First class – new lessons, Grade 2: ‘Prayer’

With the first class of the new year, we introduced the new lessons for Grade 2 from  the Ruhi Curriculum. In this level, the lessons are structured slightly differently: there are 7 units of 3 lessons each. Each unit concentrates on one theme, which is then looked at in 3 sessions.

Our first theme is PRAYER. Looking at the what, why and how we pray. Understanding that it is a way to communicate with God, expressing our hearts desire and love.

The children memorize a new prayer for each unit. To get started with memorising the first one, we created little prayer cards: each one has an image on the front and the appropriate section in words (illustrated in the image) on the back. Using the images as triggers to remember the words, the children will committed to memory all the words very soon.

Stories and Drama are another integral part of the Grade 2 lessons. We are planning to put more emphasis on the storytelling quality this term, bringing props, pictures and energy into it as well. We didn’t quite get to the drama itself as we ran out of time. We’ll catch up next Sunday.

Thanks to everyone for making it such a wonderful start to the year – all the help and support we get from the community and the many smiling faces of the children, make it the best place to be on Sunday morning 🙂

Grade 2 – lesson 4: Selflessness

Thanks to our wonderful friends for hosting our lesson in Carterton today!!! 🙂 We had a wonderful day… starting out with prayers and singing, we reviewed our memorisations. The stickers in the memoristation booklets prove to be a very encouraging incentive…. well done everyone! The children couldn’t wait to have a turn at trying the quotes they had memorised already!

Selflessness – when we are selfish, we are worshipping ourselves, when we become selfless, we are like stars shedding the light of truth on the world of humanity, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tells us. The more selfless we become the better we are able to help change our world into a better place and bring about the unity of humankind. One is honourable if one arises to serve others; one is wretched and low when one ignores the good of society and thinks only of selfish interests.

“If man be imbued with all good qualities but be selfish, all the other virtues will fade or pass away and eventually he will grow worse.” –Bahá’u’lláh 

After also looking at today’s quote on selflessness, we then learnt a new song called ‘Kam Kam, Ruz Beh Ruz – Little by Little, Day by Day’. (you can find it here: http://www.ruhi.org/resources/songs/25_KAM_KAM.mp3)

Our story for today was about an old farmer and his meeting a king. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá often used to tell stories to illustrate praiseworthy qualities, and this is one of them. (Ruhi Book 3a, p36) The old farmer is planting trees, and when the king asks him about why he would do that, even though he might be long dead when these trees finally bear fruit, the farmer replies, that he enjoyed eating fruit all his life, off trees that people before him had planted. So he is now planting trees for the people after him. The king is so happy with this answer, that he gives the farmer a gold coin. The farmer smiles and says that these trees had borne fruit already, although he only just put them in the ground…

After some warm up drama exercises, we enacted this lovely story, with the children taking turns being the king and farmer, the king’s horse and bystanders. They are definitely developing more skills – it’s fantastic to see!

 …the farmer and the king…

To remind us of this story of selflessness, we did some crafts, and ‘created’ some trees – and the odd farmer and king seems to pop up as well 🙂

Beautiful work everyone! and thanks again for hosting our class – it’s been so much fun! 😉