Overview of Workshop Rotation
Journey In... Toward the God-Shaped Hollow
Children in grades 1-6 explore our five theological questions through a unique, effective model called Workshop Rotation. This is exciting stuff! Essentially, the Workshop Rotation model is a method of instruction and exploration that builds on kids’ and teachers’ various intelligences. It’s called ‘Rotation’ because the teachers stay in the workshops that they know and enjoy and the kids rotate to a new rooms each consecutive Sundays, learning about one or two big ideas from our curriculum in six different ways. The spaces are high-interest, kid-friendly and set up according to purpose.
Each year, we have five units, each one touching on themes or “Big Ideas” related to our theological questions:
Our workshops include:
At 9:00 and 4:30, our school-aged children start their Sunday mornings together in the Ames Chapel for a worship service. At 11:00, children begin with worship in the Sanctuary with their family. Children are grouped into Travel Teams, each with its own color, and are accompanied through the workshop cycles by their Journey Guide, a caring adult whose continuous presence helps create a learning community.
Please note that Workshop Rotation classes end 15 minutes after the service (i.e., 10:15 for first service, 12:15 for second service, 5:45 for third service). Our teachers need this valuable time to wrap up our lessons. Please collect younger children first or enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation in the Parish hall before collecting your children in their various workshops. All school-aged children should be picked up by an adult family member.
For more information about the Journey In… Workshop Rotation program, please contact Kerri Meyer, Director of Religious Education by email at kerri@unityunitarian.org or by phone at 651-228-1456 x104.
Children in grades 1-6 explore our five theological questions through a unique, effective model called Workshop Rotation. This is exciting stuff! Essentially, the Workshop Rotation model is a method of instruction and exploration that builds on kids’ and teachers’ various intelligences. It’s called ‘Rotation’ because the teachers stay in the workshops that they know and enjoy and the kids rotate to a new rooms each consecutive Sundays, learning about one or two big ideas from our curriculum in six different ways. The spaces are high-interest, kid-friendly and set up according to purpose.
Each year, we have five units, each one touching on themes or “Big Ideas” related to our theological questions:
- What is the nature of God?
- What does it mean to be human and alive?
- How is the Sacred present in each of us and in our lives?
- What is the purpose of Beloved Community?
- How do we live in the face of death and loss?
Our workshops include:
- Story: We share sacred stories, ancient ones and our own. Using words, rhymes, poems, books and bookmaking, we discover the central themes of the unit.
- Art: Children and teachers explore the Big Ideas through visual means. We draw, paint, sketch, sculpt, cut and paste our way into the heart of each lesson’s themes.
- Science: Through logic, reason and exploration of the natural world, we experiment with the Big Ideas, reinforcing our understanding of stories, images and concepts in a concrete way.
- Drama: Puppets, costumes and sets bring our stories and ideas alive as we use dramatic play to continue our explorations of the central themes of each unit.
- Music: Together, through sound and song, we think about our Big Ideas in musical ways. We listen to music and create our own music, too!
- Kinesthetic: Our body is an amazing tool for experiencing the universe! Through moving and sensing, touching and making, we reinforce the unit’s themes.
At 9:00 and 4:30, our school-aged children start their Sunday mornings together in the Ames Chapel for a worship service. At 11:00, children begin with worship in the Sanctuary with their family. Children are grouped into Travel Teams, each with its own color, and are accompanied through the workshop cycles by their Journey Guide, a caring adult whose continuous presence helps create a learning community.
Please note that Workshop Rotation classes end 15 minutes after the service (i.e., 10:15 for first service, 12:15 for second service, 5:45 for third service). Our teachers need this valuable time to wrap up our lessons. Please collect younger children first or enjoy a cup of coffee and some conversation in the Parish hall before collecting your children in their various workshops. All school-aged children should be picked up by an adult family member.
For more information about the Journey In… Workshop Rotation program, please contact Kerri Meyer, Director of Religious Education by email at kerri@unityunitarian.org or by phone at 651-228-1456 x104.
