Ethics For Young Humans

Through ETHICAL community, young humans empower their ethical development, create life-long friendships, and stand up with care and courage for a GOOD WORLD through action. At Ethical Culture, where the cool-ness factor values KINDNESS and DEED, children bring out the best in one another, and thereby themselves... (variation on a quote by founder, Felix Adler.)

Current Links & Info

April 26-May 3: SEEK!














SEEKMAY 3, at 3pm: 
EVERY DAY SHOULD BE EARTH DAY

TO PREPARE, SEE BELOW FOR SEVERAL PROJECTS TO DO THIS WEEK AT HOME! 


OBJECTIVES:

  • Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day!
  • Learn about the history of Earth Day and why it is important to take care of our planet.
  • Learn about the Earth and its inhabitants through a variety of creative and service activities.
  • Share your activities and thoughts with other SEEK kids through our form!
  • Ties in to four of the Ten Ethical Commitments of the AHA: Environmentalism, Global Awareness, Responsibility, and Critical Thinking.

Additional Background for Parents:

“Humanists believe everyone can and should play a role in caring for the Earth and its inhabitants. We depend on our planet to sustain us with its precious resources (like air, water, and plants) and our planet’s ecosystems depend on us to be good stewards and take responsibility for the impact human activity has. We can directly experience the living things in our homes and neighborhoods, like trees, flowers, birds, insects, and pets. It’s also important to learn about deserts and oceans, rivers and forests, and the wildlife around the world.”



Choose one or more ideas and modify them as necessary--these instructions are a jumping off point but feel free to be creative!




*CHALLENGE ONE: 
ART FOR EARTH (#ArtForEarth) 

Your mission: Join with artists of all ages around the world to celebrate the earth in the universal language of art. 

Instructions:

  • Create a drawing, painting, or three-dimensional artwork inspired by Earth Day and your love for our planet.

  • The World Wildlife Fund has suggested these daily themes to inspire you! Some of the days have already passed, but you can still create artworks based on their themes!
Monday, April 20: Wildlife
Tuesday, April 21: Freshwater
Wednesday (Earth Day), April 22: One Planet
Thursday, April 23: Food
Friday, April 24: Forests
Saturday, April 25: Climate
Sunday, April 26: Oceans

  • Share your work using the hashtag #artforearth (images will be available to the general public via the WWF) and/or through the Virtual SEEK submission form.

Additional Resources for Parents: 

The World Wildlife Fund has more information on this project, including additional inspirational prompts for each theme, on their website here.

You can see updates and works submitted by other artists on the WWF Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages.


**CHALLENGE TWO: 
PLANT A TREE

Your mission: Plant a tree to help the environment and your community. (n.b. How you do this will depend on where you live and whether your parents want to spend money.)

Trees help slow the effects of climate change by absorbing some of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees also provide shade, which helps keep areas cooler, reducing the need for air conditioning. Finally, they provide food and habitats for wildlife, such as birds, small mammals, and insects.

Instructions:

  • If you have a backyard or nearby woodland areas, or an outdoor spot that can accomodate a large container planter, consider planting a tree seedling that is native to your area (avoid planting non-native species that may be invasive).

  • Seedlings and saplings can be purchased at local garden centers or nurseries if they are open in your area. There are also online tree nurseries that will ship you trees at the time of year when it is best to plant them.

  • Free trees can sometimes be obtained from local municipal sources. GardenGuides.com  offers tips for learning if there are programs offering free trees in your area.

  • Join the National Arbor Foundation. For a small yearly donation, they will send you ten seedlings native to your area that you can plant to benefit the environment and your community.

  • Different types of trees have different needs and planting instructions, so it’s best to follow any instructions that come with your seedling or sapling. However, this site offers some good general instructions that will give you an idea of how to proceed.

Additional Resources for Parents: 

If you’d like to focus on other types of plants and animals, the National Audubon Society has a great resource for finding native plants you can grow that also support local birds.

We love this complementary project for creating a watering can out of a recycled plastic milk jug, courtesy of A Journey to a Dream.




***CHALLENGE THREE: 
WHAT TREE/BIRD/ANIMAL ARE YOU?

Your mission: Learn what type of species you would be if you were a tree, bird, or wild animal!

Instructions: 

  • Take a brief personality quiz online. There are many available, and here are a few:
  • Tree (WWF)
  • Animals:
  • Bird (Cornell Lab Ornithology)

  • Think about your result. Is it what you expected? Did it surprise you? Do you agree or disagree?

  • Learn a little bit about your species and draw a picture or take a photo to share with others. Upload your pictures to the form here by May 1 for inclusion in our Zoom program on May 3!

  • Optional: Dress up like your favorite species (or wear something that celebrates it) to our Zoom meeting on May 3!




MAY 3: EVERY DAY SHOULD BE EARTH DAY

PROCEDURES (ALL TIMES LISTED IN EDT; SUBTRACT ONE HOUR FOR CDT):

2:45-3:00 Adult organizer/volunteer check-in, via ZOOM (same call in information as for 
Session)
                            
3:00-3:10       Gathering Time: ZOOM opens to youth participants
                      Song or activity video playing in slideshow (see below for suggestions)

3:10-3:20 Group Program--Casey presiding

3:20-3:25     Breakout Rooms Assigned—Casey presiding, Sonja managing
  • Sonja will split participants into Breakout Rooms
  • Adults will be assigned based on preference, based on this schedule
  • Kids will use “Raise Hand” function to indicate their grade level as each level is called
Breakout Rooms for this session (if we have too few kids to fill a room, it may be combined with another room)
  • K-1 grades 
  • 2-3 grades
  • 4-5 grades
  • 6-8 grades
  • 9-12 grades?
Facilitators should release kids directly from the breakout rooms
  • A 5 minute notice will be sent five minutes before the end of the session
  • Adults are welcome to stay on the call for a follow-up/brainstorming session

3:25-4:00 Breakout room activities (see below)

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