Mission Effectiveness Materials

Grades 1-3

	Long Live Earth          Meighan Morrison      copyright 1993            Scholastic This treasured book has colorful quilt like illustrations and is written in rhyming verse.  It depicts the time line of life from earth being a seething ball in space to all the abuse it has taken over time, to some simple and practical suggestions on how to treasure and care for our earth. This book is a great springboard for discussion and awareness of our responsibility for the gift of our Beloved Earth. It can be used as a read aloud or for silent reading or even partner reading.  Some students may be more creative and want to get in small groups or individually recite the verses and act them out or show their own illustrations to tell the story. Let them perform for an audience within the school. Long Live Earth is a wonderful book to focus on our SSJ commitment to the Earth Charter and our mission that we are one.
	Science With Water     Helen Edom    copyright 1992            Usborne Publishing Just about 25 pages, this enticing little paperback is full of simple, fun, and educational experiments on WATER.  It explores the properties of water,surface tension, mixtures and solutions, the power of water and more.  This book can be used for teacher demonstrations, but can easily be used by small groups of students or individuals to try the experiments themselves. This is a good way to motivate young people to a greater appreciation of the wonders of water.  It is in keeping with our Chapter “04 sustainability issue.  Who knows where it could lead?  Be creative.
	The Hurt Teddi Doleski Paulist Press -  1983   This 30 page paperback book is a perfect read aloud for children 6-9 years old. It describes in a childlike manner what it’s like to be offended by another and what happens when we fail to let our hurt go.  It illustrates clearly how the hurt from broken relationships can grow and take over our lives and cause unrest and lack of peace in all aspects of our lives. Ways and words that lead to reconciliation are part of the story’s ending and the restored peace that accompanies it. The Hurt  is a book that can be used in preparation for the sacrament of Reconciliation, for discussion when difficulties arise in the classroom among the students or simply to further our SSJ mission of unity and reconciliation.
	We Dream of a World…Written and illustrated by students of Pershing Accelerated School in University City, Missouri               Copyright 2001           Scholastic Inc. This attractive and informative paperback deals with social justice issues.  Themes of homelessness, hunger, health care, education, environmental issues and peace are handled in a child like manner.  Each topic is given a page with an illustration, one or two facts that children can relate to, and a few practical ways to help alleviate the situations. At the end of the book are pages that can be used for kids to create their own illustrations and concerns for our word. This is a great book for awareness, discussion and actions for making our world more just.   So much of who we are and what we are about as SSJ’s
	Whoever You Are       Mem Fox        Copyright 1999           Scholastic Whoever You Are is a book beautifully illustrated with bright colors and expressive faces that depict cultural diversity. It begins by describing the many ways that make us different from one another. That is language, housing, schooling, and traditions.  It concludes with expressing the universal human experiences of joy and pain and all the emotions of the heart. Themes of unity and diversity and interdependency abound. It’s not so much how we are different but how much we are alike. It’s never too early too teach these lessons to our children and to remind ourselves as well. I’m Like You, You’re Like Me by Cindy Gainer, copyright 1998, published by Free Spirit Publishing is another wonderful book with similar themes.
Grades 4-6	Grades 7-8