Building Your Own Curriculum With Books (And Songs) For Children And Youth

Several of our members have specifically asked for books (and also songs) they can use in their educational programs for children and youth. This section, therefore, is a supplement to Curriculum Resources for the Life Span which includes two types of resources: (1) information on relevant organizations and background readings on the various topics and (2) lesson plans and curriculum modules (and creative activities) in the following eight areas:

1.0 -- Secular Humanism: philosophy, principles, aspirations, history (heroes & heroines), contribution of art, literature, & the humanities; humanist rhetoric/language of self-identification, affirmation of life, service of one’s fellow man, purposes of life, mortality.

2.0 -- Critical thinking: rational & scientific thinking.

3.0 -- Secular values & virtues: humility, empathy, courage, honesty, openness, generosity, and gratitude; moral behavior, god-free ethics, responsibility.

4.0 -- Science issues: evolution, nature (self-existing), impacts of technology on human behavior, challenges of the future

5.0 -- Ethics in action: social action (to meet human needs)

6.0 -- Peace and social justice: economic justice, equality, diversity, conflict resolution, impacts of policies on citizens

7.0 -- Human freedom for all: human rights, civil rights and civil liberties, separation of church and state, democratic processes, equal opportunity

8.0 -- Building and maintaining relationships: [caring , compassion and concern for others], understanding other culture & communicating our ideas to them

In response to this request for these types of resources, we are adding this section to the Kochhar Humanist Education Center website. We recognize that there may well be some overlap in these eight areas. This compilation is to be an on-going project and we hope that you will send us additional titles and descriptions.