Forgiveness+Education

Forgiveness Education: Healing Through the Heroic Gift of Forgiveness

Pen Pal Prompts:

Lesson 5-The Gift of Forgiveness

"To carry a grudge is like being stung to death by one bee."-William H. Walton

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."-Confucius

Objectives: We can..... -learn some of the emotional, physical, and psychological consequences of unhealthy anger -understand that forgiveness has the power to heal and allows us to overcome our anger and pain -know that forgiveness is an unearned gift of agape love for both the forgiving and forgiven person -identify and examine our own feelings of unhealthy anger from an injury of injustice

__Unhealthy anger__-anger that is disproportionate to the cause, is not directed at the person who has injured us but at innocent bystanders, lingers long after the event, causes self-destructive behavior, or destroys families, marriages, and communities (Robert Enright)

__ Anger X Ray __ 1. Recall one specific injury or pattern of injuries caused by one person. Perhaps a childhood injury or one that deeply hurt you more recently. Who caused the injury? If this person has caused you a series of hurts, what was the first one that really stands out to you? 2. Now describe the details of the incident. When did this take place? Describe what you remember of the details of that incident. 3. How did you deal with the pain of the incident? Were you angry, hostile, resentful, bitter, vengeful? 4. How does it make you feel now as you recall the incident?

Lesson 6: The Gift of Forgiveness Within a Community Objectives: We will can.... -discuss and understand what a community is and how we are all connected, how each person's actions ca affect all of us  -Brainstorm and discuss specific ways in which the effects of an act of forgiveness can "spiderweb" out to others and into communities -Understand how the negative effects of forgiveness benefits the entire human family -Understand that forgiveness as a selfless, moral gift, empowers each of us to make the world a better place

__ First Session __ Defining Communities



__ Second Session __

// Tutsi Woman on Forgiveness //

// Forwarding Forgiveness //

// Video: Pay It Forward-Assignment //

// Video: Pay It Forward Power of Three //

__//Lesson 8: What does offering forgiveness feel like?//__ // Objectives: We can.... // // -differentiate between healthy and unhealthy anger, the ideas of bearing pain vs. harboring pain // // -understand how harboring unhealthy anger can be harmful and distructive // // -understand how bearing the pain can be healing for the forgiver and the offender // // -understand the first step in forgiveness is in making the choice to forgive //

// Activities // // Please go to the following link to discuss p.1-192 of The Year the Swallows Came Early //

// last names A-D: Today's Meet // // last names E-R: Today's Meet // // last names S-Z: Today's Meet //

__ //Lesson 14// __ __ //Forwarding Forgiveness to the Human Family// __ Objectives: We can... -discuss the benefits of sharing the message and example of forgiveness with others and specific ways to do that -identify ways other virtuous heroes have shared the message of forgiveness with others. -discuss the common misconceptions often associated with forgiveness and ways to overcome them -recognize and reflect on the power of example in changing others' views on forgiveness

__Assignment: Katy and Ryan's Story__

1. View the video at the following link: Gill Deacon Show (please wear your headphones) 2. Read the article found here: Forgiveness Project 3. Visit this wall on Wall Wisher and post a few sticky to respond to Ms. Belanger's questions--these are already posted on the wall. Remember, you just have to click to get a new sticky. Be sure to change from "anonymous" to your first name. 4. Visit the Discussion Forum to read and post to "Lesson 14 Music Video". I hope to share some of your examples with the class.

__Lesson 15__ __Do You Have What It Takes?__

Objectives: We can.... -review and reflect on the virtues needed to live out forgiveness every day -identify some potential obstacles and challenges often met in sharing the gift of forgiveness, such as other people's resistance to forgiveness and society's negative stereotype towards forgiveness -discuss what it takes to overcome obstacles, negative stereotypes/peer pressure, and failures living a virtuous heroic life of forgiveness -examine ways others have practiced forgiveness while meeting and overcoming obstacles -envision and share ways in which they themselves could overcome such challenges -discuss how to stay motivated during the challenges of living a virtuous heroic life of forgiveness -discuss how we can become stronger, smarter, and more virtous through failures and challenges

__Assignment: Discussion Questions Email__ 1. Open the Lesson 15 Discussion Questions document. (Kidshared-Belanger) 2. Type your answers to the questions. 3. Save your answers by __adding your name to the document name__ and saving in your H://drive. 4. Raise your hand to get your random partners names from Miss Belanger. Email your answers to these two people. (first initial lastname@mascience.org) 5. Read the responses that you receive from others.

Now, write __Your Own Forgiveness Story__! Miss Belanger will hand out the prompt!

__Program Feedback Email (To Ms. Margaret)__ 8th graders! This is your chance to tell the authors of the forgiveness program what you think they could do to make the program better! Your honest answers to these questions could affect what 8th graders in the future get to experience. 1) Please tell us, how much did you like the Swallows book: Like a Lot Like Like a Little Dislike a Little Dislike Dislike A Lot What did you like/dislike about the book? 2) What did you like about the forgiveness lessons? What did you NOT like about the lessons? 3) What has been good or helpful about learning forgiveness? 4) IF YOU HAD A PEN PAL: What did you like about writing to a pen-pal? What did you not like about writing to a pen-pal? OR IF YOU SENT JOURNAL MESSAGES: What did you like about writing journal messages? What did you not like about writing journal messages? 5) Is there anything else you want the authors of the curriculum or directors of the research study to know?