Object Lessons
Power of Words Object Lesson 1: Bubbles https://sites.google.com/site/valueslessons
Equipment: Bubble mix and wand.
Teacher's Script:
'It’s important to be careful what we say to others. We can say things to another person without thinking, that really hurt them.
After saying something hurtful or mean we might realize what we have said. We'd like to take those words back – but it’s too late. Once we have said hurtful words to someone, we can’t take those words back.
It's like blowing bubbles (demonstrate). Once you’ve dipped the wand into the mix and blown your bubbles, there’s no way you can get those bubbles back into the jar.
I’ll try catch them on the jar top and to put it back into the jar (try). Can I?
You try to grab the bubbles in the air and put them back in the jar for me.
Can you get them all back in? It’s too hard to catch them all before they pop. And then they make a wet mess.
Once the bubbles are in the air it’s too late to put them back in.
Saying unkind words to others is like blowing bubbles. They're both so easy to do. But once the words are in the air it’s too late to take them back too. When we get upset or angry, we can easily say words that hurt. We'd like to take those words back but we can’t. Try to say ‘you’re stupid’ and then catch those words in the air and put them back in your mouth. Does it work?
Perhaps you've had someone say unkind words to you and you know how painful that feels. Even though they may say sorry, it doesn't make all the hurt go away. Make sure your words won’t hurt another person because, once you have spoken those words you can't take them back. And we all know how much pain words can cause.
Whenever you see bubbles, (blow some) remember this lesson and do your best to... (point to the slogan) Watch your Words.
Image source: https://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-801064982-As-easy-as-blowing-bubbles.jpg
Object Lesson 2: Toothpaste
Equipment: A tube of toothpaste labelled 'words' that you can demonstrate with. Paper to squeeze it out on.
Teacher's Script: 'Words are like a tube of toothpaste. (You could use a black marker pen to write WORDS onto the tube). If used the right way, toothpaste helps clean our teeth and keep our mouth healthy. Words are the same way. If we use our words to cheer someone up and say nice or helpful things, our words can bring happiness to another person. And happy people are healthy people.
But sometimes we can get sloppy with our toothpaste. It can leak all over the cap and make an annoying mess (demonstrate). It's the same with our words. Sometimes we aren’t careful and little put-downs or grumbling slip out of our mouth. When we’re sloppy with our words, we make little messes. We end up with bad moods and hurt feelings. Now if you squeeze really hard on a tube of toothpaste, (demonstrate) all the toothpaste comes squirting out. What a mess that makes!Our words can do the same thing. When you open your mouth and speak hurtful, angry or mean things, you make a huge mess! Have you ever tried putting toothpaste back into the tube after it has been squirted out? Can you? All of it? Not easily. It's the same with your words. Once you say those hurtful things, you can’t take them back. Saying “sorry” or “I was just kidding,” doesn’t take the sting of those words away. Long after you have forgotten what you’ve said, the person you talked meanly to will remember it. You can’t take it back, just like we can’t put all this toothpaste back into the tube.
A wise man, King Solomon, once said “Reckless words pierce like a sword.” Reckless means saying words without thinking about what trouble they may cause. Messy toothpaste words, that hurt people. They make a mess in our lives and the lives of others.
But then King Solomon continued, “But the tongue of the wise brings healing.” We want our words to be helpful and healing to people. Just like toothpaste when used correctly helps keep us healthy, we want to use our words carefully to bring happiness to our friends and family. So next time you brush your teeth, let the toothpaste remind you to always (point to the slogan) Watch your Words.'
Ref: http://www.spelloutloud.com/words-are-like-tube-of-toothpaste.html Image: https://clipartstation.com/toothpaste-clipart-9/
Object Lesson 3: Apples
Equipment: 2 apples
Preparation: Take one apple and bruise it by pressing all sides firmly against a hard surface. It should look normal, but when cut, have brown bruises all around. Try to do this the day before for extra brown bruises.
Teacher's Script: Ask the children to tell you about the apples, how they both look the same; red, sweet and juicy.
Then pick up the apple with the hidden bruises and tell the children how you dislike this apple, that you think it is disgusting, it is a horrible colour and the stem is just too short. Tell them that because you didn't like it, you don't want them to like it either, so they should call it names too.
Pass the apple around the circle calling it names, 'You're a smelly apple', 'I don't even know why you exist', 'You've probably got worms inside you' etc.
Then pass the other apple around and say kind words to it, 'You're a lovely apple', 'Your skin is beautiful', 'What a beautiful colour you are' etc.
Hold up both apples, and again talk about the similarities and differences; and how there is no change, both apples still look the same.
Then cut the apples open. The apple you'd been kind to is clear, fresh and juicy inside.
The apple you'd said unkind words to is bruised and all mushy inside.
Teach how that, what they see inside that apple, the bruises, the mush and the broken bits, is what is happening inside every one of us when someone mistreats us with their words or actions.
When people are bullied, especially children, they feel horrible inside and sometimes don't show or tell others how they are feeling. Say, 'If we hadn't have cut that apple open, we would never have known how much pain we had caused it.'
Share your own experience of suffering someone's unkind words. On the outside you looked OK, you were still smiling. But, on the inside someone had caused you a lot of pain with their words and you were hurting.
Unlike an apple, we have the ability to stop this from happening. We can teach children that it's not okay to say unkind things to each other.
Discuss how it makes others feel. We can teach our children to stand up for each other and to stop any form of bullying.
More and more hurt and damage happens inside if nobody does anything to stop the bullying.
'The tongue has no bones, but is strong enough to break a heart.' So be careful with your words.