Being Together

Being Together – Lesson Plan (Upper Primary: Ages 8–10) — “Being Together Builds Strong Communities”

👉 Learning objectives

By the end of the lesson, children will be able to:

• Explain the difference between being near and being together (requires actions like listening/helping).
• Use the word solidarity correctly as a Christian attitude: commitment to others in a community.
• Identify how students can practice togetherness in: family, school, neighbourhood, clubs, and country by discussing real-life situations and positive ways to relate to others.
• Demonstrate respect in a multifaith setting by talking about shared values rather than arguing.

Resources:       PowerPoint

Community Forming Challenge – Handout

Summary of session

1. Introductory prayer
2. Icebreaker: Together or Just Nearby?
3. Story – The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde and guided discussion
4. Group work – Community Mission
5. Concluding Activity – Little of Acts of Kindness (handout)
6. Concluding Prayer

A – Start with a short prayer

Dear God,
We thank you for bringing us together today.
Help us to remember that being together means more than sharing the same place.
Make our school a place where everyone feels welcome, respected, and cared for.
Amen.

B – Simple opening activity / icebreaker (6 minutes): “Together or Just Nearby?”

On the board (or orally), read short statements and children vote with hands:

• Together (two hands open)
• Just nearby (arms crossed)

Statements:

• “Two students sit together but don’t talk or include anyone.”
• “A student notices someone is new and invites them to join.”
• “Someone waits their turn to talk.”
• “A team cheers only for themselves and not for others.”
• “People work together to clean up after an activity.”
• “Students during a student council meeting discuss how they can educate fellow students on how to better the school environment.”

Connect quickly to Catholic teaching:  Solidarity is a direct demand of human and Christian brotherhood.

C – Story: THE SELFISH GIANT – Oscar Wilde

Link to “Being Together”           We all need one another.

Communities grow when everyone is included.

Kindness changes hearts.

Being present for others brings joy to everyone.

Summary

Every afternoon, the children of the village, after school, go and play in this marvellous garden that belongs to a big Giant. But the Giant is nowhere to be seen. He had left many years ago to visit a friend.

After being away for several years, he returns home and becomes angry when he finds the children there. He is a grumpy selfish giant. He builds a high wall around the garden and puts up a sign that says, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.”

Without the children, something strange happens. Spring refuses to come to the Giant’s garden. While flowers bloom and birds sing everywhere else, his garden remains cold, snowy, and lifeless. Winter seems to stay forever. The Giant could not understand why this was happening.

One day, the Giant hears birds singing. Looking outside, he discovers that the children have found a way back into the garden. Wherever they are playing, flowers bloom, trees blossom, and spring returns. But one little boy cannot climb up a tree. Seeing this, the Giant’s heart softens. He goes to him and gently lifts the child up the tree, and immediately the tree bursts into blossom.

The Giant realises that it was his selfishness that kept happiness away. He tears down the wall so that all the children are always welcome. From then on, the garden is filled with laughter, friendship, and life, and the Giant himself becomes kind, generous, and deeply loved.

Start by asking the students to tell you what the story was about. Then discuss the following questions:

– What do you think the message is?  When we welcome others instead of shutting them out, everyone thrives—including ourselves.

– What are some ‘walls’ people sometimes build that stop others from feeling welcome? How can we help bring those walls down?” – being judgemental; being afraid of ‘new/different’ things, ideas, cultures; being glued to screens for too long and as a consequence ignore the needs to others around me; being comfortable as I am and not being willing to make sacrifices to make others happy/welcome/included.

Pick other questions to discuss depending on time:

1. What is the difference between being near and being together?

Being near means being physically close. Being together means caring about each other, sharing and including everyone.

2. Which action matters most: listening, helping, including, encouraging, caring—why? Including others is very important because everyone wants to feel that they belong. But all these actions help us to care for one another.
3. How does Jesus show us how to make each other feel welcomed? Jesus welcomed everyone, especially people who were lonely or left out. He listened to them, cared for them and treated everyone with love.
4. How can we be kind to each other? We can be kind by listening, helping, sharing, forgiving, including others and using kind words.
5. What would real togetherness look like in our school? Everyone would feel welcome, included and respected. We would help each other, listen to each other and make sure that nobody is left out.

Reinforce that solidarity is not only individual acts; it is community-minded responsibility.

Note for the animator: regarding Multifaith:

• “We don’t try to prove who is right. We try to be respectful and learn from each other.”

This mirrors Catholic teaching that interreligious dialogue requires openness while maintaining clear identity (we respect but we do not accept everything).

D – Practical activity / game (12 minutes): “Community Mission”

Instructions:

• Split the group in smaller groups.
• From the PowerPoint show the following scenarios and discuss each one by asking the 3 questions mentioned below (keeping in mind what God might do in such a scenario):
• What is happening? How are the people feeling?
• What is our mission? How can we make the situation better? Eg To make sure not one eats or plays alone or to encourage the player and remind everyone that a team wins and loses together.
• What is the announcement? E.g. “Our mission is to include everyone, so no one feels alone” or “Our mission is to encourage instead of blaming.”

Scenario examples (choose 6–8 total)

• “A new student wants to join a game but everyone ignores them.” (Include + encourage)
• “Someone makes a mistake and others laugh.” (Care + help them, not the teasing)
• “Your team loses and people stop trying.” (Encouragement + solidarity)
• “A friend feels worried and won’t speak up.” (help + listening)
• “A community event needs helpers, but no one volunteers.” (Encouragement + Community care)
• “Someone posts something mean online.” (Respect + charity)

E – Concluding activity:

Give each student the handout: Community Forming Challenge

Instructions found on the handout (to be done later in class or at home).

F – Closing reflection/Prayer

Let’s be thankful for one another and thank God for providing us with so much: family, friends, our school etc. People who love and care for us – a brief moment of silence as we reflect this.

Let us ask God to help us practise togetherness with listening, help, inclusion, and encouragement – a brief moment of silence as we reflect this.

May our school be a community where everyone feels welcomed and valued.” Amen