Brilliant Star: Thirst to Learn

BAHÁ’Í NATIONAL CENTER

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Copyright © 2023 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States

Amethel Parel-Sewell EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

C. Aaron Kreader DESIGNER/ILLUSTRATOR

Amy Renshaw SENIOR EDITOR

Heidi Parsons ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Katie Bishop ASSISTANT EDITOR

Foad Ghorbani PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Lisa Blecker ARTIST & WRITER

Donna Price WRITER

Darcy Greenwood WRITER

Dr. Stephen Scotti STEM EDUCATION ADVISOR

MANY THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS:

Milo Bishop • Kunal Cederquist • Adayna Fozdar

Amelia Ghorbani • Minal Ismoilova • Sofia Lazarevic

Sage Lindsley • Dr. Jessica Durham Macholz

Tesina Mato • Diya Mukhopadhyaya

Laura Normoyle • Adib Omara • Yusef Rana

Leon Roshan • Jolene Saeian

Dr. Kooroush Saeian • Colby Schmidt

David Smith • Barbara Talley • Kiyon Zebarjadi

ART AND PHOTO CREDITS

Illustrations by C. Aaron Kreader, unless noted

By Lisa Blecker: Photos on pp. 8– 9

By Katie Bishop: Photos on p. 12

Historical photos courtesy National Bahá’í Archives, unless noted

STORY AND ACTIVITY CREDITS

By Amy Renshaw: 2, 11, 14, 20

By Heidi Parsons: 1, 6, 16, 22, 28

By Katie Bishop: 1, 4, 12, 13, 25, 26, 29

By Lisa Blecker: 2, 8, 10

By Donna Price: 6, 10, 11, 14, 19, 20, 28

By Darcy Greenwood: 3, 7, 24, 27

SUBSCRIPTION RATES AND RENEWALS

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RIGHTS, PERMISSIONS, AND CLASS USE

All content in Brilliant Star is copyrighted by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the U.S. or by individual contributors. For permission to copy or translate, use form at brilliantstarmagazine.org/permission-request or write Brilliant Star, 1233 Central St., Evanston, IL 60201. Teachers may photocopy pages in limited quantities for classroom use. “Brilliant Star” and volume/number or issue date must be present on all copies, and proper credit given to the copyright owner.

Brilliant Star empowers kids to explore their roles as world citizens. Inspired by the principles of peace and unity in the Bahá’í Faith, we encourage readers to use their virtues to make the world a better place.

The Bahá’í Faith is the second most widespread religion in the world, with over five million Bahá’ís. It was founded by the Prophet Bahá’u’lláh (“Glory of God” in Arabic) in 1863. Bahá’u’lláh taught that all people are part of one human family, and all religions come from one God. Bahá’u’lláh’s eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, interpreted His teachings and led the Bahá’í community after Bahá’u’lláh’s passing.

Today, Bahá’ís work to bring love and justice to the world, and end prejudice and discrimination of all kinds.

W HAT ’S I N SI DE

FAVO R I T E FE AT URES

8 4 28

Bahá’u’lláh’s Life: Mission of Peace

Teamwork brightened a dif ficult journey.

Nur’s Nook

Create nine-pointed stars with our cool art app.

11 12 14 22 16 26 24

We Are One

Explore and care for the place we all call home.

Maya’s Mysteries

Try a fun paper cup experiment.

Lightning and Luna: Episode #94

Surprise visitors for Bridget and Baxter!

Radiant Stars

Get to know kids who shine, like you.

Stargazer: Barbara Talley

She’s passionate about empowering people.

Riley’s Rainforest

Be kind to your immune system.

Shining Lamp: Amelia Collins

A generous donor and a true friend

Cosmo’s Corner

A crossword and more from our favorite chameleon

A-MAZE-ing ADVENTURE

Resilience can help you think outside the box.

NEW DE ST IN ATI O N S

3 2 6

My Inner Gems

Explore the treasures inside you.

Squeeze Away Stress!

What Do You Say?

Puf f l ing Patrol

Join the search for baffled baby puffins.

PAWS-itive Pets

13

ONE-derful

Try this math trick to add fun to your day.

Space Ace

A scientist answers your cosmic questions.

Fool’s Gold

How do you show someone you care? 25

Soar with strategies to manage your minutes. 27

Did you know that a teenager invented Braille—the system of reading and writing for people who are blind? Or that some birds can fly for almost a year before touching ground? And ketchup used to be sold as medicine!

Whether you’re curious about animals, history, space, or health, life is full of cool things to learn about. The skills and interests you develop today can help you and your communities for a lifetime.

In this issue, explore your strengths and refresh your love of learning. Do an experiment with Maya on the magic of teamwork. Practice using compassion in tough situations. Try a cool trick to unlock your math superpowers. Make a nine-pointed star with our new Imagination Station 2 app. And get to know Barbara Talley, a poet and author who speaks about achieving goals.

One of the best ways to learn is through action. How will you use your skills to lift up your community and the world?

My Inner Gems

“Ye are My treasury, for in you I have treasured the pearls of My mysteries and the gems of My knowledge.” —Bahá’u’lláh

Imagine you’re on a treasure hunt. While you explore, you’re seeking the gems inside you—unique qualities you can polish and share with the world. As you try out different activities, learn about new interests, and visit cool places, you may discover some of those gems.

Treasure hunting takes time and effort. You’ll dig through some dirt and rocks to get to the good stuff. Thinking about what brings you joy and energy can help you find a clear path. The more you look, the more likely you are to uncover your own brilliant gems and make them shine!

Name:

Three things I love to do: My favorite part of the day:

A song that cheers me up: My strongest virtues or qualities:

Virtues or qualities I’m working on:

People who encourage and support me:

What helps me overcome a big challenge:

Some things I’m good at:

Some things I’d love to learn about:

A project or class I really enjoyed:

Something that fills me with awe and wonder:

A place I’d love to visit:

Three things I’m thankful for:

What always makes me laugh:

AWAY STRESS! SQUEEZE

Did you know that a little stress can be good for you?

Those butterflies in your stomach can push you to prepare for a big math test or practice for the school play. But when stress gets out of hand, it’s important to find some support. Fortunately, there are healthy tools that can help—like stress balls!

Stress balls may have been inspired by baoding balls,

iron balls used in ancient China for meditation and stress relief. Today’s stress balls are satisfyingly squishy and come in lots of shapes, sizes, and colors. Squeezing one when you’re upset can boost focus and ease tension.*

Getting a grip on stress can put some bounce in your mood, health, and creativity. Check out these tips to help squeeze your stress away!

Use the letter pairs on the balls to complete tips about coping with stress. A pair can’t be used more than once. D E

1 Take several slow, ____ ____ ____ ____, calming breaths.

2 Be ____ ____ ____ ____ to yourself with positive self-talk.

3 Use your favorite tools to ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ fun artwork.

4 During challenges, ____ ____ ____ ____ for guidance and strength.

5 Play, ____ ____ ____ ____ , or dance to your favorite music.

6 Take a walk in ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ to clear your mind.

7 Enjoy pleasant ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ , such as flowers.

8 Play a ____ ____ ____ ____ with friends or family.

9 Ask for ____ ____ ____ ____ from family and friends when needed.

Try to eat a healthy and balanced ____ ____ ____ ____ . 10

A Brief Timeline

The Life of Bahá’u’lláh

The highlighted area marks the time in which this story takes place.

Bahá’u’lláh’s Life: Mission of Peace Journey to Constantinople

1817 November 12

Birth of Bahá’u’lláh in Tihrán, Iran

1844

Recognizes the Báb as a new Messenger of God

1852

Imprisonment in the “Black Pit” of Tihrán

1853–1863

Exile in Baghdád, Iraq. From 1854–1856, He goes into the mountains to pray in solitude.

How does your family prepare for a journey? You could load the car with books, games, and snacks to keep everyone happy. Or you might skip the driving and get there faster on a plane. When you travel today, you have a lot of options for how to get there and what to do along the way. But that wasn’t always the case.

In 1863, Bahá’u’lláh was unfairly exiled from Baghdád (now in Iraq) to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). At that time and place, there weren’t planes, cars, or even trains. People traveled on foot or on a horse or mule. Or they could ride in a howdah, which had two large seats on either side of a mule. One person rode in each seat to balance the weight across the animal’s back, and they jostled along with each slow step.

Before leaving Baghdád, Bahá’u’lláh stayed in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River. He received visitors and announced that He was a Messenger of God.

who was 19 years old at the time, said, “He was a close companion of mine on that journey. There were nights when we would walk, one to either side of the howdah of Bahá’u’lláh, and the joy we had defies description.”

1863–1868

Exile in Constantinople (Istanbul), then Adrianople (Edirne), Turkey. Begins writing letters to kings and rulers in 1867, urging world unity

1868

Last exile, to prison-city of ‘Akká, Israel

1877

Finally free to live in countryside homes of Mazra‘ih and then Bahjí, outside ‘Akká

1892 May 29

Bahá’u’lláh passes away at Bahjí.

For 110 days, Bahá’u’lláh and His friends and family crossed mountains, valleys, and woodlands. It got so hot that they often had to rest during the day and travel at night through intense darkness. But the companions cooperated and used their skills to take care of each other. Some tended to the animals. Others cooked meals. A few rode ahead each day to find food and supplies.

One man named Jináb-i-Muníb was happy to help. Though he had once lived in comfort, he gladly walked the entire way for up to 30 miles (48 km) each day. His charm and grace cheered his friends. Bahá’u’lláh’s eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,

Jináb-i-Muníb also had a beautiful singing voice. On long stretches of empty road, he sang for hours to ease everyone’s boredom and lift their spirits. After arriving in Constantinople, Bahá’u’lláh asked Jináb-i-Muníb to use his voice in another way. Bahá’ís were often attacked for their beliefs, so talking about the Faith was dangerous. Recognizing Jináb-i-Muníb’s wisdom and devotion, Bahá’u’lláh asked him to go to Persia (now Iran) to share His teachings.

After a time in Persia, Jináb-i-Muníb was happy to return and live near Bahá’u’lláh again. When Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to ‘Akká (now in Israel) in 1868, Jináb-i-Muníb was severely ill, but he

begged to go along. He passed away before reaching ‘Akká. Bahá’u’lláh said the souls in the next world rushed to meet his spirit with love.

The memory of Jináb-i-Muníb’s uplifting joy and insight stayed with the Bahá’ís on their journey. In ‘Akká, Bahá’u’lláh and His followers faced harsh difficulties. But after nine years, He was able to move to the peaceful countryside at last. For the rest of His life, He enjoyed the beauty of nature as His teachings began to spread around the globe.

Compared to the crowded streets of ‘Akká, the quiet calm of the gardens at Mazra‘ih was a great source of joy for Bahá’u’lláh.

Unscramble the letters to find 10 words related to service. Then use the numbered letters to fill in the boxes below and discover a quote from Bahá’u’lláh.

“O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose . . . Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee.” Bahá’u’lláh