Nyingje

KCC Kids Schedule Dec-Jan

This is the schedule of the KCC Kids Program, Dec - Jan.

DECEMBER 4, 11, 18 there will be class (no class on Dec 25)

JANUARY 1, 8, 15, and I hope to get a substitute on Jan 22

More Good Kids Books

Hey, here are some great books on Buddhist themes (including one on the Dalai Lama and one on the life of the buddha), for kids, by author Whitney Stewart. Her site says,

In 1987, Whitney was invited to live with a Tibetan family in Dharamsala, India. There she spent weeks following an eight-year-old boy and studying his life in the Tibetan refugee village. Whitney interviewed the 14th Dalai Lama for her first children’s book. That interview ignited her, and she has traveled to Burma, China, Japan, Singapore, and Thailand to research her book topics.

Session 1-8 Lesson Plan

Session 1-8 Lesson Plan

We studied the 5 Precepts recently. And we made our own precepts, too. Now we are going to explore whether those precepts still make sense in the modern world.

The outcome of this project will be to do a socially conscious project for Christmas. This should come to fruition about December 17th, on Bodhisattva night.

Learning Objectives

Learn to carry two of the 5 Wonderful Precepts

Content

Teacher/Whole Class

• Review of the 5 precepts in each child’s book

• Review of our list of 6th precepts that we created (as if we were responsible for making one more).

• We decided last session to collect food for people who might be hungry during the holiday season. Which precept(s) does this relate to?

• Why would we do this?

Activities What else can we do as Buddhists to keep ourselves and others happy and safe? What can we do to protect our world?

• Recycle, reuse, repair and simplify
• Do something kind for myself
• Do something kind for someone else

Carrying the Five Wonderful Precepts

• Recycle, reuse, repair and simplify
• Let’s make a poster about this for our homes.
• Do reduce, recycle, reuse lesson, choosing which items go in each category

• Do something kind for myself
• Let’s make a reminder (see handout)

• Do something kind for someone else
• Send out announcements to people you know (hard copy or email) about our winter canned food drive for needy people.
• Hand out the flyers you colored, downstairs to announce it.

Download session_18_lesson_plan.rtf

Download the_five_wonderful_precepts_all_lesson_worksheets.rtf

Magic Tricks

Here is a site with simple magic tricks to spice up any event with kids.

1-5 Session Plan

Interview Format for Learning aobut Others' Traditions

This exercise is from the United Religions Initiative site.

Objective:
To have students practice interviewing skills. To learn about a religion in more depth. To attach personal significance to the different religions students have been studying and to get a sense of how religion may impact someone's life.

Materials:
None- but the kids need someone to interview. Try to think of some people at your school or organization who practice a religion so you can make suggestions.

The Lesson:
This lesson is mostly homework. Students choose someone to interview who considers religion an important part of their life. They conduct an interview and write a short paper about their findings.  It is helpful to do a bit of interview practice in class.  This assignment is also wonderful to do with someone who was raised as a particular religion, but has abandoned it, someone who converted to a religion, or someone who practices combinations of religions. 

Directions: Choose a person to interview. Choose someone who feels their religion has been a significant part of their life. The person can be a parent, an adult relative, or an adult friend or acquaintance. Either plan to take notes as you talk or use a tape recorder and transcribe the answers later. An alternative approach is to email the questions to the person and have them answer by email. This is less personal but allows the person all the time they want to think about their responses.

1. What is your religion? (Allow the person to self-label. For example: some people might say, "I'm Christian". Some others might say, "I'm Protestant", or "I'm Greek Orthodox". Some might say "I'm Jewish." Others might say, "I'm an Orthodox Jew".)

2. How did you come to this religion? (Family, conversion, marriage, etc.).

3. When you were a child, what was most important to you about your religion?

4. What is most important to you about your religion now?

5. Do you have a daily practice in your religion? A weekly practice?

6. Does your practice of your religion impact your daily life? How?

Life of the Buddha from the Met

Here's a site with great Buddha images and the story of the life of the Buddha, from the Met.

Repaying the Kindness of Our Parents

Repaying the Kindness of Our Parents

by Ven. Thubten Chodron

Many of us Westerners are not familiar with recognizing and repaying the kindness of our parents. Since the breakdown of the family structure and the advent of pop-psychology, many of us are more familiar with looking at families as dysfunctional and codependent, populated by wounded inner children and perpetuating child abuse. I do not want to ignore the pain and tragedy that occurs in some families. However, I think it is important for our own happiness and the happiness of those around us that we have a more balanced view of our families. Since we see what we look for, constantly dwelling on our disappointments in the relationships with our parents over-emphasizes their importance. Blaming our parents for what we see as harm done to us, our heart closes. Until people can resolve their negative emotions towards our parents, it will be difficult for them to be good parents to their children.

One remedy for this is to change our way of looking at things, to dwell more on the kindness we have received from our parents. When we reflect with clarity on our family, we will see great kindness there and will realize that we have been the beneficiary of that kindness in ways not previously noticed. For example, our mother carried us in her body for over nine months and then gave birth. Her body getting stretched this way and that, becoming huge, she was uncomfortable. But she went through this for our benefit, and because of it we are alive today. She—or whoever took care of us as children—had to get up in the middle of the night to feed us for years. When we were toddlers, our parents (or people whom they asked to look after us when they were busy) protected us from danger as we innocently played with electric plugs or put random objects into our mouths. Our parents taught us to speak, tie our shoes, brush our teeth and hundreds of other little things that we now take for granted. They saw to our education, and they taught us basic manners enabling us to get along with other. When our self-centeredness got out of hand, they disciplined us. (As a child I thought that all the discipline I received was unfair. It was only as an adult that I came to realize I may not have been the easiest child to raise!) Our parents had many things going on it their lives and perhaps were often worried about financial, health, social, or family matters, but they did their best to raise us, given that they are limited human beings just like us.

When we give ourselves the mental space to contemplate this kindness, incredible healing can occur within us. Gratitude will replace sorrow and bitterness. We will see that we have received immense kindness, and this will open us to want to share that kindness and love with others. It will also improve our relationships with our parents, enabling us to express our love to them. And in this way we will repay our parents’ kindness.

The Five Wonderful Precepts

Here are the Five Wonderful Precepts, Thich Nhat's Hanh's translation of the 5 basic precepts as taught by the Buddha Shakyamuni.

The Buddha offered these precepts to both his ordained and lay followers so that they could have clear guidelines to lead mindful and joyful lives on the path to awakening. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has updated the precepts so that they are beautifully appropriate and relevant in today's society.

In his book entitled "For a Future to be Possible", Thich Nhat Hanh describes in detail how the Five Wonderful Mindfulness Trainings can be used by anyone in today's world to create a more harmonious and peaceful life.

We studied the Five Precepts this week in dharma school at KCC and each child (ages 4-13) added a 6th! If you go upstairs, you'll be able to read the list they created of candidates for another precept. We were discussing how the Buddha's teachings are still relevant today.

We used very simple, one line versions. Instead of expounding sexual misconduct, we focused on protecting friendships and families--similar to what you'll see here.

Nice Interactive Web Site for Kids

Here's a web site from author Kerry Lee MacLean, who wrote Peaceful Piggy Meditation and the Family Meditation book. Have a look and be sure to show your kids the slide show of how to sit! The Resource page has some interesting options for learning more.

Dharma texts in Braille

Do you have a sangha member who is blind? Read this...

One of the Buddha's first disciples was a blind man named Aniruddha.  The Buddha himself washed and mended his clothes, fed him and made certain Aniruddha heard the teachings. In order to continue this most excellent example set by Lord Buddha, the Dharma Access Project was launched. It is our sincerest wish that the Dharma be available to all persons, in particular the blind.  For this reason we offer for free, upon request, bound Brailled copies of The Four Immeasurables and The Prayer of Shantideva to all Dharma centers or individuals who would like one for a family member or friend who is blind. In this way the selfless motivation of Shantideva can be shared, "may the blind see forms." We encourage you to contact us with your mailing address: dharma-access-project@earthlink.net In addition to English, Brailled prayers are available in:  Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian and German.  When contacting us, please do so in English. Donations, while not expected, would be gratefully accepted.  Thank you.

Prayer Flags

Here's a site that has excellent visuals and descriptions of Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags, including several that have been translated into English.

The site owner says,

We have been collecting, cataloging, redrawing and translating traditional Tibetan prayer flags since 1975. The greatest care is taken to insure accuracy in the text and symbols. It is our intention to provide at least one perfect prayer flag design in each of the major categories of traditional flags. To date we have flags in 8 categories out of approximately 15 categories that we’ve discovered. Locating, redrawing and editing ancient prayer flags is a long process. We have been working with Acharya Lama Dawa Chhodak for nearly 30 years on this labor of love. We are also working on English translations of all our traditional flags. So far we have completed two. The English versions of the Large Wind Horse and the Praise to the 21 Taras are nearly identical in size and images to the Tibetan versions only the text is different. All of the prayer flags in this section of the website are in Tibetan. The calligraphy was done by various Nyingma Lamas, Bhutanese monks and a Tibetan script computer program that we like. See the “English Translated Prayer Flags” section if you are interested in translated flags.

Article on Mindful Parenting

I once took a class with Jon Kabat Zinn, and was pleased to see this article on mindful parenting--an interview with Dr. Zinn and his wife, Myla.

Sarah van Gelder talks with Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn about how the Buddhist concept of mindfulness can help us to see the wholeness and beauty of our children in each moment.

Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn, the authors of Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting, were married in a Zen ceremony in which their wedding vows were to help each other “attain ‘big mind’ for the sake of all beings.” Jon Kabat-Zinn is founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic. He is also the author of Full Catastrophe Living and Wherever You Go, There You Are. Myla Kabat-Zinn has worked as a childbirth educator, birthing assistant, and environmental advocate. The Kabat-Zinns are the parents of three children aged 22, 18, and 14. Sarah van Gelder recently met with them to learn more about the art of mindful parenting.

Online Tibetan Language Dictionary

Here's a Tibetan language dictionary online, for those of you aspiring to learn the language for dharma or other purposes. It's free, from your friends in Virginia, source of so many shared materials.

Brief Description from the web site: This Java tool takes Tibetan language passages - which can be cut and pasted in, typed in Wylie transliteration, or typed in Tibetan script - and divides the passages up into their component phrases and words, and displays corresponding dictionary definitions.

Wow. Nice.

USAID and Monks

USAID published a one page report in April, 2005, about monks in Cambodia working to do HIV/AIDS care. The report says,

PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS in Cambodia are often considered to have brought shame to themselves and to their families. Discrimination makes it difficult for them to obtain adequate health care and support services, and many people with HIV even refuse the visits of village home-care teams because they fear what the neighbors might say. In recent years, Buddhist monks have begun to break down these barriers of stigma and discrimination by helping people living with HIV/AIDS meet their basic needs. In doing so, the monks are also practicing the

dharma,

or the teachings of Buddha, of which service to the community is an important component.

Ask teens: 

• Monks are supposed to practice. Is this work practice? Explain your thinking.
• Which Buddhist principles does community service relate to? (6 paramitas, Boddhisattva vow, etc)
• Can you think of ways in your community that you could do something like this? Think of a few simple things, and few more complex examples?
• Is there anything you could do, on your own, without help?
• Is there any way you could serve in collboration wiht a service agency or your dharama center?

...Monks are held in the highest regard in Cambodia. Most, however, have little formal education, and only rudimentary knowledge of how to provide health care, how to discuss HIV/AIDS, or how to encourage a community to strive for sustainable agricultural and economic development. Of the more than 1,100 monks who have gone through the Peace Development School so far, many have returned to their home villages and have established HIV/AIDS associations that now carry out HIV-prevention services and home-based care. Many of these monks have also established centers to provide direct care for children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. They have also worked to find ways to keep children in school.

Teaching About Tibet

Here's a great site if you want to do some teaching (or learning) aobut Tibet.

There's a page to tell you why it's a good idea to include this material in your curriculum, resources for K - 4, resources for grades 5 - 8; resources for grades 9 - 12; resources for educators to learn more; and some very nice web links.

Many of the materials are available from the source.

The Global Source Network site says about itself:

Global Source supports elementary and secondary education through teacher education programs, curriculum development, research and consultation. Global Source brings leadership and creativity to educational projects that build bridges between the classroom and the real world, help young people become educated, engaged, and responsible citizens, and help educators grow their teaching practice.

Global Source programs and projects focus on critical issues facing our local and global communities and provide educators vital access to a wide range of voices, organizations, institutions, and resources that help bring a topic of study to life.

Global Source projects have addressed a wide array of topics from the study of globalization to the study of Tibet, global events such as the WTO in Seattle and the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and school issues such as refugee education development and the role of education in times of crisis.

Tibetan Sand Mandala Slide Show

Here's a slide show on the making of a Tibetan sand mandala. It uses the technical terms for the tools.

PBS and Buddhist Imagery

Understanding Buddhist imagery is helpful to older kids. It can be the basis of lessons for younger ones, with a bit of creative effort on your part. Here, from NOVA, is a multi-media presentation to get you started.

Deciphering Buddha Imagery by Rick Groleau
Whether in the form of a wall painting, a statue, or some other religious artifact, an image of Buddha is meant to serve as an inspiration to Buddhists and as a way to honor and remember Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, as well as other Buddhas. But before you can honor a Buddha through his image, you have to recognize him—and there are many depictions in Buddhist art that resemble "The Enlightened One." Images of Buddha didn't begin to appear until the 1st century A.D., about 500 years after his death, yet they all share common traits. The following interactive reveals enough of these traits to allow you to easily recognize an image of Buddha. It will also help you understand the meanings of the five most common hand gestures, or mudras, used in Buddhist art. You'll need Flash to run this, but the program is free and there's a link to it on this site.

Tibetan In the Wild

Jens T, a KCC Kids' Program graduate who'll turn 17 in October of this year, just returned from two weeks of retreat-style Tibetan language study in Arlee, Montana.

Tibetan Language study in Montana? Bet you didn't know that Lama David Curtis, nationally recognized senior teacher at the Tibetan Language Institute, heads a three week summer program for all levels of Tibetan study at Ewam Sang-ngag Ling, a retreat center in Arlee, just outside of Missoula. David was joined in teaching in week three by Lama Tulku Tubten, a Tibetan native speaker.

Jens learned elementary reading and writing from David in Portland, Oregon, years back, and then polished his skills during a three month stint at Venerable Bokar Rinpoche's monastery in Mirik, India. Rinpoche recommended that Jens continue his Tibetan studies when and if he was able. Like many teens, Jens has a busy school schedule, so the summer institutes were a great condensed option for study.

Jens said the participants, all adults, were one of the most interesting groups of people he's met.

On the weekend break, Jens went with fellow students into Missoula and had breakfast and lunch and visited the Missoula Saturday Market. He said, "I think I got in touch with my country roots, drinking creme soda and riding in a truck."

The day after he returned, Jens completed the translation of the Heart Sutra. David's approach to teaching Tibetan deepens people's practice and understanding of the dharma in general. His generous, humorous style, along with good scholarship, combine to make every class a success.

One of the interesting features of the retreat center is a Prajnaparamita "Garden of a Thousand Buddhas."

So check your calenders in early summer, 2006, for this institute and ongoing classes nationwide at TLI. Classes fill early, so register as far in advance as you can. 

Jens (in brown pants, in front) points out the double rainbow--probably a sign that everyone is going to pass. (just kidding)

Jens and his toes enjoying a cup of tea on a study break.

The Prajnaparamita statue at the retreat center.

Learning Tibetan in Montana feels good!

Tibetan Language Summer Fun

Jens, a KCC Kids' Program graduate, just returned from two weeks of Tibetan language study with Tibetan Language Institute senior instructor, David Curtis and guest teacher, Tulku Tubten Lama.

institutes met at the in Arlee, Montana, just outside Missoula.

Jens learned some beginning Tibetan some years back in a class David did in Portland, Oregon. Then he polished his skills in a three month stay as a monk at Venerable Bokar Rinpoche's monastery in Mirik, India. So he joined the TLI summer institute in week two for grammar and continued on with week three, where students worked on translating texts.

Jens said the group of participants were an interesting mix of people with widely varying backgrounds. He enjoyed the time in class and the trips the group members took on weekends.

The day he arrived home, Jens continued working on the translation of the Heart Sutra.

One of the points of interest at Ewam Sang-ngag Ling is the Garden of a Thousand Buddhas, that features a large Prajnamita stature in the center, inside a ring of what will eventually be 1,000 cast Buddhas. ESL resident Dorje worked non-stop on the garden, Jens said. Jens said, "It was like watching Milerepa."

Learning Tibetan was a recommendation made to Jens by Venerable Bokar Rinpoche, but as a teenager with a demanding school schedule, it's been hard to find a concentrated course of study. Tibetan Lanaguage Institute's summer program really fit the bill.

Lama David Curtis takes an approach to teaching that makes studying Tibetan dharma practice. The teen years are an excellent time to develop language skills and David is a willing teacher for serious students of any level. Jens' sister, Kashi, and all the kids at KCC are learning the Tibetan alpahbet, so when the time comes, they can learn to read and write Tibtetan, too.

Northwest Dharma Association Resource Page

Our friends over at Northwest Dharma Association have a family section to their blog. Have a look, it's a great list of links and events.

Drawing by Genmyo Scott Miller

The site includes listing and links for Pacific Northwest centers with kids programs, and a good book list.

Stewardship for Kids

Last week in the kids program, we talked about stewardship.

I told the kids that stewardship has two parts: sharing things and caring for them.

We talked about examples of things we did a good job of stewarding and things that we didn’t steward so well. The kids gave personal examples.

Then, we divided a page into half, vertically, and wrote, "Good stewardship" and "Poor stewardship" across the top of the paper and went for a walk. We wrote names (or drew pictures) of examples in both columns.

We talked about the stewardship of non-material things. I asked how Buddhist teachings have been stewarded. One nine year old replied, "It has been passed on from teacher to teacher, over and over." I asked whether we could help steward our teachings. She said, "We can practice them ourselves and keep them clean."

This simple lesson can be repeated at home, noticing where our stewardship (in either caring for things or sharing them) can be improved. We can use our mindfulness to practice stewardship, and lay a foundation for sustainable lives.

108 pages of Buddhist Art Lessons

This is one of the nicest PDFs on Buddhist Art for middle school and older children that I have seen. It's produced by the Smithsonian, and is 108 pages long. It does not focus on any one school of Buddhism.

Buddhism and Ecological Values

PBS has a prepared video-based lessons for teens on Buddhist ideals that relate to ecology, based on its video, "Bhutan, the Last Shangri-La: Buddhism and Ecology."

From their web site:

Lesson Objectives

Students will:

• Use the Internet to find out which countries observe Buddhism as their main religion, and mark those countries, including Bhutan, on a world map.
• List the ways in which species cooperate and the ways in which people and animals depend on other species, based on information that they already know about the natural world and ecology.
• Watch video clips concerning Buddhist attitudes toward ecology, and list the ways in which the video illustrates Buddhist ecological principles.
• Explain or act out the allegory of the Four Harmonious Friends as shown in the video.
• Visit one Web site to learn more about Buddhist ecological principles and two Web sites to learn more about general ecology.
• Make a chart that compares Buddhist reactions toward the natural world with reactions that are typical of the students’ culture.
• Write a paragraph explaining how Bhutanese culture differs from their own in terms of attitudes toward the natural environment.
• In groups, write and perform or tell an allegory similar in scope to the story of the Four Harmonious Friends but using ecological relationships that students see in their own regions.

There is a second lesson with these objectives:

• Examine a topographical map of Bhutan and a political map of South Asia and brainstorm the types of environmental pressures a country such as Bhutan might face, considering its size, topography, resources, and proximity to larger countries.
• Discuss how Bhutan’s Buddhist heritage has contributed to its attitudes toward environmental preservation.
• After viewing a video clip, explain how Bhutan is an "oasis."
• Devise a long-range environmental plan for Bhutan based on their consideration of several environmental and development-related issues.

These lessons are professionally developed, and integrated cross-curriculum. Each lesson includes these sections:

Lesson Objectives
Relevant National Standards
Materials Needed
Estimated Time
Teaching Strategy
Assessment Recommendations
Extensions/Adaptations

Photos of Buddhist Artefacts

Here's a link to photos of Buddhist artefacts, useful in learning about material supports in Buddhism.

There are offering bowls, incense, Buddhas in two styles, a mala, prayer flags and so on.

Web Site with Worksheets on Buddhism

Here's a British site called ICTeachers that has 3 downloadable worksheets for kids on Buddhism.

There's one on the story of how Siddhartha became The Buddha. An introduction to Buddhism and an "illustrate the story" worksheet by Mike Freedman (intended for Year 5).

and

An information and activity sheet on The Three Universal Truths.

and

An information and activity sheet about The Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

All the worksheets are in RTF format, compatible with MS Word.

The Legacy for Our Children

Judith Simmer-Brown, a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, speaks on the Urban Dharma site about leaving a Buddhist legacy for our children.

She writes about 4 key criteria for assuring Buddhism "sticks" here in the west:

These are the four criteria-elements of Asian Buddhist tradition necessary to assure the continuation of Buddhism in an American setting.
   
The first is, have the key sutras, commentaries, teachings,
practices and liturgies been translated into English? And
are these translations usable for the practice communities themselves?

and

The second criterion is, have the essence teachings been
transmitted to American dharma heirs and students? Are these heirs trusted and respected by their Asian lineages, and have they received everything, with nothing held back?

and

The third criterion is, has a strong base of American patrons been established?

and finallly,

And the fourth criterion is, has monastic ordination been
fully passed to American monks and nuns?

Jataka Tales Art Lesson Grades 9-12

Here's a well-organized art lesson for grades 9-12 that uses the Jataka Tales, from a school district in Shrewsberry, Massachusettes.

The lesson you'll find includes:

Lesson Title: Jataka Tales Course: Foundations of Art Grade Level: 9-12 Objectives:  As a result of instruction, students will be able to... 1. Discuss how Jataka Tales are stories of the Buddha's previous lives and how they reflect the morals of Buddhist teachings. 2. Create an illustration for a Jataka story that works well with the rest of the illustrations. 3. Skillfully use either scratchboard or linoleum as a medium. 4. Create a hardcover book using Japanese bookbinding techniques. 5. Share their illustrations and stories with the community. Materials: drawing paper                    drawing pencils scratchboard                       scratching tools transfer paper                     chalk linoleum                             linoleum cutting tools brayers                               printmaking ink plexiglass                           printing press bookbinding board             utility knives rulers                                  PVA glue (acid free) glue brushes                       bookcloth decorative paper                 embroidery floss needles                               bonefolders Intructional Resources: 1. Hands-on Culture of Southeast Asia- Buddhism: Jataka Tales p. 23-26. 2. Web sites for Jataka Tales:    Jataka Tales of the Buddha Part I    Jataka Tales of the Buddha Part II    Jataka Tales of the Buddha Part III    Jataka Tales    Buddhist Tales for Young and Old- Volume I    Buddhist Tales for Young and Old- King Fruitful 3. Web sites on Japanese bookbinding: Bind It Fast & 5 Stitch Bookbinding 4. Web site for bookbinding supplies: Harcourt Bindery Vocabulary: Jataka Tale: A moral story of the Buddha's previous lives, usually as an animal. Motivation: 1. Teacher will introduce the lesson by talking about how Jataka Tales are stories of the Buddha's previous lives that teach Buddhists moral lessons. 2. Students will read a chosen Jataka Tale as a class. 3. Students will discuss the moral of the story and how it reflects Buddhist teachings. 4. Students will break the story into parts so that each student has a part. 5. Students will find photos to use as references for their drawings. 6. Students will sketch their part in a square format. 7. Students will put up sketches and critique them, identifying characteristics that everyone will incorporate so there is consistency throughout the book i.e. all the deer should have spots. 8. Students will do a second draft and color it with black sharpie to closer resemble  the final product. 9. Students will critique the second draft. 10. Students will draw a final draft. Procedure: 1. Students will transfer their final draft to their scratchboard or linoleum.  Drawings can be transfered to scratchboard by covering the back of the sketch in white chalk.  Then place drawing on top of the scratchboard and trace the drawing with a pencil.  When you remove the drawing there will be white lines on the scratchboard.  Transfer paper can be used to transfer the drawing onto linoleum. 2. Students will scratch away the white areas on the scratchboard or cut away the white areas of the linoleum. 3. Students using linoleum will ink up their linoleum and create a print. 4. Teacher will photocopy each finished artwork along with the text that it accompanies.  5. Each student will receive photocopies of the entire classes text and illustration. 6. Students will bind books in hardcover by cutting cardboard, pasting on bookcloth and decorative papers, and sewing it together. (See above web sites for further directions) 7. Students will visit elementary school classes and read their books to younger students. 8. Students will discuss the moral of the story with the younger students and tell them about how they created the illustrations and books. 9. Students will donate the books to the elementary classrooms. Evaluation: To what extent did students... 1. Discuss how Jataka Tales are stories of the Buddha's previous lives and how they reflect the morals of Buddhist teachings. 2. Create an illustration for a Jataka story that works well with the rest of the illustrations. 3. Skillfully use either scratchboard or linoleum as a medium. 4. Create a hardcover book using Japanese bookbinding techniques. 5. Share their illustrations and stories with the community.

Thubten Chodren on Working with Kids

Venerable Thubten Chodron, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher, has a web site where you can read her ideas about teaching children by modeling, dharma with children and teens and where you can play or download MP3 audio files of her Q and A sessions with kids. Have a look and a listen.

See You Later Alligators!

Nyingje and Lekshe are gone on retreat for a week.
We'll see you when we return.

We hope we left you plenty of things to browse in the meantime. Cookies, milk and soy milk in the fridge.

See you later, alligators!