Parents and Teachers
Teaching Tools & Techniques
Ruhi Classes & Jr. Youth Groups
Ruhi Book 3 Children’s Classes and Brilliant Star – Grade 2
Activities to Complement Children’s Classes
Grade 2, by the Ruhi Institute
V2.2.1.PP (November 2015)
The Ruhi Institute offers an easy-to-use global curriculum for kids that emphasizes spiritual values of good character. Through stories, games, coloring pages, songs, and Bahá’í teachings, kids are encouraged to develop their strengths and contribute to the well-being of society. The Ruhi Grade 2 program includes 21 lessons on subjects such as prayer, knowledge of God, and consultation.
Brilliant Star presents a wide range of stories, activities, and songs that can be used to complement the Ruhi lesson plans in children’s classes. This outline of themes from each Ruhi Grade 2 lesson offers links to Brilliant Star materials that can be used along with the Ruhi curriculum. We’d love to know how you’re using Brilliant Star in your classes and what other materials you’d find helpful. E-mail us at brilliant@usbnc.org or share your ideas in our Facebook group, the Brilliant Star Idea Exchange.
> Lesson 1: Prayer is conversation with God
As we pray each day, our love for God grows stronger and our souls become joyful.
Bloom with Prayer – Learn a prayer in three languages
Vol. 51 No. 5, p. 27
Baha’u’llah’s Life: Miracles and Mysteries — Story of prayer and miracles
Vol. 43 No. 1, p. 3
Prepare for Adventure — Prayer in three languages
Vol. 43 No. 2, p. 26
One Peaceful Home — Unity prayer
Vol. 48 No. 2, p. 27
> Lesson 2: Prayer is spiritual food
Prayer is food for the soul. It brings our souls life and strength.
Riley’s Rainforest: Peaceful Practices – Learn about prayer, meditation, and breathing
Vol. 50 No. 3, p. 8
Happy to Serve — Prayer with vocabulary
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 24
Food for the Soul — Introduction to prayer and three short prayers
Vol. 33 No. 6, p. 18
Faith in Harmony — Find virtue items illustrating how art is worship
Vol. 42 No. 5, p. 7
> Lesson 3: Prayer: Center our thoughts solely on God
When we pray, we are in the presence of God and must show respect and humility.
Life of the Báb: His Declaration
Vol. 50 No. 1, p. 12
Nur’s Nook: A Prayer to Share — Make a prayer book
Vol. 45 No. 4, p. 6
Meditation Station — Three illustrated meditation methods
Vol. 43 No. 1, p. 18
Riley’s Rainforest: The Power of Prayer — Asking for God’s help
Vol. 39 No. 6, p. 8
> Lesson 4: The fortress of God’s love
Following God’s guidance and living according to His teachings can lead to true happiness.
True Happiness – Replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Vol. 51 No. 1, p. 5
The Perfect Example — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is our Exemplar
Vol. 33 No. 5, p. 10
A Shelter for Mankind — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is our shelter; activities to make shelters
Vol. 35 No. 5, p. 17
The Doves’ Journey — Indian folktale about obedience to a king and working in unity
Vol. 43 No. 4, p. 6
A-maize-ing Escapade — Story about obedience
Vol. 44 No. 5, pp. 20-21
Stargazer: Judge Dorothy Nelson — A life of upholding justice
Vol. 41 No. 5, pp. 16-18
Reaching Great Heights Maze — Maze about sticking to your beliefs
Vol. 40 No. 2, p. 29
> Lesson 5: Laws and teachings
Like a lamp, God has given us guidance to illumine our path in life.
Prayerful Paths – Explore a prayer of praise
Vol. 49 No. 6, p. 13
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Love for the Poor — Word find about how ‘Abdu’l-Bahá helped the poor and needy.
Vol. 45 No. 6, p. 22
Sailing Your Leader-Ship — Decode signal flags to complete a leadership quote.
Vol. 41 No. 4, p. 2
“The Covenant of God. . .is a lifeboat and ark of salvation.” — Dot-to-dot coloring page of ship.
Vol. 35 No. 4, p. 5
> Lesson 6: Strive to follow God’s teachings
We show our faith by following God’s commandments.
Guardians of Humanity – Search for words about defeating racism
Vol. 52 No. 1, p. 20
Pets on Parade – Complete the tips about being kind to pets.
Vol. 44 No. 5, p. 19
Levels to Conquer – Complete a maze about spiritual challenges.
Vol. 44 No. 2, p. 29
Putting Out the Gossip Fire — Unscramble responses to stop gossip.
Vol. 42 No. 3, p. 27
> Lesson 7: Seek the knowledge of God
Knowledge of God is gained by studying the teachings of His Manifestation for today, and by understanding God’s signs and tokens in the world.
Bahá'u'lláh’s Life: Two Messengers
Vol. 50 No. 3, p. 6
Spiritual Springtime – Virtue animal find
Vol. 50 No. 3, p. 10
Shining Lamp: Mullá Husayn
Vol. 50 No. 1, p. 26
Treble Chef’s Music Café: God, by Rose-Marie Peterson
Vol. 42 No. 6, p. 20
Maya’s Mysteries: Wings for Flight! — Make a bird kite to represent balancing spiritual and material strengths.
Vol. 45 No. 6, p. 16
Wings of Knowledge — Complete a maze and solve a quote about knowledge.
Vol. 45 No. 6, p. 29
Is There a God? — Story about the existence of a Creator
Vol. 41 No. 5, p. 4
> Lesson 8: Knowledge is essential for human progress
‘Abdu’l-Bahá urges us to study sciences and arts as well as spiritual subjects.
Full STEAM Ahead – Virtue item find
Vol. 49 No. 5, p. 3
Serve with STEM – Math activity
Vol. 51 No. 4, p. 23
Nur’s Nook: Try and Fly Again — Make a paper airplane (“Knowledge is as wings”)
Vol. 42 No. 6, p. 8
Maya’s Mysteries: Wild for Nature’s Diversity — Biodiversity matching
Vol. 48 No. 2, p. 10
Shining Lamp: Dr. Susan I. Moody — Biography
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 26
Mapping Your Future — Map out how your education will help serve humanity.
Vol. 41 No. 6, pp. 22-23
> Lesson 9: Search after truth
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says that truth is one. Strive to learn about the world around us.
The Overview Effect – Discover words that reflect Earth’s majesty
Vol. 52 No. 1, p. 21
Fool’s Gold – Find words related to discernment
Vol. 52 No. 3, p. 25
How Open-Minded Are You? — Quiz about thinking for yourself
Vol. 46 No. 2, p. 4
Shining Lamp: Táhirih — Biography
Vol. 40 No. 6, p. 11
Stuart & Gabriella: Rivers Rock — Word puzzle (goes with the river story in the lesson).
Vol. 44 No. 5, p. 17
Zeke Investigates — Finish quotes about searching for the truth.
Vol. 37 No. 4, p. 5
> Lesson 10: The importance of living in unity
All the people of the world were created by one God to live in unity.
The Signs of Oneness – Explore a quote about equality
Vol. 50 No. 6, p. 13
All From Stardust – Discover virtues that help us shine with unity
Vol. 50 No. 2, p. 4
Nur’s Nook: One Family Tree — Make a family tree to celebrate our human family.
Vol. 45 No. 2, p. 16
Hoshi’s Adventures: the Human Race — Quiz about human origins
Vol. 45 No. 2, p. 27
Our Global Family — Color and find page
Vol. 44 No. 6, p. 21
Riley’s Rainforest: Laughter is Good Medicine — Tips about embracing humor.
Vol. 44 No. 3, p. 4
> Lesson 11: Justice and fairness
Strive to show justice and fairness in our daily lives, since the well-being of each member of our human family is connected to the well-being of all.
Shoghi Effendi’s Guidance – Find words mentioned in The Advent of Divine Justice
Vol. 50 No. 2, p. 17
Treble Chef’s Music Café: Fairness, by Red Grammer and Pamela Oland
Vol. 43 No. 5, p. 20
Maya’s Mysteries: Are You a Champion of Justice? — Quiz yourself
Vol. 42 No. 1, p. 4
Monsters of the Mind — Overcoming prejudiced thoughts
Vol. 43 No. 2, p. 17
More Monsters of the Mind — Overcoming more prejudiced thoughts
Vol. 46 No. 2, p. 17
Challenging Choices — A game of difficult decisions for 4–6 players.
Vol. 38 No. 4, p. 10
What do You Say? — Tips to respond to biased language.
Vol. 46 No. 2, p. 5
Do You Believe in Equality for All? — Quiz on fairness.
Vol. 48 No. 2, p. 18
> Lesson 12: Cooperation
As one human family, we need to work together for the good of all. “The supreme need of humanity is cooperation and reciprocity.”
Recipe for Cooperation – Virtue item find
Vol. 51 No. 6, p. 2
Side by Side – Comparison for teamwork
Vol. 50 No. 4, p. 25
Quiz: Are YOU Cooperative?
Vol. 50 No. 5, p. 10
Games for Change — Bring change and friendship to your community with these games.
September 2015 - February 2016, p. 25
TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More — Journal about the joys of teamwork.
Vol. 47 Nos. 4-6, p. 8
Are You a Team Player? — Quiz about family unity
Vol. 45 No. 4, p. 9
Cooperative Colonies — Penguin word unscramble
Vol. 44 No. 6, p. 2
Sacred Spaces — Drawing page about the cornerstone at the Bahá’í House of Worship.
Vol. 44 No. 2, p. 21
Song of the Heart — Story about an African villager who wants to be a musician.
Vol. 43 No. 6, pp. 26-27
> Lesson 13: God is always with us and is a true Friend to us
God’s blessings and love surround us. He has created every good thing in the world for our well-being.
Dive into Gratitude – Journal activity
Vol. 51 No. 1, p. 2
Quiz: Do You Open the Door to Gratitude?
Vol. 51 No. 1, p. 25
Bahá’u’lláh’s Life: Finding Light in the Darkness — Story about His imprisonment in the Black Pit of Tihrán.
Vol. 42 No. 2, p. 3
Your Refuge Is Ready — Prayer with vocabulary
Vol. 44 No. 6, p. 27
God Is Sufficient unto Me — Prayer of the Báb sung in the Black Pit, music by Narges, arranged by Tom Price.
Vol. 34 No. 5, p. 18
Dawn Breaks in the Prison — Play about the prisoners in the Black Pit.
Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 19–21
> Lesson 14: Trustworthiness
Be trustworthy and choose friends who are trustworthy. They can be counted on to keep their word and do what is right.
Quiz: Building Trustworthiness
Vol. 49 No. 2, p. 8
Crossing the Creek — Story about friends who learn to respect each other’s point of view.
Vol. 46 No. 2, p. 24
Li and the Emperor’s Seeds — Story about trustworthiness
Vol. 39 No. 4, p. 4
Maya’s Mysteries: Safe Landings — Make a parachute to remind you of your trusted family and friends.
Vol. 43 No. 5, p. 4
Riley’s Rainforest: Growing Good Friends — Advice and cooperative games; includes the quote: “Offer thy friendship, be worthy of trust.”
Vol. 36 No. 1, p. 12
Friendly Teasing or Bullying? — Quiz to help you tell the difference.
Vol. 45 No. 2, p. 5
> Lesson 15: True friends care for each other
There is no greater gift than bringing joy to another’s heart.
Nur’s Nook: Gems of Friendship: A Treasure Chest Gift – Craft
Vol. 51 No. 6, p. 8
Bloom with Friendship – Tips for helping friendship bloom
Vol. 51 No. 6, p. 7
Treble Chef’s Music Café: Empathy Song, by Brett Dennen and Lara Mendel
Vol. 44 No. 1, p. 20
Riley’s Rainforest: Are You Altruistic? — Advice and tips
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 8
How Warm is Your Welcome? — Quiz about being a good neighbor.
Vol. 44 No. 6, p. 7
Back from the Brink — Story about real friends
Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 22-23
> Lesson 16: Serve God by serving His loved ones
We can become closer to God by serving others.
Spread Joy – Find the chain reaction of kindness
Vol. 50 No. 1, p. 2
Nur’s Nook: Saving for Service — Make a fun piggy bank craft.
Vol. 45 No. 6, p. 6
Treble Chef’s Music Cafe: We Can Move the World, by Joe Crone
Vol. 41 No. 4, p. 25
Shining Lamp: Lua Getsinger — Biography
Vol. 46 Nos. 4-5, pp. 34-35
What's Your Service Style? — Quiz about helping others
Vol. 44 No. 2, p. 5
Cooking Up Action — Word puzzle with tips for service
Vol. 44 No. 2, p. 7
> Lesson 17: Make an effort to serve
We can strive to be like ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who was constantly active, working for the good of all.
Maya’s Mysteries: Bloom with Service – Take a service challenge
Vol. 51 No. 4, p. 2
Clear the Clutter – Replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Vol. 51 No. 4, p. 9
Treble Chef’s Music Café: Bottle of Sunshine — "You won’t find me sittin’ around" by Milkshake
Vol. 44 No. 3, p. 20
Agent of Service — Match negative thoughts with the positive ones that can replace them.
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 9
Changing the World — Planting project word scramble
Vol. 45 No. 3, p. 25
Be Grape-ful — Fruit matching activity
Vol. 44 No. 5, p. 7
> Lesson 18: Work is Worship
We can all contribute to the welfare of society and one day pursue a career to help us be of service to humanity.
Riley’s Rainforest: Soar with Service – Tips to make someone’s day
Vol. 51 No. 4, p. 8
Bahá’u’lláh’s Life: Mission of Peace — A Lofty Career — Story about His choices as a young man.
Vol. 45 No. 4, p. 3
Nur’s Nook: A Precious Gift — Article about calligraphy; writing “Bahá” in Arabic
Vol. 36 No. 4, p. 12
Nur’s Nook: Life’s Balancing Act — Create a Fantastic Flipper that does amazing flips.
Vol. 42 No. 4, p. 9
Nur’s Nook: The Sky’s the Limit — Make an airplane and explore your skills and imagination.
Vol. 41 No. 4, p. 5
Clues to Your Career — Follow the clues to solve your career mystery.
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 21
Your Career Adventure — Word scramble and word search
Vol. 42 No. 6, p. 16 -17
> Lesson 19: The gift of consultation
With consultation, we come together in search of truth.
Elfland Harmony – Decode a quote about consultation
Vol. 50 No. 5, p. 25
Consultation Rocks! – Unscramble words to find tips for consultation
Vol. 50 No. 5, p. 5
Maya’s Mysteries: More than Meets the Eye — Experiment about consultation
Vol. 44 No. 2, p. 8
Building on Consultation — Tips for group decision-making
Vol. 46 No. 1, p. 27
Zeke & Rhombus: Universal Language — Use Zilizag code to discover facts about language.
Vol. 44 No. 1, p. 5
> Lesson 20: Consultation is a source of good and well-being
The power of unified thought and action. Consultation gives us the strength of several people.
Riley’s Rainforest: Consult and Connect – Learn tips about consultation
Vol. 50 No. 2, p. 8
Nur’s Nook: Powerful Puppets — Express yourself with puppets
Vol. 44 No. 1, p. 16
Maya’s Mysteries: Gift of Listening — Quiz yourself on listening skills
Vol. 46 Nos 4-5, p. 22
Picture of Unity — Consultation tips with missing words
Vol. 44 No. 6, p. 18
Zeke & Rhombus: Talking Peace — Consultation tips in Zilizag code
Vol. 43 No. 4, p. 27
Family Consultation — Practice consulting with your family.
Vol. 35 No. 1, p.9
> Lesson 21: The importance of exercising moderation in one’s speech
Use courtesy, care, and moderation during consultation. Listen to others with calm attentiveness.
Maya’s Mysteries: Tactful Talking Tool – Create a talking stick
Vol. 50 No. 2, p. 22
Be as Waves of One Sea – Explore a quote about effective consultation
Vol. 50. No. 5, p. 13
Two Ears, One Mouth — Listening tips and word puzzle
Vol. 44 No. 1, p. 6
Mild as Milk — Tips to cool off heated conversations.
Vol. 44 No. 1, p. 17
What Do You Say? — Using courtesy to talk things out
Vol. 43 No. 5, p. 5
Clash at the Monster Bash — Monsters need help with consultation.
Vol. 48 No. 2, p. 3
Updated on 2.01.23