Paw Prints to Learning
Teach young people about animal welfare and how they CAN make a difference in animals' lives.
Activity
At-a-Glance
Time:
2 to 3 hours which includes storytelling, making the soup, and eating it!
Materials:
- An adaptation of the Stone Soup folktale (one version can be found at http://www.soup4world.com/themedia/news-cincinnati1099.html
- Soup kettle or large cooking pot
- Hot plate, use of a kitchen, or a campfire
- Large rock or boulder which has been cleaned or substitute soup bones
Physical Setting:
Training location
Sequence:
- 5 minutes for an introduction
- 10 minutes to read the story
- 30 minutes to contribute the soup ingredients
- 30 minutes to cook the soup
- 45 minutes to eat the meal
Youth as Philanthropists
Objectives:
- To teach young people the importance of having a “sense of community” and not feeling alone in their own world
- To introduce youth to the Stone Soup folktale and the individuals who discovered they were an important part of any community
Activity:
“Great thoughts come from the heart..”
~Mary Engelbreit, 1999
The facilitator tells the participants that today they are going to reenact the old folktale, “The Stone Soup Story”. This folktale is important to the discussions the participants have been having about caring, giving, common good, and philanthropy. In addition, the final product is delicious!
Activity:
The facilitator reads the Stone Soup Folktale.
“Let’s make our own stone soup and have a picnic. The facilitator asked at the last training session for each youth to bring a food item to put in the soup kettle. “Don’t have a specific recipe; let the soup happen just as it happened in the folktale.”
The facilitator puts the stone (or soup bones) in the kettle and places it on the stove. Water is added to the kettle, then each participant brings up their contribution to the soup and drops it in the kettle. After the soup has simmered for awhile, the group sits down together around the kitchen table, or campfire, eats the soup, and discusses the story.
Processing Questions:
The facilitator asks:
- How was this experience similar to the folktale?
- What lessons can the group learn from the soldiers’ tale?
- Have any of you attended a “potluck supper”? If so, how might that compare to the stone soup tale?
Suggest the participants ask their family if they could prepare stone soup for dinner next week. Ask each family member to contribute something to the soup. Either before or after dinner, read the stone soup folktale to them. Have a discussion with the family about what it means to serve the common good of the community.
NOTE TO FACILITATOR: Have the participants help in the clean up of the soup and dishes. Informal discussion can build a strong team and friendships among the participants.
