Unit Title Lower Key Stage 2 Christianity – Special teaching – Rules for Living Creation/Stewardship
How and why do Christians believe they are responsible for the Earth and it’s resources? How do others see this responsibility? What responsibilities do I have?Background Story/ Information
Christians believe that God created a good and beautiful world and gave human beings stewardship of the earth and its resources
In this unit children will learn about the Christian understanding of stewardship. They will learn about and from stories about the Creation in the Bible and identify how these stories might impact on Christian attitudes and values today. They will reflect on their own commitments and responsibilities towards the earth and its resources and compare these stories with those from other cultures.
Cross Curricular Links
Science Literacy
Art ICT
Drama Dance
Thinking Skills
Mulitculturalism / Key Vocabulary
Creation, creator
Skills
Interpretation
Communication
Reflection
Stillness / Attitudes
Awe & wonder
Respect
Key Questions
How and why do Christians believe that they are responsible for the earth and its resources? How do others see this responsibility? What responsibility do I have?
How do people respond to the natural world? How do I respond to the natural world? How do beliefs about the environment affect behaviour? What do I think are important rules for living today?
Learning Objectives / Possible Teaching/Learning Activities / Learning Outcomes / Resources
Children will reflect on their responses to a natural scene
Children will know that people have diverse views about the world /
Lesson 1 or 2– How do you feel in the natural world – big scale (world habitats/climate zones)
(You could begin by sharing one picture as a class)Give each child a beautiful natural scene from a habitat or climate zone such as a lake, glacier, mountain, meadow, desert, beach or forest. Play quiet reflective music.
Allow children to concentrate
“Look at your picture, concentrate on it in detail. Imagine that you are in the picture. Choose exactly where you are in your picture.
See attached sheet for activities / AT2L1 I can say how I feel about a beautiful picture
AT2L2 I know that other people have different views about the world
AT2L3 I can generate questions about a picture / Scenes from nature –different climate zones
Response to a photo sheet
Experiential opportunity
To explore why people would think the earth is precious /
Lesson 1 or 2 – The Earth
Guided Visualisation - The Earth*
Respond through art or dance so that the children can express their responses
*
Wrap a globe in gorgeous wrapping paper or gift bag with three large labels – “ Handle with care” “ Fragile” and “To all of you with love from God” or in pairs receive a present of a picture of the earth in space wrapped & labelled as before
Ask a child to read each of the labels ask the children to generate questions about the labels and parcel (encourage open and fat questions)
Ask a child to open the parcel – again ask the children to generate I wonder why questions. Discuss the questions I wonder why many people believe that the world is a gift from God? I wonder why people would say the world is very special? Christians along with other world religions like Hinduism, Judaism & Islam believe that God created the world how might this change how they look after the world?
*
Watch a DVD like Planet Earth or make a PowerPoint of pictures to illustrate the awe and wonder you could feel about the earth. Does everybody feel the same about the earth? Does this make you want to take care of the world? Handle with care? Appreciate it as a gift? If we respect nature are we more likely to take care of it as a gift?
*
Make a reflective/ interactive display or mind map of the earth or in RE books with questions generated and add answers or ideas as you progress through the topic / Guided Visualisation The Earth
Globe or photos of earth in space wrapped with labels
DVD Planet Earth
Be able to retell the Creation story and explore some of the interpretations of it
To be able to express ideas in forms other than written e.g. drama/dance/music / Lesson 3 ~ Creation Story
Read the Creation Story from Genesis
Generate I wonder why questions
Why might ‘How was the world created’ be an important question?
*
Different people see the Creation story in the Bible in different ways - As a story with a spiritual message, as symbolic of Darwin’s evolution with days equivalent to millions of years, as a literal 6-day creation.
Explain that a creation story is a picture in words to help us understand why the world is as it is. For many it does not describe ‘How the world began’ but answers the question’ Why is it here?’ Show that words can contain meaning without being literally true by discussing metaphors’ I’m green with envy’, ‘I’m over the moon’, ’ my legs are jelly’.
In groups look at each of the 7 days, give each group the Bible passage about their day. Read the first 2 verses of Bible together and discuss their meaning then each group discuss their verses and be ready to report back to the class about content and to ask 2 questions about it. (These could be added to display)
*
While listening to music e.g. Haydn’s creation - In groups create art/poem/music/dance or ICT to reflect on and illustrate their ‘day’ whichever form is picked some words must be included
Perform/share with class – note there are recurring phrases, what are they? I wonder why these are repeated? Why is there a 7th day? I wonder how this would be important to Jews and Christians? I wonder what is the main message of the story? Establish that however you view it the central idea is that the world is not a product of chance and God created it for a purpose- for friendship with himself and others.
*
Take photos of presentations for children to annotate in RE books this could include self-assessment / AT1L2 I can retell religious stories about Creation from the Bible and suggest meanings for members of the Christian faith community
AT1L3 I can make links between the stories I’ve heard and actions of Christians I have learnt about
AT1L4 I can describe how and why Christians act as they do, with reference to Biblical stories and teaching, recognising that there are sometimes difference between how Christians choose to live / Class set of Bibles - Genesis 1:1-2:9
Prepared label cards for ‘days’ of creation for groups with relevant bible passages
Creation story books
Art materials
Musical instruments
ICT
Haydn’s Creation or similar music
Digital camera
Children will see how beliefs about how the world is created affect how people view and look after the world / Lesson 4 – How does this affect how we look after the world?
Read extract from Brother Earth Sister Sky
What is meant by ….the web of life? ….Whatever he does to the web he does to himself?
Is this view true?
Brainstorm the qualities of a spiders web on a picture of a web – fragile, beautiful, linked together, a trap.
Do these words describe the world? Where is our place on the web? What can we do?
*
In RE books write or mind map : The world is like a web because…… Or The world is like a ……… because….
*
Invite a visitor from a faith community to explain how their faith affects how they care for the environment and what kinds of action they take or look at website ReQuest about the environment / Brother Earth Sister Sky speech of Chief Seattle by Susan Jeffers 0241131766
For an online copy of the book & inc illustrations
Pictures of spiders webs
Visitor of faith interested in environment or see:
click on do what? Section then ‘environment’ there are lots of ideas e.g. Christian who founded an organisation on Exmoor
Children will be inspired by a visualisation of something in ‘creation’ to be creative themselves / Lesson 5 – Guided visualisation about a natural object (this could be repeated a number of times)
Choose a guided visualisation, the emphasis should be on appreciating the sacredness of the natural world
*
Write a poem inspired by the visualisation
*
Produce a piece of art inspired by the visualisation / AT2L1 I can respond to a visualisation
AT2L2 I can say how others might respond or how their responses are different to mine / ‘Don’t Do Something Just Sit There’ by Mary Stone
or see attached
Experiential opportunity
Children will reflect on their responses to photo of something in a school habitat
Children will know that people have diverse views about the world / Lesson 6~ How do you feel about the natural world small scale (local habitat)
Give children a digital camera to take photos of things in their environment/school habitats or make detailed drawings of natural objects in the local habitats which convey different moods or feelings e.g. inspire awe and wonder or calm/busy/happy/sad/joy/dislike
*
Make a display of the results and discuss. I wonder what this picture conveys? What did the photographer/artist intend? There will be a variety of responses to each other’s photos and ideas so the children should begin to understand that there are different ways of viewing the world. The display could be interactive with children adding ideas to original photos & comments (include creativity/ making links/ empathy etc) Do people have a responsibility towards minibeasts, trees, rocks and flowers? / Photos of school &/or local habitats
Digital camera
Art materials
Children can recognise the need for respect and care of the natural world
Know the story of 10 Commandments, Adam & Eve or Noah and recognise its significance for Christians today / Lesson 7 – What responsibilities do I have?
Choose some of the following activities (groups could do different activities)
*
Show pictures of beautiful gardens (including the school garden if you have one), talk about the importance of the gardens to people? Create a virtual/real miniature garden and make a list of rules for visitors to the garden & sanctions if the rules are broken
*
Read the 10 Commandments these are the founding rules for the Jewish and Christian people living in community. Do any of these relate to the environment?
*
Write 10 ecological commandments for today (balance +ve and –ve commandments include at least one spiritual commandment e.g. take time to stop and notice beauty around you)
*
Create a poster to encourage individuals to follow one of your commandments with ideas about how this could be done
*
Read’ The Temptation of Adam’ or ‘Noah’s flood’ in 10 minute miracle plays or in the Bible
Christians believe that it was when human beings tried to control the world or not followed/failed to understand God’s rules that things went wrong
Generate question about the chosen story including’ I wonder why this story would be important for Christians or others today?’ (individual responsibility for the world)
*
Write prayers that Noah might have written at different points in the story
*
In pairs: Imagine yourself overwhelmed by a flood – I wonder what would you take in the rescue boat & why?
When the flood subsides what rules would you make for your new fresh start community to live by? Or write your 10 essentials (jobs, rain, people, animals, happiness, frees schools, gravity, no pollution) in your new world.
Now join with another pair and reduce your combined list to 10. Assess your discussion were you good at negotiating, listening etc. (traffic lights)
*
This idea is in other parts if the Bible Isaiah 11:6.7.9 create a piece of writing or art work on the theme ‘Some day…One day….. or On being caretaker of the world….
*
Write a letter to the school governors &/or report to School’s Council suggesting how improvements could be made to the way the school habitats are cared for and protected possibly in light of the new sports/activity plans as opposed to the previous plans which highlighted environment and habitats – how could we have both i.e. catering for the spiritual and caring as well as the physical needs of school community/ catering for our needs & the needs of living things in habitats? / AT2L2/3 I can write some ecological commandments for the world today expressing my own commitments and values
AT1L1 I can describe the story of the 10 commandments, Adam & Eve or Noah
AT1L2/3 I show understanding of the importance of these stories for Christians today
AT2L1 I can share what makes me hopeful and inspires me about the future
AT2L2/3 I can make suggestions about how environmental issues/concerns could be addressed in my immediate environment. / Pictures of beautiful gardens (including school garden)
Ten Minute Miracle Plays by Margaret Cooling 0 564 08775 0
Testament videos Noah
Bible Isaiah chapter 6 verses 7-9
Children can discuss what it is to create
Be able to explore how other religions and cultures express the creation story / Lesson 8 – Creation stories from other cultures
Philosophy discussion: I wonder what it means to create something? Is creating more than just making? Do you feel separate from what you create? Is there a difference between creation and invention? Can you create happiness and laughter? How can you create sadness and sorrow? Can you create ideas through thinking? Are you able to create something new every day? What makes it new?
Record children’s views/questions for assessment (help from TA /parent/governor)
*
Read creation stories from other cultures and consider the following questions
What is the creator like? Why/how was the world created? What happens next? How is the world described? Why are the humans/animals made? What responsibilities do they have? Why do you think this story might be important to people? What similarities differences are there to the Jewish/ Christian creation story?
*
Write an introduction to a creation story explaining its significance.
*
In RE books or on a display: If you could ask God one question about creation what would it be? (Encourage awe/wonder/creativity – you only get 1 chance to ask the question) Why can’t grass grow as tall as a tree? Why are there so many shades of green? How should we handle precious things? Why are there so many colours in a butterfly’s wing?
*
Art - make close-ups of one amazing thing in creation (poss link to using microscope- ICT) e.g. butterflies wing (display with questions) / AT1L1 I can retell a creation story
AT1L2/3 I can say how that story is significant to believers and how it would affect the way they live
AT1L3/4 I can compare creation stories and see similarities/differences
AT2L2 I can ask and respond sensitively to questions about how Christians choose to live their lives
AT2L3 I can ask questions about the lifestyle and commitments of Christians and compare and contrast these with my own ideas and values
AT2L4 I can describe how creation stories address questions of meaning, purpose, truth and commitment and give my own ideas on the issues raised / Creation stories from other cultures
Creation Stories from round the World by Ann Pilling & Michael Foreman
ISBN 0744537800
TA or other adult to record children’s comments/ questions
Microscope linked to computer or magnifying glasses
Art materials
Assessment Opportunities
See throughout the unit plan
NB it is not the teacher’s responsibility to provide an answer but to enable the children to ask and explore the questions about the meaning and purpose of life and to explore ways in which faith communities explore such questions. It is not so much to look at whether the stories are true but what can other people and ourselves as individuals learn from them
Response to Photos
Paired Work: When I look at a picture, I see what I see, and may miss what you see. Set up observation structures which help pupils listen to the insight of others. This is good for developing empathy. What do they see in the picture? Photos can often provoke and enable a range of responses, and pupils can get deeper insight from these by exploring them together. One way of doing this is to give them ‘post it’ notes, five or six each, and ask them to write comments about the photos, anonymously, then post them around the picture. These comments can become themselves a focus for learning from each other.
- What do you like about your photo?
- What do you dislike?
- What does the photograph make you think about, notice question or consider?
- What else would you like to say about the photograph?
- Choose five questions to ask about your photo. Place your questions in order and explain why your top question is your most important or interesting
Compare and Contrast: Compare and contrast two photographs, looking firstly for similarities, then for differences. Pupils might like to use a Compare and Contrast Frame to help.