TOPIC
Which world is the real one? The spiritual world is the model, and the material world is a simpler, heavier copy of it. Students describe the spiritual world on the board, then build a model of the material world beside it to see the contrast.
This lesson builds on Spirit – Life after Life – Spiritual World.
OBJECTIVE
Children understand that the spiritual world is the “real” and lasting world, and the material world is a temporary, simplified version of it.
Key ideas for the educator
- The spiritual world is the real world and is the “model” of the material world. It existed before the material world and continues after it (Spirits’ Book, Q. 85).
- Matter is an imperfect copy. What we build on Earth is limited by our physical bodies and by heavy matter.
- Thought creates. In the spiritual world, homes and places are shaped by thought and by the moral level of the spirits. On Earth, we need hands, tools and effort to turn an idea into something real.
MATERIALS
- Whiteboard with two columns: SPIRITUAL WORLD and MATERIAL WORLD
- Sticky notes in two colors (for example, yellow = spiritual, blue = material)
- Building materials: cardboard boxes, paper cups, tape, markers, play dough or LEGO
- Light materials for the spiritual model: tissue paper, cotton, cellophane, white paper (or the spiritual world model from the earlier lesson)
- Astral City (Nosso Lar) trailer, if not shown last class
OPENING
- Students share one thing they did or are grateful for this week. Introduction of new students.
- OPENING PRAYER: Prayer box or a volunteer.
LAUNCH LESSON
Quick recall: “Last time we learned what we take with us to the spiritual world. What did we take? What did we leave behind?” (love, friends, patience, perispirit stay with us; car, house, fame, body stay here)
Big question for today: Hold up a toy house and a real photo of a house. Ask: “Which one is the copy?” Then say: “Today we will find out which world is the real one, and which one is the copy.”
EXPLORE LESSON – STICKY-NOTE BOARD (15 MIN)
Students answer the same six questions as before, now with what they learned from Nosso Lar, by placing sticky notes on the board.
Setup: Write the six questions across the top of the SPIRITUAL WORLD column. Leave the MATERIAL WORLD column empty for now.
- Give each student 6 yellow sticky notes.
- In pairs, they write one short answer (or draw) for each question. 5 minutes.
- Pairs walk to the board and stick each note under its question.
- Read the notes aloud together. Group similar answers and gently correct any that don’t fit.
- Ask: “Did any answer change from the first time we did this? Why?”
Answer guide for the educator
| Question | Spiritual world (what we hope students say) |
|---|---|
| What happens? | The body dies, but we, the spirit, keep living. We wake up in the spiritual world, sometimes after a rest. |
| Who do we meet? | Family and friends who passed before, our spirit guide, helpers and nurses (like in Nosso Lar). |
| Where do we go? | To places and cities in the spiritual world, like the colony Nosso Lar, with homes, schools, hospitals and gardens. |
| Why do we go to different places? | Because of what we feel and think and how we lived. Kind, loving thoughts take us to lighter places. We go where we “tune in” (sintonia). |
| How do we get there? | Helped by good spirits, and by our own thoughts and feelings. Our perispirit is light and moves with thought. |
| Can they see the material world? | Yes, when they are allowed to and when it helps. They can visit us, and we visit them in dreams. |
Variation for younger kids (5–8): Use picture cards instead of writing (a grandma, a garden city, a heart, a guardian angel, a dream cloud) and let them choose which question each picture answers.
ACTIVITY – BUILD THE MATERIAL WORLD (20 MIN)
Students build a small material-world town next to the spiritual-world model, and feel for themselves that building with matter takes effort while the spiritual world is shaped by thought.
Step 1 — “Think it” (2 min). Everyone closes their eyes and imagines a beautiful house, garden or school. Ask: “How long did it take to build it in your mind?” (One second!) “In the spiritual world, thoughts shape things like this.”
Step 2 — “Build it” (10 min). In small groups, students now build that same place with boxes, cups, tape and play dough. Each group builds one part of the town: home, school, hospital, park. Set a timer so they feel the time pressure.
Step 3 — Compare (3 min). Place the material town next to the spiritual model. Ask:
- Did your building come out exactly like the one you imagined?
- What made it harder? (tools, time, materials, tape that doesn’t stick)
- Which one is more beautiful? Which one will last longer?
Step 4 — Blue sticky notes (5 min). Go back to the board. Now answer the six questions for the MATERIAL WORLD column with blue notes, so both worlds sit side by side.
| Question | Material world |
|---|---|
| What happens? | We are born into a physical body as a baby. |
| Who do we meet? | Our family, friends and people we need to learn with. |
| Where do we go? | A country, city and home on Earth. |
| Why do we go to different places? | To learn, fix past mistakes and grow, in the place that helps us most. |
| How do we get there? | By being born (reincarnation). |
| Can we see the spiritual world? | Usually not with our eyes, but we feel it, dream of it, and mediums can perceive it. |
Wrap the contrast: Point to both columns and both models. “The spiritual world was first. It is the model. Our material world is like a drawing of it made with heavy crayons — it looks similar, but it is simpler and it doesn’t last forever.”
WHAT KARDEC GATHERED IN THE SPIRITS’ BOOK
Read aloud, in kid-friendly words:
- Q. 85: Which world is the main one, the spirit world or the material world? The spirit world. It existed before everything and continues after everything.
- Q. 86: The material world could stop existing, and the spirit world would still be there.
- Q. 149: At death, the soul becomes a spirit again and returns to the spirit world it had left for a short time.
Ask: “So which world is our real home?”
CLOSING
Ask each student to share one difference between the two worlds they learned today. Take a photo of the board and both models to reuse in the next lesson.
Next week we will continue learning about the Spiritual and Material World.
CLOSING PRAYER AND MUSIC
Sources: Spirit – Life after Life – Spiritual World (Vibrant Souls); Allan Kardec, The Spirits’ Book, Q. 85, 86, 149; Andre Luiz (Chico Xavier), Nosso Lar / Astral City.