The Little Hero Flies to Al-Aqsa – A Journey of Learning from Lebanon
Ms. Leila Arnaout
Background Information
“Let’s Go, Children: Let’s Start a Journey to the Land of Heroes, the Blessed Land of Palestine” – Under this slogan, Ghadi Youth Center in Beirut, Lebanon, organized a learning journey entitled “The Little Hero Flies to Al-Aqsa.” This took place on Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Sultan Mohamad Al-Fatih Center in Beirut, Lebanon. The goal of this journey was to introduce children aged 8-12 to Al-Aqsa Mosque through a series of purposeful activities, including stories, learning stations, and educational and religious games.
- Educational Video: Watching and discussing the video of “Sheikh Yasser and the Treacherous Guest”.
- Educational Game: “Free the Prisoner,” where they navigate through tunnels to free a prisoner.
- Mini-Presentation: Viewing slides entitled “Ghadi in Jerusalem (Bait Al Makdis).”
- Educational Game: “My Sweetest Home,” where they build houses with Lego bricks, and then one of them demolishes it. This activity allows the kids to experience the sense of injustice and occupation in a way suitable for their age in order to show solidarity with the people of Palestine.
- Educational Game: Assembling a puzzle of Al-Aqsa Mosque and providing information about it.
- Art Activity: Face painting and free drawing corner.
- PowerPoint Presentation Corner: “Ghadi in Jerusalem” discusses the Palestinian issue and shows the difference between Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Main Learning Outcomes
By the end of this journey, the learners will be able to …..
Attitude Outcomes
- Recognize the importance of Al-Aqsa Mosque for Muslims.
- Empathize with their Muslim brothers and sisters among the Palestinians and feel their suffering.
- Appreciate the significance of contributing to their financial and moral support.
Skill Outcomes
- Develop some construction and design skills.
- Differentiate between Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Knowledge Outcomes
- List the sections of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
- Narrate what the Palestinians have been going through for years.
The Activities:
The activities varied between sensory, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic to address different students’ needs. We took care in different touchpoints starting with the title which reflected the journey’s theme.
The journey began with a (ticket) card representing an airline ticket for a trip to Al-Aqsa Mosque. The cards had colored circles representing various games and activities. The games and activities were distributed, each on a table, and a color code was placed on each table.
| The Airline Ticket | The Red Color Station |
We then divided the participants into groups, and they rotated the tables
(Station Rotation Activity). In the first game, for example, which is called ‘Free the Prisoner’, we designed a primitive tunnel using chairs, tables, and some sheets, and the participants were invited to crawl inside the tunnel, reach the location where the prisoner was held, and free him.
The second game was a bowling game, where the pins represented Israeli soldiers, and the participants took turns knocking them down with balls. Images of the Israeli soldiers were previously printed and attached to the pins.
The third activity was a puzzle assembly, where we used a timer to manage time and motivate the participants to complete the task quickly. We also facilitated their work and shared with them a lot of information about the features of Al-Aqsa.
As for the most impactful game, it was the “Sweetest Home” game. Participants were invited to build their dream homes using Lego. Whenever they were close to completing their construction, we forcefully removed it from them and destroyed it, simulating what the Jews do to the homes of the Palestinians. We then conducted a reviewing actively stage and pulled thoughts and emotions from them. This activity even brought some children to tears as an expression of their sadness for what is happening.
| Deeply affected when his home was destroyed, one of the children said, “It was almost ready, but they destroyed it.” |
In another corner, the participants were introduced to a mini-presentation about “Ghadi in Jerusalem,” where a detailed explanation was given to the children about the differences between Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of
the Rock.
The photography corner was also full of active deep learning. Palestinian scarves and shawls were distributed for photography, and the participants took turns capturing photos in an airplane we had constructed from cardboard before the event. They also engaged in drawing paintings that depicted the Palestinian cause. The drawing and coloring corner provided a space for children to express their feelings towards Palestine and Al-Aqsa.
The journey also included various other activities such as face painting and fundraising, which was the participation fee itself. We insisted on having the children themselves hand over the participation fee with the aim of fulfilling our financial duty in standing by our brothers. The participants also watched a movie featuring Sheikh Yasser and the treacherous guest, and discussed its content.
Implementing the Domains of FIRSTedu-ADLX Framework
To apply the domains of the framework, different actions were taken:
Focusing on the Learner Behaviors
- Provide each learner with his/her own ticket containing his/her personal information.
- Ensure that every single learner is participating in all the games using the color code on each table.
- Diversify the activities so that each learner finds something he/ she is interested in.
- Create a space for free drawing where every learner can share ideas and insights.
- Invite learners to build their dream homes (their own favorite homes).
Interacting within Positive Group Dynamics
- Maintain a constant smile and show empathy towards the learners, especially during the activity involving the destroyed houses.
- Divide the participants into groups and ensure everyone’s active participation in various games.
- Design and facilitate a social event that closely resembles a friendly gathering.
- Discuss fundamental concepts collectively and carefully listen to everyone’s contributions.
Reviewing Activities within RAR Model
We put effort into applying the three stages of the RAR model in every activity. We increased the learners’ readiness before the activity, provided them with the necessary instructions and tools, and ensured their understanding of the requirements. Each facilitator supervised an activity and helped the learners complete it. During the reviewing actively stage, we discussed what we had done during the activity and extracted the main learning outcomes. For example, during the reviewing actively stage of the “Sweetest Home” activity, the facilitator pulled emotions and connected them to what is happening in occupied Palestine and the ongoing and recurring suffering of our Palestinian brothers.
Structuring and Sequencing within Session Flow
The journey started with the ticket that the participants bought for the trip. The facilitators distributed themselves among the activities, and we were pleased with the smooth transition of the groups from one activity to another.
Transforming Learning into Performance
To put this domain into action, we linked each activity to the learners’ reality, identified the type and method of assistance that each of us could provide to our Palestinian brothers, and encouraged the participants to take the first step in offering help. This could be through some emotional words, a prayer, a theatrical scene, a song, a drawing, or a small contribution of their own money to support the Palestinian cause.
The Journey’s Impact on the Parents and the Learners
The journey was not a part of the center’s annual plan, and we didn’t have enough time to prepare for it because we wanted to respond urgently to what the people of Gaza are going through. However, the impact of the journey on the participants and their families was quite noticeable. Several comments indicated the learners’ engagement into the journey and their enjoyment of the activities, including:
- “I was afraid they would witness real frightening scenes that are happening in Palestine, but you delivered what they needed to know at their age in a very beautiful way.”
- “May Allah reward you. Through this journey, you instilled love for Palestine and Al-Aqsa in the hearts of the children, and you explained the concept of the occupation of Palestine by the Jews in a simple way. The idea of buying tickets is fantastic… The idea of the tunnel and the prisoner’s release… Wonderful… May Allah reward you. One of the most purposeful activities that work to revive the Palestinian cause in the hearts of the youth.”
- “Mariam came back very happy… Alhamdulillah.”
In conclusion, perhaps we used to implement some of FIRST’s domains in the past without realizing the name of the domain or the reason for taking such actions. However, the framework provided us with a clear methodology with titles, details, and reasons for each step we take. This allows us to identify what we are doing, realize its purpose, criticize it, ensure the presence of what should be there, and avoid what should not be done.
For more pictures, you can click on the links below.
https://fb.watch/nLFUIZCnbZ/?mibextid=Nif5oz