 Lesson 1: Pure Kindly & Radiant Heart Prayer In order to attract Divine blessings and create a spiritual atmosphere, begin your class by reciting a prayer. The prayer suggested for this lesson is the following: "O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate." After the prayer, ask the children whether any of them know a prayer by heart that they could recite for the class. You can then help them memorize the following prayer in the way that was explained in Sections 2 & 3 of this unit. "O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful." Prayers in other Languages In Maori: Here is "E te Atua!" in PDF E te Atua! Arahina i ahau, tiakina ahau, whakamaramatia te rama o toku manawa kia meinga ahau hei whetu tiahoaho. Ko koe te kaha rawa, me te mana. NB this translation is for the old version that goes "Illumine the lamp of my heart..." It is expected that the children will learn at least a part of the prayer in the class. Once this has been achieved, you may go on to the second activity, learning to sing the following song: Music / Song My First Counsel Link to song & Music sheet Stefan Brown’s Kindness song. It is a great and fun song for the children to learn. Information to purchase on our music page Here are the words to the song The next activity is to memorize a quotation from the Baha'i Holy Writings. The children will find the quotation easier to memorize if they understand it well. It is recommended, therefore, that you spend some time discussing the meaning of the words and phrases with them. Memorization of Quotation Pictures used for Memorization of Quotes for Lessons 1 - 10 Link to Download here Picture Cards used for Memorization of Quotes & Prayers for Grade 1 lessons Link to Download here  As discussed in Sections 5, 6, and 7 of the unit, it will help the children understand the story if you emphasize certain essential points, such as the central theme, the parts of the story that relate to it, and the conclusion. It is suggested that you mentally review these questions before telling the story: What is the central theme of the story? What parts of the story relate directly to this theme? What are some important details that make this story interesting? Story Here is the story of 'Abdu'l-Baha which is used in the Lesson. You can choose to download The Water Here is a link to a pdf file with all the stories in Grade 1 Illustrated. Link to Illustrated Stories for Grade 1 There are many ways to make the story come alive. It's always nice to act this story out with props - of course not acting out 'Abdu'l-Baha, but acting out the pouring of the water, pouring out a dirty cup of water, and refilling it with clean water. Having pictures as you go through the story. Having the class act out or tell the story. Use puppets. Game Now you can play the "Burning Thirst Game" Colouring Below is the colouring sheet . Or you can use this PDF file which has 2 pictures on one A4 sheet  Extra ideas Link for Lesson 1 Closing Prayer |
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