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Mystery
Boxes
Religion: general Purpose:
to explore the mysterious nature of Ultimate Reality or the sacred Cognitive
Skills: comprehension, analysis, synthesis
Learning Styles: active,
sensing, global
Intelligences: bodily/kinesthetic,
interpersonal, logical-mathematical
Use:
in class For: small groups Estimated
time: 5 - 10 minutes Materials
needed: mystery boxes prepared by instructor prior to class Preparation:
at least half a dozen boxes should be prepared ahead of time (once
prepared the same boxes can be used over and over again until they wear
out):
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a collection
of small boxes (3 - 6 inches along sides should suffice). Boxes
should be fairly firm so they cannot be squashed.
-
a collection
of small, odd items to place into boxes (generally one item per box,
although may opt to place more than one item in a given box).
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a box with
multiple items would represent a polytheistic system
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a box with
nothing in it (or something light that does not move much - like a
tissue or wad or cotton) would represent the atheistic
perspective).
-
Ideally, the
teacher should get someone else to help place small objects into the
boxes so that the teacher does not know what is in the boxes.
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Seal and paint
or wrap the boxes so they cannot be opened.
The
Activity:
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Briefly introduce
concept of Ultimate Reality.
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Divide
students into groups of 3 - 5
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Distribute
one mystery box to each group (6 boxes should be enough for a class of
25 - 30 students).
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Direct
students to take several minutes within their group to examine the
boxes in any way other than squashing them or tearing them open.
"What can you tell us about what is in the box?" (wording it
this way is important; do not simply ask them to try to determine
"what is in the box" because you will not get quite the
diversity of response that you are looking for.)
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After about five
minutes or so, refocus student attention and have each group share
their observations about what is in their box. There are two kinds of
responses they will give: characteristics and actual names of specific
objects
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List the
responses in two columns on the board:
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characteristics
(e.g., soft, heavy, round, flat sides, etc.)
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names of
specific items that they conclude may be in the box (e.g., an
eraser, a marker, a button, a rock, a cotton ball, etc.). If the
group does not offer a specific item as their conclusion, ask if
they have have ideas what it might be (they may not have one).
Lecture
follow-up: use this exercise as an opportunity to launch into a
mini-lecture on the difference between the name "God" and
the characteristics of "God" which might also apply to
some other "higher power." Point out that the specific objects
they have named might share some of the same characteristics. "It
might not be what you think it is." Discuss how the sacred or
Ultimate Reality is much like these mystery boxes. "There is just so
much we can know about it through empirical (physical, sensory)
evidence."
Closure: Go
around and collect the mystery boxes. Invariably the students will not
want to give up their boxes without finding out what is in the boxes. At
this point, the teacher can take several approaches:
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tell the
students you do not know what is in the box as someone else put them
together (it is a "double blind" exercise).
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tell the
students what is in the boxes.
-
tell the
students what you believe is in the boxes (since you did not
put them together you do not really know what's in them).
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lie to the
students: tell them what is in the boxes with an air of authority as
if you do know what's in them.
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pretend to be
unsure until you manipulate the box a bit yourself and then appear
to "remember" what is in the box.
The teacher can
mix and match the above approaches since there are several boxes. Even
if the teacher actually does know what is in the boxes, she can lie and
sound sincere or tell the truth.
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If you have not
told the students what is in the box, ask them how that makes them
feel? (frustrated?). The point of this is that we really do not know
what Ultimate Reality is, but we can have all sorts of clues about
it's nature.
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If you have told
the students what is in the box, ask them if they believe what you've
told them (likely they will say "yes"). Ask them why
they believe you. They may say:
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because you,
as the teacher, are the "authority." You can point out
this is just like the priest or minister or Sunday school teacher or
parent - we assume people in authority have more knowledge
then we do.
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because
"you put the boxes together" (you never told them you put
the boxes together). Again, use this as an opportunity to
demonstrate how we make assumptions and don't question the
"knowledge" we have (or are told) about mysterious things
like the sacred.
Alternative
possibilities: Any discipline, e.g., science, where careful
observation and analysis skills are needed without jumping to conclusions.
What else might be a mystery in a given discipline? Events of ancient
history? The origins of the universe discussed in a science class?
Determining if there is life on other planets or even planets around other
stars?
Acknowledgment for this idea
must go to the Unitarian Universalist Church religious education program.
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