1. Deer exercise
You are sitting in a forest in a place where you know deer come to eat sweet tender plants. You hope to see one. You sit down and one appears far away. You
--sit with your legs comfortable, and your hands relaxed on your legs.
--you feel your breath go in and out slowly, like a soft gentle stream
--your eyes are very soft
--you can feel your heart beat, or you The deer comes closer and closer to you. You silently say hello to it and wish it a happy life. Think of all the good things you wish for it (good food, safety, warmth, what else?)


2. Moritz and Fawn exercise
You need children to be: Moritz, the fawn, Barry, the mother deer.
You can have them switch characters.

1. Imagine you are Moritz.
--What is your fur like?
--How big are you? (If you are 7 years old, it might take 3 of you to weigh as much Moritz).
--How deep is your bark?
--What is your nose like? What can you smell?
--Feel what it is like to walk on your four paws.
--You wag your tail a lot? What makes you wag your tail?

2. You see a marmot --do you chase it? Then you are sniffing and going along the forest path and you come across a baby deer, a fawn.

The fawn has lost its mother. It is scared.

What do you do if you are Moritz?

(Have children do what Moritz does: lie down and be with the fawn. Moritz' calmness gives the fawn calmness and confidence.)

Have one child be Barry and ask what he asks?
Have them imagine what kind of voice he uses.

Moritz sees the mother deer:

Have the Moritzes use their nose to nudge the fawn.
Have them say what Moritz would say to the fawn as he encourages the fawn to run to the mother deer.

3. Remember a time when someone you know --maybe a little brother or sister, was scared and unhappy. Or maybe it was you. Imagine that you bring Moritz over to be with him or her or you. What happens?

4. Character web:

Draw a box with Moritz's name in it. Have lines radiating out on different sides.
Have children supply qualities of Moritz. Such as:

Moritz:
--loves cheese
--likes to run through the woods but come back to check on Barry --is kind to baby animals --is brown and black and white --likes to wade in water to cool off --loves to put his head in Barry's lap --helps Barry