Curriculum

Welcome from the Director of Religious Education

2012-13 Church Year Schedules  and Curriculum

2012-13 Registration Forms

Printable Brochure

General Theme: Unitarian Universalist Identity

Please note that class groupings may be different for the two sessions.  The chart below summarizes the class groupings.

NURSERY:  Our Nursery caregivers provide an atmosphere of loving care and attention for infants and toddlers on Sunday mornings from 9:00 a.m-12:15 p.m. Our Nursery Care Providers are paid members of the First Church staff, and are supported by weekly volunteers. Parents are asked to sign in their children, and to provide and necessary diapers, bottles, etc. Registration is required after 3 visits. NOTE: A speaker is available in the church’s parlor for parents who do not want to be separated from their little ones during the service.

Early Childhood (9:00 & 11:00 a.m.): STORIES FOR LITTLE UUs- Simple rituals enhance the building of community, in an early childhood environment where relationships are the goal.. This curriculum centers on the idea that a story is a unique learning tool, and has themes relevant to the youngest of children. Each week, a different story will exemplify one of our UU Principles, with age appropriate discussion, songs, movement and simple crafts, to round out the lesson.

K5-1 Grade (9:00 a.m.) 1-2 Grade (11:00 a.m.): AROUND THE CHURCH, AROUND THE YEAR- In this curriculum children become acquainted with their own Unitarian Universalist community -- the people, buildings, rituals, and celebrations - and the basic tenets of Unitarian Universalism.

2-3 Grade (9:00 a.m.) 3-4 Grade (11:00 a.m.): MORAL TALES- Every day our children go forth into a complex world where they may be faced with difficult decisions and situations. Moral Tales provides children with spiritual and ethical tools to make choices and take actions that reflect their Unitarian Universalist beliefs and values. The stories in Moral Tales draw from all our UU Sources to activate and inform the children’s learning how to make principled choices.

4-5 Grade (9:00 a.m.): THE QUESTING YEAR - This curriculum will engage children in four “quests” designed to help them seek and discover answers to deep life questions about human faith and the web of all existence. Connected through the central themes of social action and spiritual search, the Mystery Quest, the UU Quest, the Action Quest, and the Inner Quest are all meant to be both challenging and fun. Each session will include a ritual opening and closing, two “Quest” activities, and an “energy burner” providing controlled motion. This curriculum is designed to get the children thinking, but also to give them a spiritual grounding, and open them up to the role that “service to others” might play in a satisfying life.

6-7 Grade (9:00 a.m.) 5-7 Grade (11:00 a.m.) AMAZING GRACE: EXPLORING RIGHT AND WRONG and TRADITIONS WITH A WINK Middle school years are the perfect time for young people to explore ethical decision making and actions. In this class, youth will be encouraged to develop a Unitarian Universalist identity, and develop resources essential to their movement toward understanding, independence, and fulfillment of personal promise. Through games and activities, they will also become acquainted with some of our UU traditions in a way which we hope will keep them enthusiastic about their church experience.

8th Grade: 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

Our Whole Lives (OWL) is a series of sexuality education curricula that helps participants make informed and responsible decisions about their sexual health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate and age-appropriate information about six subjects—human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture—to present a holistic view of sexuality. The curriculum not only provides participants with facts about anatomy and human development, but also helps them to clarify their values, build their interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality.

The OWL curriculum presents a comprehensive approach to human sexuality in an age-appropriate manner based firmly on the values of respect, responsibility, justice, and inclusivity. It helps young people apply these values to their behavior and provides them with information and skills they can use throughout life. Parents must attend a mandatory Orientation in order for their child to participate in the OWL class (even if prior children have participated) and there will be strict attendance and behavior policies in order to maintain the integrity of the group

8-9 Grade: 9:00-10:30 a.m.

Our “Pillars” class will have a format that allows for more direct input from our pre-high school group as to what they would like to focus on and how their Sunday class and extra curricular activities will play out. The youth will vote on several themes that will be studied in blocks, or “Pillars,” over the course of the church year. Our goal is to create a safe, trusting, and open-minded setting where youth feel a sense of ownership and freedom to express themselves, learn and apply Unitarian Universalist values, explore life issues, develop self-esteem and self-respect, embrace social responsibility, explore one's own spirituality, and have fun.

Senior High Youth Group 10-12 Grade: 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

YOUNG RELIGIOUS UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS (YRUU) offers a supportive environment in which teens can explore their feelings about themselves, their world and their religion. Some curriculum is used, as determined by the desires of the group. Social Action projects, leadership development, and opportunities for worship will round out the program. Occasional Conference trips will help the youth form a connection with a network of UU friends from around the Central Midwest District. There will also be an opportunity for youth age 16 and over to join our summer Mission Trip program working for Habitat for Humanity.

For questions or more information, contact:

beryluumilwaukee [dot] org (subject: Website%20Inquiry) (Beryl Aschenberg )