God and helped to remind them that God would never ask more of them than they could give, that He would grant them the strength they needed to withstand whatever oppression they might suffer and to cling fast to the truth they held in their hearts.  As evening came on,  they would begin to raise their call.  

“God is sufficient unto me;” one row would call out, “He verily is the All-Sufficing!” Then the other row would respond, “In Him let the trusting trust.” Throughout the night, they would repeat these words, so loudly that the sound of their uplifted voices reached even the king in his palace nearby.

 When he heard the sound of the prisoners, the cruel king asked from where it came. He was told that this was the sound of the prisoners who were locked in the dungeon with Baha’u’llah. The king said nothing more. It was clear that, no matter what horrors he might inflict on these prisoners, there was nothing he could do to turn them away from the truth of the Cause they had embraced.

Draw any part of the story
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES
The following activities will contribute to the development of skills and abilities needed to perform creative drama:

After the children have done the usual stretching exercise in their imaginary squares, ask them to make their bodies as tiny as possible, as large as possible, as low as possible, as high as possible, as stiff as possible, and as wrinkled as possible.

Begin the next exercise by asking one of the students to leave the area where the class is being held. This child is the “explorer”. Have the rest of the children choose a spot that the “explorer” must find when he or she returns, and then help them decide on a posture he or she must take upon reaching that spot. Make sure that the posture chosen is not too difficult. For example, they might want the “explorer” to stand at a particular spot under a tree with his or her right hand on its trunk. The children will communicate this to the “explorer” by clapping. As the “explorer” gets closer and closer to the correct spot, the clapping should get louder and louder.  The farther away the  “explorer” gets from the spot, the softer the clapping. Once the “explorer” has found the correct spot, clapping is used in the same way to help him or her find the right posture. If time allows, repeat the exercise several times so that every child is given the opportunity to be the “explorer” at least once.

As always, the next set of activities is related to the theme of the lesson: the individual’s relationship with God. Tell your students that today they will try a new activity. First, help them to remember the main points of the story they heard of the prisoners in the Siyah-Chal:

  • Baha’u’llah, together with many others, was arrested and put in a dungeon by an unjust government because of the Divine message He proclaimed.
  • The dungeon was filthy and foul.
  • The prisoners were locked in two rows with heavy chains.
  • Baha’u’llah taught them to chant verses throughout the night.
  • One row of the prisoners would chant, “God is sufficient unto me. He verily is the All-Sufficing!”
  • The other would respond, “In Him let the trusting trust.”
  • Their voices were so loud that they could be heard by the king in his palace.

Once you have reviewed the story with the children, ask a few of them to stand up in turn and recite the story for the rest of the class to the best of their ability. You should remind them to stand straight as they tell the story, with their arms to their sides, and help and encourage them if they falter in places.

  • WILL BE UPLOADED SOON

DOWNLOAD COMPONENTS HERE

CRAFT IDEAS
FRIEND ALBUM

This website has a lovely friend album to make. I will try to get a template up for the waterfall insert (you pull the tab and the photos flip up.)

In the meantime, here is the site to try on your own!

Make  Paper Chain Dolls and Decorate and if you like, write a quote or two about friendship!

Paper Doll How To WEBSITE Here

Create a refuge in our home

Choose a place, could be a corner of your room. Set up a space that makes you feel relaxed. Ideas: pillows, flowers, magazines, prayer books.

DRAW SCENES FROM THE STORY

comic book template

Review the quotation from today’s lesson and then help the children to recite the quotations learned in Grade 1 related to love and selflessness.


O, Friend! In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love . . .

Bahá’u’lláh

Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself.

Bahá’u’lláh
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

BLACK PIT 

FIGHTING LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

YOUR REFUGE IS READY

MUSIC: GOD IS SUFFICIENT UNTO ME

POWERPOINT LESSONS

HERE

Categories
Baha'i Children class Ruhi Book 3

IMPORTANCE OF UNITY G2 L10

WELCOME

LESSON 10: IMPORTANCE OF UNITY

This lesson is all about living in Harmony, and about the importance of unity to help us achieve the ideal living space not just in our homes, but worldwide.

EACH SET HAS PRAYERS TO MEMORIZE

For lessons 10 to 12 we will memorize the prayer below

O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord! Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing upon Thy tree of life. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
SEND THE PRAYER TO A FRIEND here
Quote for class to memorize
You can use the following explanation to help you present today’s quotation to the children:

All the people of the world were created by one God, and all are His servants. We all breathe the same air, live on the same earth, and receive light and warmth from the same sun. We are all part of one human family. And just like a garden bursting with flowers of every shape and color, humanity is made up of peoples of different colors and races, different talents and capacities, which are harmonized in a beautiful whole. The great diversity of the human family can be likened to the many notes that come together in a delightful melody. A melody with only one note repeated over and over is not pleasing to the ear; it is dull and monotonous. So it is with the diversity of the human race; when the diverse people of the world come together in unity, the true strength and potential of humanity can be seen.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá showed us through His words and actions how we can build unity. His home was often full of people from different parts of the world living happily in one household, and wherever He went, He insisted that gatherings include everyone who wished to join, bringing all together in harmony and never allowing differences to separate people. He always reminded the friends that we are waves of one sea, grass in the same meadow, leaves on the same tree, united by the love of God. We see everyone as our brothers and sisters, and we treat every soul with kindness. If misunderstandings arise among us, we resolve them with friendliness, remembering our love for God and for each other. We avoid arguments and fights. Think of the human body; all the different parts work together to make it healthy and strong. In the same way, as we all work together, each doing our part, we see the power of unified action, and great things can be accomplished. To help us remember the importance of unity, let us memorize the following words of Bahá’u’lláh:

So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth.

Bahá’u’lláh
MEANING OF WORDS
Powerful

The sun’s rays warm the earth and give life to all beings.  The sun’s rays are powerful.

As Kendra read the poem, its sweet words touched her heart and brought tears to her eyes.  The poem was very powerful.

Illumine

The room was dark until we turned on the light.  The light illumined the room.

In the morning, the sun rises and shines its light on the land and sea.  The sun illumines the land and sea.

MEMORIZATION AID FOR QUOTE

PICTURES TO REMEMBER THE QUOTE HERE

ruhi book 3 grade 3 song
STORY RELATED TO LESSON
A Story OF ‘Abdu’l-Baha and unity

Throughout His life, ‘Abdu’l Baha brought all different kinds of people together- old and young, rich and poor, of all religions and backgrounds- and helped them to learn the ways of unity. Here is a story that shows how ‘Abdu’l-Baha brought two hearts together. 

Every day many people came to visit Abdu’l-Baha in His home, and He welcomed them all with open arms.  One day, a gentleman arrived at the house and was greeted warmly.  Sometime later, while this gentleman was still visiting with Abdu’l-Baha, a second man came to call, and he, too, was warmly welcomed.  Now, it so happened that these two gentlemen had had a disagreement, and they were not at all happy to see each other.  In fact, they did not even want to be in the same room together.  What would happen?  Both wanted to be with Abdu’l-Baha.  Would one of them decide to leave?

Abdu’l-Baha resolved the matter immediately.  He started by telling some funny stories, and before long, both men were laughing.  Then He said that His home was a home of peace and joy, a home of laughter and exultation.  He did not want them to leave with feelings of hatred in their hearts.  The gentlemen listened carefully, thinking about Abdu’l-Baha’s words.  After a while, Abdul-Baha gave them each some sweets and a silk handkerchief (HAVE SWEETS AND A SILK HANKY OUT AS PROPS).  These were to be, He indicated, a token of their pledge of friendship.  The two men smiled.  They recognized that it was God Who had directed their steps to Abdu’l-Baha’s home that day.  And they went away from Abdu’l-Baha’s presence joyful and full of laughter.

What do you take away from this story?

In following the ways of Abdu’l-Baha, we never allow differences to come between us, and, if misunderstandings ever arise, we think of our love for God and look for those things that unite us. 

Drawing aids
GAMES FOR GRADE 2 TO PLAY
DRAMA / GAMES
The activities that follow will help the children continue developing the skills and abilities of creative drama.

Ask your students to stand in their imaginary squares.  As you did in the previous lesson, have the children stand about 5 feet apart and imagine that they are in their own squares.  Ask them to walk along the border of his/her imaginary square.

Ask children to: raise up your arms and stretching from the tips of your toes to the tips of your fingers, reach towards the sky.  Now you are going to relax and let your arms and head hang freely.  Repeat this several times.

Now tell the children to stretch their arms out at shoulder length and rotate them slowly, making small circles.  Gradually the circles should become bigger and bigger.  As they do this exercise, their arms will feel heavier and heavier. Tell the children than when their arms feel very heavy, they should let them drop and shake them out.

For the next exercise, the children will remain in their imaginary squares.  Tell them to pretend they are doing the following: washing dishes, washing a dog, feeding chickens, carrying wood, planting seeds, picking a crop, pouring and drinking a glass of water.  (Call the actions out one at a time, giving the children a minute or so to improvise each)

Now have the children form a circle, sitting down, yourself among them.  Create a face- a happy face, a sad face, a frightened face.  Turn to one of the youngsters sitting next to you and pass the face on to that child.  He or she should assume the expression and pass it on to the next child, and so on.  You may do this several times, allowing a different children to create a face each time.

Now we are going to move on to the activities related to the theme of this lesson- the importance of living in unity.  Do you remember the analogy that was used earlier to describe the oneness of humanity?  It has to do with the human body.  What would happen if some of our fingers refused to grab on to something we needed to pick up?  What if each leg tried to walk in a different direction?  The next few activities will help us see what it means to be united.

 I am going to tell you a story about a hand whose fingers and thumb stopped working together, and I am going to ask you to ACT IT OUT SILENTLY WITH YOUR OWN HANDS as I tell it.  (HAVE PENCIL, PAPER, SPOON and SMALL BALL PROPS FOR EACH CHILD)

One day the fingers on Ramiro’s hand fought with the thumb. They decided that they didn’t like it, they didn’t need it, and they could manage fine without it.  That seemed a great idea to the thumb, who took advantage of the time to rest.  Meanwhile, the fingers began a new life.  But…when they tried to pick up a pencil, they had difficulty.  When they finally managed, it was even harder to write.  Neither could they hold the spoon easily when it was time to eat.  And buttoning up a shirt was impossible.  So they decided to play instead.  But, to their surprise, they couldn’t grab the ball.  Feeling sorry, they turned to their brother, the thumb, and asked him to join them again.  The thumb, who was bored being alone, did not have to think twice and gladly went back to his duties.

For this next activity, we will need to divide up into pairs.  One child from each pair will need to stand behind the other.  The child behind should be facing the back of his or her partner.  Each pair is going to act as one person.  The child in back will be the arms and the child in front will be the rest of the body.  The hands of the child in front should be placed behind his/her back, allowing the arms of the child behind to be extended, as though they were the arms of the front child (have a pair come up and demonstrate so everyone sees how to do it).

Now, each pair will first act out a situation in which the arms are not united in the rest of the body.  The child in front should describe what is happening to the body.  For example, he or she may say, “There is sun in my eyes, I need to protect them with my hand” or “My nose is itchy, I need to scratch it.”  The child behind should do something DIFFERENT from what the body has said, for example, wave his/her hand, fold his or her arms, or wiggle his/her fingers. 

Next, each pair is going to act IN HARMONY, with the arms doing the jobs the body needs them to do. 

Then allow children to SWAP ROLES, so each has a chance to pretend to be the arms.

Pass the face

Everyone sits in a large circle, one person makes a funny face and each person in turn, passes it along the circle. We had some great laughs!

THE OLD LAPBOOK VERSION HAS THE FOLLOWING FILES

1. UNITED HEARTS ( 2 versions)

2. PRAYER FLIPBOOK TO DECORATE

3. QUOTE MEMORIZING (choose one of 3 lanterns and quote)

DOWNLOAD COMPONENTS HERE

CRAFT IDEAS
CRAFTS OF HEART SLIDING AND “UNITING”

NOTE YOU CAN USE TWO HEARTS OR THE ONE BROKEN INTO TWO AS THE VIDEO SHOWS.

Based on the story:
  1. Decorate sweet wrappers. 
  2. Write your favorite joke
DESIGN A PRAYER

YOUR OWN VERSION OF THE PRAYER WE ARE MEMORIZING 

Review the quotation from today’s lesson with the children and then say a few words about kindness and compassion, before asking them to recite the quotations they memorized in Grade 1 related to these qualities:

Blessed is he who mingleth with all men in a spirit of utmost kindliness and love

 Baha’u’llah

The Kingdom of God is founded upon equity and justice, and also upon mercy, compassion, and kindness to every living soul

‘Abdu’l-Bahá
ruhi book 3 grade 2 resources
POWERPOINT HERE
BRILLIANT STAR MAGAZINE

ONE FAMILY TREE

THE HUMAN RACE

OUR GLOBAL FAMILY

LAUGHTER IS GOOD MEDICINE