Goal:
To think about possession and ownership as it relates to things that are essential to life and natural resources. To introduce the concept of stewardship.

Preparation:
If you choose to act out the story, you will need:
Copies of the script for each reader
Puppets for each animal character – puppet parts and body pattern
Clay or playdoh for making coils to be the well

Activites:
Read: The Chief of the Well, or
Act out the dramatic skit of this story in We Believe

Discuss:
Did the lizard, placed in charge of the well, own the water supply? Can you think of people who have the idea that they own something when they are placed in charge of it?

Why didn’t the lizard want the other animals to share the water? Did he want it it all for himself? Did he enjoy exerting power? Are people this way sometimes? What is the meaning of the expression ‘drunk with power.’

Is it possible, on the other hand, that the lizard was so concerned about his responsibility that he was too careful? Do you know of anyone who is this way?

Social Action:
Introduction: This story says that the water (and air and the earth) belong to God, that these belong to everyone. The earth is owned not by the biggest or the smartest or the richest, but by all who live on it, from the tiniest insect to the tallest tree. What’s more, we are all connected in ways we don’t even understand. People who study these connections between living things are called ecologists. One way to think about the earth and the air surrounding it is as an ark, like Noah’s. A man named Buckminster Fuller used a more modern image, the spaceship. “Spaceship Earth” was the title he used to describe the notion that we are like travelers on a spaceship. We can only carry so much of the things we need to survive, just like Noah on the Ark. Our life support system, so to speak, is limited. What do we need to survive? Food (plants and animals), clean air, clean water. On our “Spaceship Earth” we only have limited supplies of these necessary things. So, what do we need to do? Be careful not to wst, not to use them up, not to spoil them. We need to be good “stewards” of our spaceship. (A “steward” is one who manages or takes care of another’s property.)

Make a list of things you do, or could start doing, in your family to be good stewards. There are big things like recycling or boycotting potentially dangerous products and little things like conserving paper by using both sides, not letting the water run while you brush your teeth, and turning off the lights when you’re not using them.

Ask each member of the family to make a commitment to do at least one new thing to be a good steward of “Spaceship Earth.” Share with each other what you’re going to do. Decide on a group project that you could all work on together. Check out your local library (and the Resources section of this website) for ideas.