Animals help us in many ways. Guide dogs help blind people. They show them the way. Police dogs help policemen to find thieves. Elephants pull heavy logs of wood. Bullocks, horses, camels and donkeys carry things and pull carts. We can learn many good things from animals.

Song

ईश सृष्टि मे सब कुछ सुंदर जीव शिखावे सेवासर
सबमे परम प्रभू का दर्शन करलो बारबार
ये है जीवों का संसार , इनमे भी है अच्छी बात
हिलते फिरते सि खलाते हैं हमको जग का सुंदर सार

बिल्ली खुशी से गाती है जब वो मुंह को धोती है (म्यां म्यां )
जो नहीं मुंह को धोता है गंदा बच्चा होता है
बोलो बोलो बच्चों हमें दि न में कि तनी बार दांत साफ करना है ?
एक बार , दो दि न में एक बार या दि न में दो बार ?

काली कोयल पर सबको प्या र वो जाने वाणी का सार ( कू कू )
मीठी बोली उसका राज ,वश में हो जा ये संसार
बोलो बोलो बच्चों हमरी बोल कैसी होनी चाहिए
speak softly, speak sweetly and speak truth

कुत्ता रहे सजग होशियार कुत्ता घर का है रख़वाल (बौ बौ)
कोई घर में घुस न जाए लेकर मन में चोर विच ार
हमें बुरे विच ारों से बचकर रहना चाहिए
अच्छे विच ोरों और लोगों को स्वा गत करना चाहिए

मुर्गा ख़ुशी से गाता है जब वो बांग लगता है (कोकरको)
जो भी जल्दी उठता है अच्छे स्वा स्थ्य को पाता है
बोलो बोलो बच्चों हमें कि तने बजे उठना चाहिए

कौआ जब भी रोटी पाए लेता सबको पास बुलाए (कां कां )
हम भी जब कुछ पा जाए हिल मि ल बांट के खा जाए
मछली का है निर्म ल प्या र पानी उसका प्राण धार (साफ साफ)
बिना प्रभु के जीवन भी प्या रे बच्चों है बेकार

“Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals.”

Today we are going to talk about kindness to animals. Have you a pet at home? How are you kind to your pet? How do you look after your pet? We need to make sure that our pet has food to eat, water to drink and a good place to sleep.

Some creatures are small and some are big, but we must be kind to them all. Some people do not understand that animals share the same feelings as we do. Animals get tired and need rest. They get thirsty and need water. They get hungry and need food.

They feel pain just like we do, yet some people beat animals. ‘Abdu’l-Baha said that it was worse to hurt animals than humans because the animals can’t cry out and they can’t complain. These are his words: “Show forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and . . . . be even kinder to him than to your fellow man. Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals. If an animal is sick, let the children try to heal it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let them quench its thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests.” 5

But we are warned to avoid harmful animals like wolves and snakes. This does not mean that we should harm them, but just let them go on their way. They too are God’s creation.

Activity

• GROUP A (youngest children)
• Let the children draw animals they know or animals of their own creation, for example monsters, fluffy creatures or dinosaurs.
• GROUPS B and C (older children) “Animal Consequences”

Sit the children in a circle, and give each child a strip of paper about 50X200 cm. and a pencil. Each child should draw an animal head and neck, at the top of their paper and fold the paper over so that only the neck shows. When all the children are finished tell them to pass the paper to the child on their left. Now draw a body attached to the neck and draw the tops of some legs. Fold the paper over so that only the legs show. Pass to the left. Draw some feet onto the legs and then pass to the left. Now all open the papers and see what funny animals you have drawn. If there is time, repeat, with children drawing differently from the first time.

• Give each child a piece of paper and suggest that they have been given a pet dog. Get the children to write down how would they look after it and draw pictures of their favourite animals.

Sloka

• Saraswati is the Vakshakti i.e the urge to express the Harmony, beauty and Melody in creation through the medium of language, music, dance art or sculpture. She is the Vidyashakti i.e. the Power to illumine the outer and inner universe of man.

To attain a full life, man must master two field of knowledge of the manifested universe and knowledge of the consciousness that pervades and validates the universe. One gives him the right and authority to engage in profession to earn a living, and the other teaches the mode and manner of right living. One confers the skill and intelligence, wealth status and position; the other impels man to dedicate these to the progress of other. Thus, we see that Saraswati promotes the Satwic Guna in an individual. Saraswati confers on the educated man, the power of discrimination. She converts the thoughts and words into speech. Thus, the child develops a healthy respect for his studies for his school and his teachers. He also becomes aware of the necessity for cleanliness, neatness and tidiness.

Yaa Kundendu Tushaara Haara Dhavala
Yaa Subhra Vastraavitaa
Yaa Veena Varadanda Manditakaraa
Yaa Shweta Padmasanaa
Yaa Brahmachyuta Shankara Prabhrutibhir
Devaih Sadaa Vandita
Saa maam paatu Saraswati Bhagavati
Nishesha jaadyaa pahaa

Song

Tune – Old MCDonald had a farm….

Goddess Sarawathy has a school E I E I O
In her school there’s lot of books E I E I O
English books here, Hindi books there,
Here a book, there a book, everywhere books and books E I E I O
Goddess Sarawathy has a school E I E I O
In her school there’s musical tools E I E I O
Tin Tin Veena, Dhim Dhim Tabla
Here a veena, There a Tabla, everywhere veena tabla E I E I O

Song

10 names of Saraswati as word search puzzle.

• Sarada, Vakdevi, Medha, Brahmi, Vani, Sweta, Kalavati,Malini,Bharati,Vidya

Trees

Can be taken as experiential learning

Let us consider the parts of tree – the trunk, leaves, branches, buds, flowers and fruits.
Different ways in which tree helps us

• Trees give us oxygen to breathe
• Trees cool the areas around us
• We get fruits, flowers and wood from trees
• Trees give us shade
• Trees provide homes for animals
• Trees bring more rain

Each part of a tree is precious

• Roots keep the soil fertile, retain water in the soil, are used for making medicines
• Leaves give us oxygen we breathe, serve as food for cattle, make the soil rich after they fall to the ground, are used to make medicines
• Flowers have nectar which is food for birds and insects, are useful in making medicines, perfumes and colours
• Fruits provide food for people and animals and birds
• Bark is used to make medicines, is used to make paintings
• Twigs and branches are used as firewood
• Remember Tree is just one part of nature.
• How do we harm trees? Yet it always returns only kindness to us. If someone threw a stone at a tree, it gives you back fruit or flower or leaves.
• Even though we chop it down cruelly, it gives us wood.
• When a single tree is cut down many insects, birds and little animals become homeless. Also all the uses of that tree is lost to us.
• When whole forests are cut down there will be fewer trees which means less rain and more heat. A green world will become brown world. A cool world will become a hot world. The water in the rivers and lakes will decrease and they will become dry.
• What can you do? You must do something to save the earth. The world needs more trees. You can plant a sapling. If each child plants a sapling then there will be hundreds of trees more to make up for all the trees that Nature has lost.

Game

• Appreciate God’s creation – Chits of paper with names of various things created by God. Each child pick out a chit. It can be river, Tree, mountain, sun, cow, dog etc. Then child should think and say one reason why God created that object.

What is nature? It is the sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, flowers, rivers, mountains etc. Close your eyes and see these things in your mind. How lovely nature is! There is so much peace and joy in it!

Story

What happened to the trees?

Suresh loved to watch TV all the time. Although he had many toys to play with and a big garden to run around, all that he did was to sit with his eyes glued to the TV set. His mother tried to arouse his interest in other things but in vain. His father who was a gardener, would try to get him to help in the garden, but he would only run back into the house and switch on the TV again.

His parents were really worried about him. The more they tried to stop him, the more gloomy and morose he would get. He loved watching violent films in which the heroes waved swords or show guns. He thought that was real fun.

One afternoon, Suresh’s father who had been working all day in garden, came indoors. He saw that Suresh was as usual sitting and watching the TV. Getting annoyed with his son’s lazy behaviour, he switched off the TV and asked Suresh to go outside. At that time Suresh had been watching a violent movie. Angry that his father had put off the TV, he picked up a sharp knife and ran out into the garden. Pretending to be the hero of the violent movie that he had just been watching, he lashed out with his knife, cutting all the flowers and plants in the garden. He even stabbed the trunks of the small plantain trees that his father had so lovingly planted. His poor parents helplessly watched the scene from the window. After some discussion, they came up with a plan to improve their son’s behaviour.

Suresh’s father went up to him and told him that as it was Saturday afternoon, he wanted to take him for a drive. He took him on a long drive to a beautiful wood that was full of trees and flowers. Butterflies and birds flew all over the place. Suresh loved the wood. He ran all around happily chasing the butterflies, sniffing at the flowers and hugging the tall trees. He was really enjoying the company of Mother Nature. After some time, his father told him that it was time for them to go back home. Suresh did not want to go but agreed reluctantly.

His father drove for some time and then stopped the car at a wide open spot that looked like a barren desert. Nothing grew there… only stumps of trees can be seen. Suresh was shocked to see such a barren land. The contrast between the two places was too much for him. “What happened to all the trees and flowers,” he asked his father in an anguished voice. His father gently put his arms around his shoulder and said, “My son, this land was once a lovely wood like the other one we have just visited. But over the years, greedy men cut down all the trees. As a result it is now a barren land.” On hearing this, the little boy began to think of his own garden back home. He thought how awful it would be if everything was cut down. He felt sorry for what he had done in his anger. When they returned home, the boy asked his father if he would allow him to help in the garden. He forgot all about the television. He had seen real beauty in the wood and now he wanted to be a part of it.

Suresh was a changed boy now. He started taking interest in his studies. He used all his spare time in his garden; planting, weeding and watering. He spent much less time in front of the television. And do you know what happened? He had a lot more fun.

Story

Faith

Kiran was the only son of his parents. He was obedient and well behaved at home and school. He won the love of his elders and teachers by his gentle behaviour and pleasing manners.

Though only 10 years old, Kiran took a keen interest in what his parents did. His father was a very honest person and his mother was deeply devoted to God and kind and helpful to the needy. Kiran loved his parents and was proud of them. But he always wondered why they gave so much attention and importance to God. Now and then he would ask his mother, “Ma, why should Pitaji go to Shivji’s temple every Sunday for the satsangh? What do you gain by meditation with closed eyes every morning and night? Why do you do that endless puja with manthras and prayers to Durga Devi every day?

Kiran’s mother would only smile in reply. She would silently pray: “Durga-Ma, Kiran is ignorant but innocent. Please bless him with faith and devotion.”

One evening, when Kiran returned home from school, his neighbours gave him a shocking news.His father had met with an accident and was lying unconscious in the hospital since morning. As Kiran was rushing out to the hospital, his eyes fell on the idol of Durga Devi beautifully decorated with flowers by his mother. He had heard his mother say often that Durga Ma is the mother of all living beings and she is all powerful.

With folded hands and tears in his eyes, Kiran came near the idol and prayed” Durga Ma, you know that I cannot live without my father. Please save his life.” As he bowed down, he picked up a red flower from the deity’s feet and left.

Very soon Kiran was by his father’s side. He was on the point of crying as he saw his father lying unconscious.But when he looked at his mother, all his fear and anxiety vanished. Closing her eyes, she sat deeply absorbed in meditation and prayer. Kiran saw a soft glow of peace and confidence on her face. He softly whispered to her: “Ma, I have brought this flower from Durga-Ma’s lotus feet for father.” As she opened her eyes, Kiran put the red flower on his father’s forehead.

Kiran’s father soon showed signs of slowly regaining consciousness. The doctors who came to check him said “He is out of danger. He is saved.” Kiran’s prayers along with that of his mother, had been answered.

Kiran learnt a great lesson from this experience. His father, who returned home from hospital after a month, saw a remarkable change in his son. Kiran would join his mother in meditation and even help her in puja during his holidays. Now and then he would go with his father to the temple too. When school studies were over, he would read simple books on the life of holy men like Vivekananda, Gautam Buddha.

Kiran had now realised that faith, devotion and prayer have healing power. They fill our hearts with hope,Strength and courage. They put us on the right path and fill our hearts with peace, contentment and joy.

Sloka

• Sarva mangala mangalye, Shive sarvarta sadhike
• Sarva mangala mangalye, Shive sarvarta sadhike

Activity

• Write a prayer of your own

Story

GOD IS AT THE WINDOW

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.

He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target.

Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner…

As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck.

Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his Sister watching! Sunita had seen it all,but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, ‘Sunita, let’s wash the dishes’

After lunch the next day Grandma said, ‘Sunita, let’s wash the dishes’

But Sunita said, ‘Grandma, Ajay told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.’

Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?’ So Ajay did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, ‘I’m sorry but I need Sunita to help make supper.’

Sunita just smiled and said, ‘well that’s all right because Ajay told me he wanted to help?

She whispered again, ‘Remember the duck?’ So Sunita went fishing and Ajay stayed to help.

After several days of Ajay doing both his chores and Sunita’s; he finally couldn’t stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, ‘Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the windowand I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sunita make a slave of you.’

Thought for the day and every day thereafter:

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done…? (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred,anger, bitterness, etc…)…whatever it is_..You need to know that:God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.

He has seen your whole life… He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you..

The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness;

The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness;

It is by God’s grace and mercy that we are saved.

Go ahead and make the difference in someone’s life today.

Always remember: God is at the window!

Different names of God is just like Father is called as ‘Baba’, ‘Bapu’, ‘Acchan’, ‘Appa’, and ‘Daddy’ in different languages, God is called as ‘Iswar’ by Hindus, ‘Allah’ by Muslims, ‘Almighty God’ by Christians, ‘ Ahura Mazda’ by Zorastrians and ‘Jehova’ by the Jews. All these are different names of the one Divine Father of the Universe.

We do not have many Gods. We have many forms of the One Lord, so that each of us can choose a form that we like to worship, even while loving and respecting all other forms.

Different religions in the world are pathways to the same God

So any form is sacred, be it the Om in Hinduism, the Cross in Christianity, the Crescent in Islam, The Wheel in Buddhism or any other religious symbol.

We do not love the form or the sign. We love the Lord which the form or sign stands for. We do not worship the idol. We worship the ideal in the idol.

Use of Hands in prayer in different religion

Game

God’s names

One student or group of students are asked to select different names of God for themselves. Eg Rama,Krishna, Allah, Jesus, Buddha and so on. The first group say Rama starts the game.

They will say,
Rama , Rama (all students will clap twice)
Rama , Krishna
Now the Krishna group says
Krishna, Krishna (clap , clap)
Krishna , Allah
Then the Allah group takes over and so on

silent sitting

• Describe the qualities of GOD

Story

Eat when you are alone

One day a teacher was taking a class. The day’s lesson was on God. The teacher told the children that 7 God is present everywhere. There is no place where God is not there.

The next day the teacher brought ripe bananas and distributed them to all the students. He told them to take the fruit to a lonely place and eat where no one could see them. The boys nodded and soon ran out of the classroom.

(Ask the children in the same situation where will they go and eat. Get their answers and as per their reply continue the story)

Within 15 minutes all the children had returned except one. When questioned by the teacher, each boy said that he went to a lonely place and ate banana.

After half an hour the last boy returned. The fruit was still in his hands. Everyone looked at him in surprise. The teacher asked the boy, “Why didn’t you eat your fruit?”

The boy replied, “Sir, you told us yesterday that God is present in all beings and peeps out at the word through them. When you asked me to eat the fruit in a lonely place where no one could see me, I ran to every nook and corner but I was never alone. Under the bushes, God looked at me through the tiny squirrels. Under the trees He looked at me through the birds. In the house, He looked at me through the ants and sparrows. When I went to the lake, He looked at me through the fishes and lotuses. I couldn’t find a place, where He was not present. Therefore I couldn’t eat the fruit.

The teacher was very happy with the boy who could see God everywhere. He embraced him and said,” Son, you are correct. God watches us through all the beings. So when you have to eat or drink anything first offer the food to Him and then eat it as His Prasad.”

God is present in each and every atom of universe. Explain sugar water experiment.
What has God created in this Universe for us?

Story

God is real

Once upon a time, there lived a king who did not believe in God. He believed that people had faith in God because their parents trained them from a very young age to be that way. He often said that if a child was never told about God, the child would never think or believe in God. The king said this because he felt that God was not real and that He was just the imagination of the people.

After few years, a son was born to king. The queen died of an illness leaving the little boy to the king. The king shut the child up in a tower because he did not want the child to ever hear about God. He gave the child all the comforts. Maids and tutors took care of him and taught him everything. All of them had been warned never to mention God to the boy. The maids and tutors were faithful to the king and brought him up and taught him everything befitting a prince, but they never once mentioned God to him.

One day, when the king came to visit his son as usual, he was surprised to see the boy looking out of the window with his head bowed. When the king asked his son what he was doing, the young boy said, “Father, I am bowing to the creator.”

The king shouted for all the maids and tutors. When he questioned them, he knew from their answers that were loyal to him and had never told the boy about God.

Amazed, he asked his son, “Which creator? What creator? Who told you?” The young boy replied, “Nobody told me. Why should anyone tell me? I can see the beautiful world from my window – the mountains, the sky, the green plains, the trees, the flowers, the rivers, birds and animals. Someone must have created all this. He must be so great to be able to create such a beauty, that I am bowing to Him in love.”

The King slowly walked back, a defeated man. He had understood from his son that God is real.

Since God is everywhere, it also means that He is in every part of the world. He is in every flower and plant; He is in every drop of water; He is in music; He is in every being. He is in everything large and tiny.

This is why, in our culture everything is treated with respect. Everything is worshipped – the trees, the rivers, the mountains, the sun, the moon and the planets, birds and animals. It is not that we have many Gods, it is that we see God in everything.

Song

My God is so great, so strong & so mighty
There is nothing my God cannot do………….
The mountains are his, the rivers are his
The stars are his handicraft too (My God …).
He fashioned the trees, the wind and the seas
And painted the sky royal blue (My God is so ….)
He made us with love,
Sent straight from above.
And filled us with his wisdom too
My God is so great, so strong & so mighty
There is nothing my God cannot do…………. (3)

Game

• Putting tail on Aum

In the beginning there was only GOD. HE made a Sankalp, a resolve, “Ekoham Bahusyam” – I am One, let me be many. Instantly ‘Aum’, the original and primal sound emanated with the first creation.

Sloka

• Aumkaram Bindu Sanyuktam, Nityam Dhyayanthi Yoginah
• Kaamadam Mokshadam Chaiva Omkaraya Namo Namah

Explanation of sloka

Story

Jayadeva

Once upon a time there lived a boy Jayadeva in a place called Krishnavarta. He was a very weak, feeble,sickly child. Since he was the only child of his father, the father did all his best to improve the health ofthe child but in vain. Due to his ill health the child could not progress even in his studies or other activities.Jayadeva now grew up and was ten years old. He started going to school, but remained absent for a long time due to some illness or the other.

One day, it was the full moon day and was the day of Guru Poornima. Jayadeva went to the river for a bath. There he saw a saintly person, sitting on the bank of the river. He was chanting AUM loudly. Jayadeva was attracted by the holiness of the man and went to him. Jayadeva asked him what he was chanting and what was the benefit of it. The saint replied that it was the Mantra Raja (the king of mantras) – Aumkar. It had many benefits when chanted. Jayadeva learnt the correct method of chanting AUM and began to chant it regularly. The result was that he soon began to recover his health as it helped to improve his respiration as well as circulation of blood. It gave Jayadeva steadiness of mind too. Soon Jayadeva could concentrate on his studies as well as sports. He became very healthy and clever boy. Now he completed his education and became a young man, yet he continued to chant AUM. His life was full of happiness and success.

Activity

Writing aum in 1 minute

• Find aum and colour it.