Introduction
This curriculum unit was inspired by the Scarboro Missions Golden Rule Poster which features texts of the Golden Rule as found in 13 of the world’s religions.
By way of these lessons, young people will be invited to reflect on the role which rules, values and moral principles play in their lives – at home, at school, in sports and in the local community.
Often, young people feel that they live in a world where rules are thrust upon them, making it difficult for them to live their lives. In these lessons, the students will come to understand that they, too, create rules and guidelines for living to which they adhere on a daily basis. In fact, in Curriculum Section One, they will participate in a decision-making experience in which they determine the rules and guidelines for living in a given community context.
In this curriculum, the students will explore the concept of the circle and the place of circles in their lives. The students will discover that qualities associated with the circle such as unity, equality, community, reciprocity, and interconnectedness can have significance in terms of the students’ relationships from the local to the global level.
The students will also be introduced to a universal, moral principle known as the Golden Rule. And they will consider how the Golden Rule, the ethic of reciprocity, can be applied in their lives – at home, at school, in the local community and in the global community (i.e. as global citizens.)
It is my hope that this unit will help to develop in your students a greater appreciation for ethical living.
We welcome your feedback on this unit. If you have any suggestions as to how this document might be improved, please forward them to the Paul McKenna at interfaithgold@gmail.com
Gregory McKenna