Question for Youth: Where Have All the Eagles gone!
By the Rev. Dr. Clifton J. Suehr

Skit helps to increase youths' sensitivity and awareness of how human activities affect relationships with nature.

Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church has several very active youth groups. The aim of this project is to teach third through sixth graders about a situational ecological concern through participating in a skit.

Objectives:
The first objective is to increase the youth group members’ sensitivity and awareness of how the activities of humanity directly effect nature’s web of relationships.

The second objective is to help the youth assess an ecological situation of which they are probably familiar. Upon assessing the situation, they are to evaluate humanity’s response and creatively develop their own suggestions to help alleviate and/or correct the situation.

The third objective is to build upon the second objective by allowing youth to actually advocate for the cause. This will be accomplished by having them do some of the practical things they have developed, and other guided responses.

Strategy:
I developed an eco-skit based on the situation of the Bald Eagles in North America. Since many young people seem enamored by these birds of pray, there probably will be some immediate interest.

A major part of the play is the acting out of the situation by the youth. This makes it an interactive experience. Students are involved through their actions as well as listening and speaking.

Following the play, guided group discussion elicits comments from the youth about what they believe they gained from being part of the play. The last step is to ask the youth to advocate the cause of the Bald Eagle or other species they might be interested in protecting.

Our congregation used this program at the January, 1995 meeting of the third through sixth grades youth group.

Evaluation:
The success of this project would be determined largely by two factors. The first would be the degree of interaction and depth of understanding of the youth shown during the discussion period. The second would be the degree to which the youth actually advocate for this or another similar cause.

Materials Needed:
One Script, one large blanket (preferably "Native American" style), 25 Bald Eagle pictures to color, enough crayons or markers or colored pencils for about 25 youth, 25 envelopes and stamps, 25 pieces of lined paper, addresses of congressional representatives. There are dramatic parts for 20 people: two readers, ten eaglets, six eaglet removers, three eaglet returners.

Setting:
Eight to ten children are selected to be eaglets and are placed on the blanket. Six other children are selected to play the following roles: the owner of a mall, a settler, an industrial water polluter, an industrial air polluter, a developer, and a poacher. These roles can be combined if there are not enough children. Similarly, one to three children can be selected to play the role of people concerned about the environment.

The play can be modified to utilize between 12-20 youth and one or two older children as readers. As a warm-up, instruct youth to color a picture of an eagle. Leave the pictures at a table during the skit. After the skit, the pictures will be utilized.

For the purposes of this article, I will take one example of how humanity "hurt" the eagles and one example of how humanity "helped" the eagles. You may contact me if you would like the entire skit.

The Skit
(The "hurtful" example)
Reader 1: Long ago, before people from Europe and Africa came to this land, the Bald Eagle soared high through the air doing what eagles do best: looking for food and enjoying the view. They ate lots of fish and small animals. They built their nests high in the trees or on the side of cliffs. Every once in a while, they lost a fight with a snake, coyote, bear, or a badger. But, they were pretty free to do what they wanted to do. Some Native Americans annoyed the birds when they wanted some feathers, but not much damage was done. The Bald Eagle had little to fear.

Then, came the settlers. The people from other parts of the world did not understand nature the same way the native Americans did. Before long, settlers were clearing land and some of the places where the eagles nested were destroyed. It hurt the eagles.

ENTER SETTLER WHO REMOVES ONE EAGLET FROM THE NEST
(It would be great if the eaglets squawked with displeasure!)

(The "helpful" example)
Reader 1: Things were looking pretty bad for the eagles! If things didn’t get better, they might have become extinct. That is, there would have been no more eagles. Some people became aware of the crisis. These people worked to make other people aware of the danger. They formed organizations to protect the eagles. One of the first things they did was to get the government to declare that eagles were an endangered species. Now eagles were protected by law. This slowed down the amount of land being used just for humans, and made it very hard for the poachers to get away with shooting the birds. This helped the eagles.

ENTER ONE CONCERNED PERSON RETURNING AN EAGLET
(eaglets happily squawk)

Reader 2: Although it will never again be the way it was before the United States was so populated, the Bald Eagle has begun to recover. Our help is still needed to ensure the future of the Bald Eagle. Let’s now form a big circle and think about some things we can do to help.

Some potential questions:
1. As Christian stewards, should we be concerned about the Bald Eagle? Why or why not?
2. What kinds of things do you think we can do to help the Bald Eagles? (write letters, reduce inorganic fertilizers and pesticides, use bio-degradable items, etc.)
3. Are there any things we can do at home that will help protect the environment? - Reduce, Reuse Recycle)
4. Do you think it would help if we sent our letters to our Congress? Do you think we should? What could we say?
5. Do you think we should care about the rest of the world and other endangered animals? Is what we do important?
6. What have you learned about the way people act and how it affects animals in nature?

IF THE YOUTH ARE RECEPTIVE, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME TO FINISH THE PICTURES AND WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR CONCERN. WHEN COMPLETED, THE YOUTH COULD TAKE THE LETTERS TO THE MAILBOX AND SEND THEM.

Our congregation’s youth sent fifteen letters to the vice-president. He responded by letter several weeks later and the youth were very excited that their concerns had been heard. The youth asked when they would be able to do something again to help the animals.

The Rev. Dr. Clifton J. Suehr is pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Irwin, Pa.


 © Copyright 1996, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
This essay first appeared in the Spring 1996 issue of Faith in Action. Articles in Faith in Action may be reproduced for use in ELCA and ELCIC congregations provided each copy carries the note:
© Copyright 1996, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Reprinted with permission.