Values and Ethics for the Humanist Child: Teaching Non-violent Resolutions to Young Children

I’m putting together lessons for the children’s activities of an organization my family belongs to, and I thought that I may as well share my plans with the world. The fledgling children’s program will ideally (to me at least) grow into a character education-type program to teach humanist values, but right now we can’t be too picky. The parents of the participating children are planning to take turns leading sessions, and I don’t know yet what other parents will choose to teach, though I’m hearing about lessons based on the little red hen and the boy who cried wolf, so I do know that I’m on board with my children learning the lessons those stories teach.

For my lessons, I’m going to try to incorporate (um, yeah, steal) ideas from some of the programs my daughter has participated in such as Kangaroo Kids while still teaching the selected value. There’s no reason we can’t pair our character education with fun that also stimulates development.

Here’s my first lesson:

• Objectives
  • to introduce communication as the preferred method of conflict resolution
  • to practice body part names
  • to practice fine motor skills through painting
• Materials
  • Books
    • Feathers for Lunch by Lois Elhert
    • Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont
    • Six Crows by Leo Lionni
  • feathers in assorted colors
  • paint, brushes, paper
• Steps
  • Ask children to sit near the book.
  • Read Feathers for Lunch.
  • On the last page of the book, toss a handful of feathers into the audience, encouraging each child to pick one up.*
  • Read Ain’t Gonna Paint No More.
  • Encourage children to pretend that their feathers are now paint brushes and paint their bodiesalong with the protagonist.*
  • Take up feathers.
  • Read Six Crows.
  • Ask why the farmer was upset with the crows, and discuss.
  • Ask why the crows ate the wheat, and discuss.
  • Help children to understand both sides of the conflict.
  • Ask why the owl thought the farmer and the crows were being silly.
  • Ask what the owl’s solution was.
  • Ask if the solution has a chance of working.
  • Ask if anyone has ever had a conflict with a friend and taken the owl’s advice, and discuss.
  • Ask if there are other ways to solve conflicts and which ways are preferable.
  • Encourage children to paint pictures of a situation in which they follow owl’s advice.
• Free play.

*I copied these from Kangaroo Kids.

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