Initial prayer
First:
Start by writing in the board the word EVOLUTION. Ask the children what it means. Evolution means to change for the better. Evolution is a synonymous of progress and positive transformation.
Second:
Tell the story E=S+E+W+P. If possible, take to the classroom a skate, blue notes and email in order to illustrate the story (the blue notes can be distributed to the children as the story is being told). Talk to the children about the story, asking what the message behind the story is and what is necessary for us to achieve evolution (Study, Effort, Work, and Perseverance).
Third:
Put many objects over a table: telephone, lamp, pen, shower, medicines, and books. Ask the children if they know how each one of these objects were created. (Did someone just wake up one day and said: today I will create a telephone? No). All these objects were the result of much study, effort, work and perseverance. Remember:
- Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1847; in the February 14th 1876 he submitted a patent request for the “talking electrical telephone”.
- Thomas Alva Edison studied and worked very hard to create the electrical lamp, having made thousands of attempts before achieving his success.
- Many vaccines and medicines are created and used after several years of research and work.
- The first civilization to use writing, responsible for the creation of books, was the Simerios, who lived in the south of Mesopotamia (today the Orient) in the year 3.000 a.C.
- Tap water is the result of study and work of many people.
Ask the children to imagine for a short while how life would be without tap water, electricity, medicines, writing, and telephone. Conclude that evolution is very important for us and changes our lives for the better (clean water and electricity), gives us health (vaccines and medicines), and help to disseminate knowledge (books). Ask the children what kind of evolution all this refer to. Material evolution. This evolution does not happen out of the blue, it is a result of lots of study, work, effort and perseverance. Present a cardboard (or write in the board): EVOLUTION = STUDY + EFFORT + WORK + PERSEVERANCE.
Fourth:
Ask the children what other kind of evolution exists: Spiritual evolution. We achieve spiritual evolution when we put effort to be a better person through our thoughts and actions. Like the material evolution, the spiritual evolution does not happen out of the blue. We need the following:
- STUDY: to analyse out actions in order to identify how we can change
- EFFORT AND PERSEVERANCE: it is necessary to put effort to become a better person, to be more kind and friendly. This change does not happen from one day to another. Nobody can say “now I have more patience” and then suddenly become a patient person. It is necessary to make an effort to be more patient in every situation until we are finally able to develop patience within us. We should never give up. It is important to persevere, to keep on trying, to set the “change” as our goal.
- WORK: to work internally, watching our own actions in order to make the right decisions, to be polite and kind, to do good deeds, and to respect others. It is an internal work of improvement where we can become better through our constant efforts.
Fifth:
Ask the children to list examples of how we can achieve spiritual evolution:
- To study and practice the topics.
- To participate in the lessons (evangelization).
- To help with the home duties.
- To take care of our brother or sister without complaining.
- To not say bad things about others.
- To respect everyone.
- To take care of our pets.
- To not be in a bad mood.
- To lend our toys and books.
- To take care of everything we borrow, etc.
Sixth - Activity 1: distribute a drawing in the shape a heart to each child so that in one side they can write a virtue they already possess and in the other side they can write something they should improve (in terms of spiritual evolution).
Activity 2: ask the children to draw themselves riding the skate and to write the formula for evolution.
Click here to see the drawing done by Rodrigo – a child from the second cycle of Grupo Espirita Seara do Mestre.
Suggestion of text to be distributed to the children:
“Evolution is to become better, to have good attitudes and better ways of life.
There are two types of evolution: material evolution and spiritual evolution, both which are the result of study, effort, work and perseverance of the human beings.
Material evolution is the improvement of people’s way of life. Long time ago, human beings lived in caverns, walked on bare foot or on the back of horses, and ate whatever they could find in the forests. As time passed, people started to live in tents and to use the fire, they discovered the wheel, and they planted fruits and vegetables to eat. Nowadays we live in houses, we use cars, we have clothes which keep us warm, and we produce a variety of food. The man has been experiencing constant material evolution, achieving better ways of life, more health, more fun and more work.
Spiritual evolution is the improvement of people’s attitudes, when they learn to love and respect others. Long time ago, people lived in small groups that fought between themselves. As time passed, people started to live in villages and discovered that they could live much better if they were together. Nowadays we live in cities, we value our family, everyone helps with the home duties, we obey the laws, we study, we work, and we are learning be good people and to respect others. We still have a lot to learn so that we can live in a planet where there is no fight, no hate, but only peace and cooperation. Each one of us should do our own part, by studying, being good and helping others.”
Important:
cIn case the time is not sufficient to cover the two types of evolution, the teacher can divide the lesson into two parts: one about material evolution and the other about spiritual evolution (after a recap of the previous lesson to serve as link).
Class Suggested being suitable for:
2nd cycle (9 to 10 years old) and 3rd cycle (11 to 12 years old).
Closing prayer
Translation: Paula Melo, London, linked to BUSS - The British Union of Spiritist Societies.
