B Is For Brotherhood 4

Lesson Message
♦ What is brotherhood?
Brotherhood is a sense of togetherness and belonging among members of a
family, neighborhood, organization, and the world.
♦ How can we achieve brotherhood?
It is achieved by:
•  Realizing that each of us possess individual and unique characteristics that
make the world interesting and special.
•  Treating the entire world as our family.

Opening Prayer 3 Minutes


May He protect us both.

May He nourish us.

May we acquire the capacity

(to study and understand the

scriptures).
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om saha nëvavatu, May our study be brilliant.
saha nau bhunaktu, May we not cavil at each other.
saha víryañ karavëvahai,
tejasvinëvadhítam-astu më vidviçëvahai. Om Peace Peace Peace.
om õëntiß õëntiß õëntiß.

Attendance 5 Minutes

Take attendance, and let each child respond Hariß Om, when his or her name is
called.

Memory Time 10 Minutes

♦ Read and explain the meaning of the Opening and the Closing Prayers.
♦ Remind children that while saying our prayers, we must sit erect, close our
eyes, and fold our hands and legs.

The Alphabet Safari

4 Topic of the Day 35 Minutes

Brotherhood: Brotherhood is a sense of togetherness and belonging among members

of a family, neighborhood, organization, and the world.

The topic of the day consists of:

♦ Brainstorming: The Whole World Is My Family

♦ Tale: The Complete Picture
♦ Activity: Sharing Is Brotherhood
♦ Riddle: The Meaning Of Home
♦ Coloring: B Is For Brotherhood

Brainstorming: The Whole World Is My Family

Through brainstorming, we explain to the children that we are a part of this whole
wide world and live together in a home called earth.

Materials Required

♦ Make a copy of the following three pictures given in the Appendix

Directions

Cut out each house separately from all

28 the three pictures. Build the whole
scene as you discuss how the whole
world is connected.
Put up one of the houses with
parents and children on the board.
Ask the children, “What is a family?”
Looking at the house, children will
respond: “Father, mother, and siblings
make up a family.” Explain to them
that father is the head of the family;
he and mom take care of everybody,
making sure that we have food, good
clothes, and toys to play with, and
that we go to school, study hard, and
do well. They take care of all our
needs. We love our family because
we share and do things for each other.
Sharing and helping creates feelings
of brotherhood and love amongst us.

The Alphabet Safari

 4

Underneath the house posted on the board, write grandfather, grandmother,

uncles, aunts, cousins, and ask the children what they think. Ask, “Are they also
a part of your family?” We love our grandparents, we share things, our parents
are their children, and we see them do things for us. Explain to children that
grandparents also are a part of our family. It is also true for our cousins, uncles,
and aunts.
Then put up the cut out of other houses with family and explain that together 29
they form the neighbors. Extend the same concept to the neighborhood in which
they live. The whole neighborhood is one family. Many neighborhoods like this
make a city and many cities make a nation. Display the cut out of the houses
with different nations. Many nations make the world. Finally show the picture of
the world and explain how all the people in the world are a part of this big family
called the human race.

Inference: Vasudhaiva Kuéumbakam. Vasudhë means earth in Sañskåta, the

ancient language in which all our scriptures are written. Kuéumba means a family.
Meaning, the whole earth, the whole world, is one family.

Tale: The Complete Picture

Once upon a time in a toy store, there was a crayon box. Sadly, the crayons did
not get along with one another. One day a little girl walked into the toy store
and overheard the crayons talking amongst themselves. “I don’t like Red,” said
Yellow. “Neither do I, and no one likes Orange,” said Green. Blue said to the
other crayons, “We are a box of crayons that don’t get along. Something must be

The Alphabet Safari

4 wrong.” The little girl bought the box of crayons
and took it home.
When she got home, she laid out all the
colors, so that each crayon could see the others. She
then started coloring with them. With Green, she
made the grass; with Blue the sky; and with Yellow,
the bright sun. As the crayons watched the little
girl create colorful and beautiful images, something
magical happened. Each crayon started appreciating
the special and unique qualities of the other crayons!
The little girl, upon completing her coloring,
began walking out of her room. As she was walking
away, she once again overheard the crayons talk.
But this time, Yellow said, “I do like Red,” and
Green said, “So do I, and Blue looks terrific high up
in the sky.” Blue remarked, “We are a box of crayons; each one of us is unique.
When we get together, the picture is complete.”

Moral: We are all like the box of crayons. Each one of us is special and unique.
Only by appreciating one another’s individuality and living in the brotherhood spirit,
can we complete the picture of life.

Activity: Sharing Is Brotherhood

This coloring activity is intended to emphasize that sharing is brotherhood.
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Materials Required

♦ Classroom kit
♦ Copy the picture from the
Appendix for each child

Directions

Give a copy of the picture to each child.

Ask them to pick up only one crayon
from the box and color the picture.
While they are coloring, mention that
the sun is yellow, the clouds are grey,
the sky is blue, etc. Give them such
hints so that they realize that they need
to share in order to complete coloring of
the picture. As they start sharing, tell
them, “See, that is brotherhood!”

The Alphabet Safari

Inference: Each one of us is unique; when we live harmoniously together, the
picture of the world is complete. 4
Riddle: The Meaning Of Home
Where do you see the letters “O” and “M” in the middle of a word? Where do
you hear the sound of Om?
In a good Home!

We begin all our prayers with “Om.” Every happy person sees “Om,” in their home.
H ± Happy
OM ± Lord
E ± Ever
Home is where a family lives. To have a happy home forever, the family prays
to God together.

Coloring: B Is For Brotherhood

Give children a line drawing of the letter “B” from the Appendix to color. After
coloring, they will file it in their folder.

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Quiet Time 3 Minutes

Follow Likhita Japa to make children’s mind quiet. For details refer to the Quiet
Time in the Introduction section.

The Alphabet Safari

4 Closing Prayer


2 Minutes

May all be happy.


May all be healthy.

May all enjoy prosperity.
om sarve bhavantu sukhinaß sarve santu nirëmayëß, May none suffer.
sarve bhadrëãi paõyantu më kaõcid dußkhabhëgbhavet. Om Peace Peace Peace.
om õëntiß õëntiß õëntiß.

Exit Ticket 2 Minutes

Ask children, “B is for?” They repeat together: “B is for Brotherhood; the whole
world is one family,” and leave the classroom.

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The Alphabet Safari