Handwork for junior societies

Foreword

Few teachers of Sunday-school classes, or superintendents of Junior Christian Endeavor societies, or leaders of any organization of children are fully satisfied with the way in which their work is done. All are more or less aware of the fact that there are times when they do not hold the interest of the children, or do not "put over" the lessons they are striving to teach.

The following pages are intended to suggest one way in which teachers, superintendents, and leaders may enlist the activities of the children in the interest of religious instruction. We can teach through ear-gate. We can teach still better if we also use eyegate. And we can teach still better if we use the child's desire to make things and show him how to make models of the scenes of the stories he listens to, and of the persons who are actors in these stories. Handwork strengthens immensely the impression made

4 FOREWORD

by words. A scene which a child sees and which he even helps to set up, becomes his very own. He works himself into it.

This book may be used in Sunday-school classes, in clubs, in societies like the Junior Christian Endeavor society, or Junior Epworth League. To avoid repetition we speak of the superintendent and the Juniors, but the phraseology does not matter. The important thing is to have teachers of children use whatever methods are workable to get closer to the children's interests and to fix in their minds precious Bible truths.

Kobert P. Anderson,

Boston, Mass. ,

Contents

Foreword .

i • i

PART I The Religious Use of Handwork

Handwork for Juniors .

For Little Ones ....

Work for Juniors above Seven

.

• 23

• 27

Handwork and the Topics .

• 36

PART II Special Instructions

Card-Sewing .

• 45

Paper-Cutting

• 47

Using Colors

• Si

Paper -Tearing .

• 52

Work with Stencils

• 54

Envelopes, Boxes, and Portfolios

. 56

Bookbinding .

. 61

A Calendar Pad .

A Memorandum Pad .

6 CONTENTS

How to Make a Checkerboard . . 72

Scrap-Book or Postal-Card Album .

Fancy Boxes . • .

> 77

Other Articles .

. 78

Paper-Folding

• 79

Coping-Saw Work

. 80

Whittling . . .

. 82

Modelling — Clay and Plasticene .

■ 83

Raffia Work ....

. 86

A Napkin Ring .

. 90

A Calendar

. 9 1

A Pincushion and a Stampbox

. 92

More Raffia Work

• 93

Construction Work

► 94

The Making of Maps .

. 98

Map Work in Papier- M ache .

Blackboard Work

. 105 in

Making Posters .

. 116

Supplies ....

, 120

Books on Handwork

. 122

PART I

The Religious Use of Handwork

Two things are essential for successful work with Juniors. The superintendent or teacher must be able to get the attention and the interest of the children. A society or a class in which the Juniors are in constant motion, not to say commotion, where there is a constant buzz of shuffling or whispering, and where each Junior is busily occupied with his own affairs and not with the progress of the meeting, is not achieving its object.

In such cases one observes that the superintendent will try to get the attention of the Juniors by ringing a bell or striking the desk. The noise arrests their attention, but only for a moment. Evidently they are not interested in what is going forward.

Observe, however, a group of children listening to a fairy tale that an expert is telling. Notice the rapt attention, the manifest interest !

The problem of the Junior superintendent, then, is to gain the attention and interest of the children. How is it to be done ?

Now children are interested in what concerns them, in what comes within their experience and touches their life. If we talk over their heads they lose interest and attention drifts. The superintendent must therefore always try to get the Juniors' point of view and think in the simplest terms of a child's life. She must link on her lessons to things that children know already, the home, the school, the street, and so forth.

Children are further interested in doing things. The impulse to make things is strong within their hearts. They do not care much about the materials they use; imagination clothes the most unlikely things with magic qualities. They will build houses out of small pebbles. A piece of wood is a dog or a cat or a savage. Mud is moulded into pies. The mind is developed as the hands try to fashion things. Knowledge comes through activity.

Many a restless society would be transformed if the Juniors were given things to do. Both attention and interest would be won. Not only so — for this is not merely a subtle device for keeping children quiet while we instruct them — but through their manual activity they would get a firmer grasp of the truths we try to teach them. It is infinitely easier to teach geography with the help of a sand-board or a pulp map, than it is without these aids. To tell children the story of Old Testament heroes, or of Jesus, or of missionaries, is all very well, but if at the same time we construct the story by means of models of houses and persons, which the Juniors themselves make, we create a much deeper and more lasting impression.

Some superintendents have used handwork in their Junior societies, but the great majority have not ; and those that have admit that they have not utilized the opportunity as they ought.

The following pages are meant to help superintendents to make a start in the direction of introducing handwork into the societies. For those superintendents who have been or who are school teachers, this will be easy, for handwork is taught in many schools.

What we want to do is to make use of handwork in the interest of Bible teaching and of religion.

The natural impulse of many superintendents will be to say, "I cannot make things, and therefore I cannot teach the Juniors how to make them." What you can do might astonish you if you would try. A very little practice at home, or a few lessons from a school teacher who gives instruction in handwork, or from some girl or boy in the Young People's society who has a talent for this sort of thing, will work wonders.

The introduction of handwork, however, opens up another avenue of service for young people. If possible the superintendent should get one or two young people from the older society to come and act as instructors in handwork for the Juniors. Many young people will be glad to do this who would hesitate about becoming assistant superintendents. When they come into the work and grow interested in the Juniors, as they surely will, they will find it hard to pull out. Their presence and aid will greatly strengthen the society and a new generation of workers may be trained who, for sheer love of the work, will rise to help the Juniors.

A very important question arises, namely, when can handwork be done ?

Let us say that in your society there is a group of children under seven years of age. The thing to do with them, after the opening exercises of the regular meeting, is to take them into a room by themselves and study the topic with an assistant superintendent as leader. Part of the time of the meeting may be given to handwork, but not too much time. Sometimes the pasting of a figure cut out of paper is enough to give expression to the thought of the children, but at times it may seem wise to allow them to make figures out of plasticene or clay. Generally speaking handwork — that is, the making of things — should be kept out of the regular meeting of the society.

In older societies actual handwork should be kept entirely out of the meeting hour, too short as it is already for the many things to do. In it, however, work done on a weeknight may be used to illustrate the topic.

The ideal thing is a handwork class one afternoon or evening a week. Under proper instructors this class will take up the various arts suggested in the following pages. One group may do paper-cutting or tearing, another group may do modelling, another group basket-weaving or portfolio-making. Or, if desired, the whole class may do one kind of work.

We must never lose sight of the object of this work. The things made are for use in the society or class, or for gift purposes, for example, the making of scrap-books for sick children. Everything must have an aim. The children must feel that they are doing worth-while things.

In the meeting choose the time very carefully when the articles previously made are to be used. In the right place the use of handwork will impress the lesson thought on the minds of the Juniors; in the wrong place it will dissipate the influence of the lesson. After all, handwork is only a shell containing a truth. It must not be made the centre of the meeting. At best it is an accessory.

Ingenious superintendents will find many other things to do than are suggested in this book. The field is a wide one and is practically untouched.

It may be worth while to point out that the superintendent or leader of a class in handwork should work along with the children, not only showing them how to make the various articles, but making them herself. Children work better when worked with than when merely directed.

Some superintendents may shrink from starting a class because they have no aptitude to make articles. They should remember that perfect articles are not called for. They should do their best, working among the Juniors, and sharing the fun with them. There are not half a dozen superintendents in the country who could not successfully teach a class of this kind. And those that try will themselves be benefited.

In many cases the equipment for handwork for the Juniors will be supplied by the church. In other cases the Junior society itself or the class may buy its own equipment. In yet other instances, friends of the children will be glad to contribute toward this cause. The Senior society, however, may suitably have a hand in this work. The young people might give a social, the proceeds of which could go toward the Juniorequipment fund. It would be found easy to get a tidy sum for this purpose.

Exhibitions of the handwork of the Juniors should be held from time to time in the church. Advertise the Junior society in this way. Half the people of the church do not know what the Juniors are doing or trying to do.

Similar exhibitions may be held at Junior rallies and at Junior conventions. At such gatherings fine interest would be created if a small prize, a Junior library, or banner were offered to the society that brought to the rally or convention the best Junior handwork. Junior unions can stimulate among the societies interest in handwork by making the exhibition a delightful as well as instructive feature of the regular rallies.

Unions of Young People's societies may also find interest in Junior handwork if it is exhibited at the local-union rally or at the county or State convention. The local union will do well to plan a Junior handwork banner to go to the society that makes the best exhibit.

Both at Junior rallies and conventions, and at local-union rallies, a splendid feature would be a model Junior-handwork meeting when the Juniors showed how they work in paper, model in clay or plasticene, make paper-pulp maps, or work with the sand-tray. Such a demonstration would certainly have the effect of deciding other societies to introduce handwork.

18 HANDWORK FOE JUNIOR SOCIETIES

FOR LITTLE ONES

Work for Juniors under seven years of age will, of course, be different from that done by Juniors above seven. In cases where the Junior meeting for little tots is held during the morning church hour, part of the time should be given to the topic, telling a simple story, singing, a little memory work, and a little handwork. This latter will be of the nature of kindergarten work. Its aim is largely to teach the Juniors to handle material well and to follow the creative impulse to make something. Free play should be given to the child's imagination, hence only the merest suggestions should be given as to what to make. Sometimes the results will be good; but when they are poor they are not valueless by any means. The child is learning, and that is the main thing.

Pencil, crayons, or crayolas, and paper should be provided, and the Juniors should be told what to draw. Sometimes a pattern

FOR LITTLE ONES 19

may be shown them; sometimes they may be told to sketch an article that has been mentioned in the lesson. Paper and scissors may be given them and they may be asked to cut out figures. Use may be made of pictures of Christ and the apostles in general use in the Sunday school. The Juniors will naturally try to approximate these if they are hung on the wall.

If the superintendent or workers can give the Juniors patterns or pictures drawn on paper, the Juniors may color them with crayons.

Juniors of this age may paste postal cards back to back, making a double picture, and these cards may be sent to children's hospitals or to the mission field.

They may be given figures to cut out of paper and mount on sheets of paper, as will be described later. These sheets may be neatly tied together, forming picture-books which may be sent to shut-ins or to hospitals for children. In this way tKe figure of Christ may be cut out and mounted, and a title written underneath. Sometimes a scene may be built up with several disconnected

20 HANDWOBK FOE JUKIOR SOCIETIES

figures in it: Christ blessing little children; a brood of hens to illustrate the text, "0 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings ' ' (Matt* 23 :27) . Pictures with houses, a sower sowing seed, and so forth, may be used for this purpose.

Even at this age Juniors will want to make things with plasticene, clay, or paper pulp. If they are shown pictures of altars, oriental houses, an oriental lamp, or other object, they will imitate them with more or less exactness, but always with profit to themselves. Pictures of objects suitable for work of this kind the superintendent will find in Sunday-school magazines, lesson helps, Sunday-school handbooks, missionary magazines, and books on foreign lands.

The Juniors will also make large manila envelopes and portfolios, first of all to keep their handwork in, and secondly, to use for envelope collections of jokes, stories, and pictures, which may be sent to shut-ins or to a children's hospital.

Simple scrap-books may be made. Dolls

FOR LITTLE ONES 21

may also be made out of clothes pins, or better still, out of small bottles (see description later). If the girls are old enough to use needles, card-sewing may be introduced. In this way book-marks and Scripture texts may be made with colored silk or wool on cardboard.

Juniors of this age may also be taught to discriminate between colors. They should be given a number of threads of colored wool and told to arrange them neatly in their proper order, beginning with the darkest shades.

In telling stories dealing with Bible characters and journeys, for example, the story of the Good Samaritan, a sand-tray may be utilized, stones being used to indicate cities and houses, and small dolls to represent the people. It will be easy to secure a toy ass to represent the Samaritan's ass which carried the wounded Jew to safety.

There is endless opportunity for making things to illustrate Bible topics. Juniors can cut Easter lilies out of pasteboard. They can cut out flowers and birds, Bible animals, figures of men and women (which may be

22 HANDWOEK FOE JUNIOE SOCIETIES

stuck in sand on a sand-tray to make them stand upright while the story is being told), and so on. They can make symbolic designs like the cross, the dove, the Bethlehem star, the shepherd's crook, and the crown. Young children do not understand symbolism, however, so that sparing use should be made of all except the very simplest symbols.

All of the work here suggested cannot, of course, be done during the meeting hour. Often a very little handwork is enough. Everything depends on the interest. Even young Juniors may attend a handwork class, especially if it can be held in the afternoon of a week day.

WORK FOR JUNIORS ABOVE SEVEN 23

WORK FOR JUNIORS ABOVE SEVEN

Juniors between seven and ten years of age may do all the work suggested for younger children. They will get better results, however, and they will begin to think of the objects for which they are making things. The growing ability to draw illustrations should be made use of in the regular Junior meeting. The drawing on the blackboard, or on a large sheet of paper hung in front of the society, may be crude, but it has more value than an elaborate picture drawn by an artist. It is something done by the Juniors themselves, an expression of their inner life.

Modelling in plastieene, clay, paper pulp, the making of maps — drawing them, or modelling 'them with paper pulp — making picture frames, paper-cutting, card-sewing, collecting flowers and mounting them, wood work, raffia work, and so forth, are among the things that may be done.

24 HAJSTDWORK FOR JUNIOR SOCIETIES

Children above ten years of age make larger demands upon themselves than younger children. They look more to the result of their labors. They think of the uses to which an object is to be put. They are continually asking "Why?" In day school they will probably be getting handwork, and if so, the superintendent may make use of their growing proficiency in the interest of religion. They will be able to draw patterns for borders, to be used in ornamenting picture frames or birthday books or scrap-books for missionary committees, or for envelopes to be sent to shut-ins. They will take up fretwork and other forms of wood work, modelling, collecting missionary pictures, and so on, almost endlessly.

Many events in the life of Christ can be used for handwork. The story of His birth, for instance : the Juniors may cut out of stiff paper a stable, animals, ass, sheep, goats, a shepherd's crook, pilgrims, a camel, a star, a king and crown, a city wall with turrets, and so forth.

The story of the baptism of Jesus calls for objects, cut from stiff paper, like the temple,

WORK FOE JUNIORS ABOVE SEVEK 25

bread, angel, dove, men. Some of the parables may be visualized by this means : the ten virgins with their lamps; the missing coin, the lost sheep, the prodigal son. The last days of Jesus offer great possibilities along this line: the city, the city gate, children, palm branches, the temple, grapes, the cup, crosses, and so on.

Juniors may also select a Bible verse and cut from magazines the letters necessary to make it, mounting the letters on cardboard, and ornamenting the whole with a suitable border done in water colors or crayon. Decorative lettering may be used by older Juniors, the work being done with pen and ink, and colored.

Posters, programmes, invitations to the meetings, attendance cards, souvenirs, and honor rolls may all be made by the Juniors.

The superintendent will be able to build up a programme suitable for her Juniors, out of the suggestions that follow. Do not attempt to do everything at once. Take one or two things at a time or the Juniors will be bewildered. Seek assistants from among the young people of the Christian Endeavor society or the church. To work with the Juniors, to keep ahead of them in their handwork, will be a liberal education to any one that takes up the work. He will help the Juniors, but he will also help himself.

As we have already suggested, handwork done by the Juniors may be applied to a large number of Bible topics. The work of the .superintendent or assistant in such cases will consist in carefully reading the Bible story and noting the objects which the Juniors may make; then in looking up the proper shape of these objects in a book on Palestine, or a Bible dictionary, and thus fitting herself to show the Juniors what to make. All kinds of materials may be used, cardboard, paper, plasticene, papier-mache, raffia, sand-tray, and so on.

The Birth of Christ

Read the account of the nativity in Matthew and Luke. Luke gives the longer story and begins earlier in point of time, so Luke should first be studied.

Piles of sand on the tray will represent the hills of Bethlehem. Small stones will suggest houses, and a pile of stones, a city. The Juniors may cut out of paper forms to represent shepherds. Or better work may be done if the figures are made of plasticene; or small bottle dolls may be used. Sheep may be cut out of cardboard and stuck in the sand. A number of angels may be cut out of white paper.

As the story is told — by the Juniors themselves, if possible — build up the scene by means of the figures, which the Juniors will have prepared at their handwork meeting. It will seldom be possible to do the actual handwork in the meeting where it is to be used.

The verse, " Glory to God in the highest," may be prepared as a motto and used in the meeting, and a Christmas hymn embodying the angels' song may be used.

Now shift the scene to Bethlehem. One of the older Juniors will have prepared at the handwork meeting an oriental house. Cardboard may be used and fixed in the sand on the sand-tray; or the walls may be built up of plasticene or papier-mache. Strips of raffia may be used to support the flat roof of papier-mache or whatever material is used.

The Juniors will also have prepared figures, cut from cardboard, or made out of small bottles, or of plasticene, to represent the inn* keeper, his wife, and guests.

A small stable near the larger house should also be prepared beforehand. Around the stable should be placed animals cut from cardboard or made of plasticene — asses, camels, goats, sheep, and so on.

Then there should be figures of Joseph and Mary, and a manger, in which a doll to represent the baby Jesus should be laid. A little hay or dried grass scattered about the stable will make the picture seem more real.

The scene at Bethlehem must be built up as the shepherd scene was built up, while the story is being told. Then the shepherds should be introduced.

The third part of the birth story of Jesus is given in Matthew's gospel. A large pile of stones will represent Jerusalem. It may be possible to place among them a small model of a palace, the home of Herod. This may be made of cardboard or plasticene.

The Juniors will also cut from cardboard the figures of the three wise men. As their story is told, a star will be shown the Juniors. Figures of Herod (colored, if possible, in purple robe) and his soldiers should be made. The wise men come to the palace with their question, " Where is He that is born King of the Jews?" Arrange the scene of the interview the wise men had with the king.

Introduce figures to represent scribes and Pharisees, to whom the king appeals to find out where the Messiah should be born. Stage this scene as the story is being told — the figures having all been made beforehand.

Set the scene for the dream which warned the wise men away from Herod, outside the city. Prepare three tents for this scene. Have an angel approach the tents and then tell the story of the dream.

The wise men probably travelled on asses, so that asses must also be provided.

As soon as the enrolling or the census was over, there would be accommodation for Jesus and His parents in an ordinary house. Have an oriental house ready for this part of the story. Suspend the star by means of a thin thread and move it slowly until it is above the house. Have the wise men follow the star. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus live in this house, and the parents bring out the child when the wise men come. Tell the story of the gifts and indicate the return journey of the wise men by another road than the Jerusalem road, so that they may escape Herod.

Use the angel when telling the story of Joseph's dream, and indicate the flight of the family to Egypt. We are told that Mary and Jesus rode on an ass. Joseph is usually pictured walking by the side of the ass.

The Life at Nazareth

Little is known of the life of Jesus at Nazareth, but since it doubtless was the same as the life of ordinary boys, it should be easy to give a representation of some of the environment.

Stones will represent the city. A small circular wall will indicate a well, and a Junior may cut out a paper or cardboard bucket or jar with which water might be drawn. Tell how the people went to draw water at the wells. Perhaps Jesus often did this for His mother. Ver jr likely He played at the well with other small boys.

The Juniors will cut out a house from cardboard, or build one with plasticene or papier-mache. Near this house erect another to represent the workshop where Jesus learned the trade of carpenter. Cardboard or bottle figures may be used to represent Joseph, Mary, the brothers and sisters of Jesus — four brothers; the number of sisters is uncertain. Shavings about the door of the workshop will indicate the character of the work done there. Of course many figures may be used to represent the town's people and neighbors.

Try to make the boyhood life of Jesus natural. Tell of the games children in His day played. He Himself mentions children who played at funerals and at marriage feasts. Use small figures to indicate such games.

The Juniors will also make some of the carpenter's tools such as Jesus might use. For instance, a plumb line; a square; a saw; a plane. Lessons that Jesus might have learned from these tools might be suggested to the Juniors to speak about as the tools are shown. The plumb line tells of uprightness, righteousness, the doing of duty, living straight. The square speaks of the square deal, doing right to every one, living on the square with everybody, never lying, never swerving from the true path. The saw speaks of division, pain, cutting, and suggests how people are divided, how they cause one another pain. The plane smooths wood, removes the rough places, and suggests polish, courtesy, the sweet ministrations of love.

It is obvious that in preparing for these lessons the superintendent must look ahead. The safe way is to make a list of the objects needed for each lesson and have the Juniors make these objects in the handwork meeting. They should be told the story they are working to illustrate. A crowd of Juniors, of course, will make far more objects than can be used in the meeting proper; but it is a good plan to let the Juniors make as many objects as they will. The superintendent may then choose the best of them for the work in the meeting. The Juniors will be interested in making objects so well that they will be used in the meeting. Of course the superintendent will encourage all by using even inferior work at times in order to inspire the workers.

The Boy Jesus

The visit of Jesus and His parents to Jerusalem when the boy was twelve years old forms the topic of an interesting study. The objects needed are here outlined, as any superintendent might outline them when reading the story, Luke 2 : 41-52.

Crowds of figures representing the pilgrims that came to Jerusalem to attend the feast of passover.

The feast of the passover itself. Tell the story (see Exod. 12). Clay huts, homes of Israelites in Egypt. Lamb. Eed paint above the doorposts, to represent the blood of the lamb. A few stalks of a plant to represent bitter herbs. (If desired the whole story may be presented, the flight, the passage across the Eed Sea, Pharaoh's chariots and soldiers, and so forth.)

Joseph, Mary, and their neighbors leaving

Jerusalem. Jesus not with them. Figures cut from cardboard or made of bottle dolls.

The camp at night. Small paper tents. Fires. Cooking utensils. Discovery that Jesus is not with them. Their return journey.

Cardboard model of the temple. This need not be exact, but it should have a court in which the teachers sit, Jesus among them asking questions.

The return to Nazareth.

HANDWORK AND THE TOPICS

The application of handwork to Bible stories is comparatively easy, because the story is there at hand, and all we have to do is to create the proper environment, which is usually indicated in the story itself. To apply handwork to the regular Junior topic calls for a great deal more thought; but the effort is worth while, for the topic will be infinitely better impressed on the minds of the Juniors when it is reinforced by handwork models than when it is studied in the usual way.