A Web Activity to Demonstrate Unity

Sandy Miller

presented at the Bahá'í Language Educators Special Interest Group session
Association for Bahá'í Studies conference, Friday August 30, 2002


The main activity in this lesson was adapted from the Baha'i Core Curriculum Teacher Training where participants are asked to show the interconnectedness/unity of the Baha'i community. In this case the students are being asked to think about the interconnectedness of the elements of the environment, but it also could be used to show family unity, community unity, unity in the workplace, etc.


1. Introduction: Students are asked for words that describe the environment of the city they are living in. (i.e., mountains, river, students, trees, animals, etc.) and the words are listed on the board.


2. Web Activity: Students and teacher are given cards on strings to put around their necks which say one of the following: rivers, mountains, people, trees, animals, food, insects, streets, buildings, houses, flowers, air, soil, manufactured goods.

Then the class stands in a circle.

The teacher has a ball of yarn. The teacher says what s/he is (for example, trees) and then, holding onto the end of the yarn, throws the ball to someone else in the circle (for example, animals) and makes a statement about how the two interact in the environment. ("Trees provide a home for some of the animals.")

Then the person with the ball of yarn continues the process until the circle is connected with a web of yarn and everyone has had at least one turn. The teacher may want to repeat each person's statement to model proper pronunciation and grammar.

When the web is completed, the teacher introduces a problem into the environment such as a chemical spill and has some people start to let go of the web thus showing that a problem in the environment can upset the balance.


3. Discussion: In pairs, they read a quote by Chief Seattle and discuss the meaning of the quote and if they agree or disagree. Then they share their ideas with the whole group.
      "Teach your children what we have taught our children-that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves.

      This we know. The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected.

      Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."
Chief Seattle, as quoted in The Earth Speaks. Van Matre and Weiler (Eds.) (1983)

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