Year 1 or Year1/2 on a two year rolling programme
Children will learn about why and how Christians pray and about some Biblical figures who used prayer. Children can talk about why they might pray.
Background Story/ Information
Christians believe prayer is an important part of daily life. Jesus said, ‘When you pray, you talk to God.’ There are different types of prayer. Prayer can be done individually, collectively, and in different settings. (church, home, school, countryside) Jesus taught his disciples how to pray in the words of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesustold a story about having the right attitude when we pray-the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
Cross Curricular Links
Literacy, Art, DT, PSHE and Citizenship,
Speaking and Listening, Numeracy, Science,
ICT, SMSC / Key Vocabulary
Prayer, pray, hymns, Bible, God, Jesus, The Lord’s Prayer
Skills
Investigation – I can find and suggest solutions.
Interpretation – I can develop and expand my own ideas.
Communication – I can empathise with others. / Attitudes
Respect – being sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others
Open mindedness – being willing to learn and gain new understanding
Key Questions
What is prayer?
What is a prayer and what might it look like?
Why do Christians pray?
Learning Objectives
Children will reflect on how we communicate
(with people we see, can’t see, are known/unknown)
Children willlearn that Christians believe prayer is a way of talking and listening to God
Children will listen to a range of simple prayers
Children will learn about what people do when they pray
Children will hear the story of the Pharisee and the publican and will reflect on the attitudes of the two characters.
Learn about the Lord’s Prayer and why it is special for Christians
Learn about how and where a Christian might pray
Learn about why Christians pray and different types of Christian prayer / Possible Teaching/Learning Activities
Lesson 1
Thought shower/in groups draw or write ways to communicate e.g.
-phone
-facial expressions
-writing, letters, postcards, birthday cards etc
-mobile phones, texts
-talking, [ arguing, persuading ,shouting, sympathising, joking…etc]
-listening
-singing
-signing, ask a deaf person to school
Suggestions grouped into
-face to face communication
-communicating with those we cannot see
-communicating with people we don’t know
Look at suggestions in each group and compare the suggestions. What do the children notice?
(The aim is to get the children to understand that they can communicate with people they see,cannot see and are known/unknown.)
Introduce children to the Christian belief that throughprayer they can talk and listen to God,
Lesson 2
Show the children some examples of prayerbooks for children. ( choose some that are less traditional) Read some of the prayers and ask the children which ones they have enjoyed listening to and when they think these prayers might be used e.g.’ before a meal, at bedtime, when someone is ill etc
Talk with the children about who the prayers are addressed to and about how they begin and end.
Discuss with the children when they have seen others pray or when they have prayed themselves.
Invite the children to write a prayer or special thought that could be used at a particular time of day or on a particular occasion. Find an interesting way to display these e.g. on a tree or around a clock signifying different times of the day.
Draw the children’s attention to the fact that some Christians use a pattern of prayer throughout the day[an example of this is the pattern of prayer used by the Northumbria Community and Morning and Evening prayer for Anglicans] or have a regular time when they pray to God.
Light a candle and sit quietly watching the flame. Prayers/reflections that have been written could be read as an end to the lesson.
Lesson 3
Look at examples [pictures/DVD clips] of people praying in different faith communities. What do the children notice about what people do when they pray.
Jesus told a story about 2 men who went to the Temple to pray
Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18 v9-14)
Mr Proud and Mr Sorry (The Big Bible Story Book 1SBN 978 1 844 27 22 80. A more child friendly version)
A Pharisee [religious leader] who boasts when he prays about how wonderful he is. He expects that God will be very proud of him. The second man is a Tax Collector [much hated by many] When the tax collector prays, he recognises how great God is. He acknowledgesthe wrong things that he has done for which he is sorry.
Act out the story. Think about the body language for the characters. The Pharisee standing tall, chest out, head high. The Tax Collector bowed down, head low and eyes down.
Photograph drama.
OR
Make a collage/drawing of the characters from the story. The children could add their own version of the Pharisee and Tax Collector’s prayer in a speech bubble.
Which man, would Christians say, talked to God in the right way? The Pharisee or the tax Collector? Why?
Discuss with the children why they think Christians bow their heads or kneel down when they pray
Lesson 4
Jesus spent a lot of time talking and listening to God. His friends wanted to be able to do the same and asked Jesus what they should say to God when they prayed.
Jesus gave His friends a special prayer that they could use.
Do the children know what it is?
Read the Lord’s Prayer. (Luke 11 v2-4)
Explain the meaning of each line as you read it. Possibly use The Lord’s Prayer retold by Lois Rock [Lion publication] Draw out the following ideas as you explore the prayer with the children:
In the Lord’s Prayer -
- Jesus said we should pray to God our father reminding Christians that God loves everyone as a parent loves a child.
- God should be honoured and praised by Christians when they pray.
- Christians pray for God’s goodness and love to rule in the world
- Christians ask God for the provision of their daily needs e.g. food, shelter etc.
- Christians ask forgiveness for failing to do, say or think what is right recognising that they should also forgive others when they are wronged.
- Christians ask for help to do, think and say the right things and to be protected from harm.
- The prayer ends by acknowledging the power and glory of God.
Light a candle and sit quietly watching the flame. Quietly listen to the words of the Lord’s Prayer together
OR
Ask your local priest, or a member of the local church, to come and talk about the Lord’s Prayer and what it means to them.
.
Lesson 5
Prepare the highlighted questions on pieces of card
Where do Christians pray?
-church
-school
-home
-outside
Can you pray anywhere?
When do Christianspray?
Do Christians alwaysspeak aloud?
Do Christians always pray together?
Does prayer always involve words?
In groups draw/thought shower/write ideas.
Share ideas and add suggestions.
Now look at some pictures of Christians praying or of artefacts that help Christians pray. If you have a set of artefacts associated with prayer pupils could undertake an artefact investigation
Are there any other ideas you can add to your list. What do these pictures/artefacts tell you about how Christians pray?
You could include pictures/artefacts from a range of Christian traditions which demonstrate different approaches to prayer e.g. using icons, using a rosary, using a votive candle, using a prayer card, lifting hands, kneeling, and sung prayer, sitting quietly.
See
PCET photopack
Design a simple leaflet about how/where Christians pray – include some drawings of artefacts or places where Christians might pray.
OR
Sometimes prayer candles have a picture on them e.g. a Christian symbol. Children could draw a design for a prayer candle
OR
Many Christians create a special place in their homes where they like to be quiet and pray. This might include a comfortable place to kneel or sit and some objects to help them pray e.g. prayer cards/books, Bible, music CD, candle.
Design a ‘prayer corner’ that you think a Christian might like to use for quiet reflection and prayer – what objects would you include?
Lesson 6
Different kinds of prayers.
Prayers can be for anything. Christians believeit is having a conversation with God. When Christians pray they often find a quiet place to sit and think about what they want to share with God.
Find a selection of prayers that cover as many different themes. Read some to the children or the children read some to themselves or with a partner.
- praise (what a wonderful world you have made for us)
- thank you (thank you God for this new day)
- asking (please God, can you help me to be brave?)
- saying sorry (I am very sorry for hurting my friend)
- awe and wonder (these flowers are so beautiful they make me smile)
- healing (God please help my Nan to feel better)
Model some everyday statements that convey these sentiments.
Write a simple prayer.
OR
An acrostic poem using the word ‘prayer’.
OR
Design a banner with a simple prayer phrase.
OR
Go for a ‘Senses Walk’. What do you see, hear, feel or smell? Draw or write what you did. What sort of prayer might a Christian sayin response to a Senses Walk?
Light a candle and sit quietly for a few minutes watching the flame. Listen again to the words of the Lord’s Prayer and think about the different sorts of prayer which are important to Christians e.g. Praise, saying sorry, asking for help etc. / Learning Outcomes
I can
recognise different ways of communicating
I can talk about what I find interesting in the way that people communicate with each other.
I can talk about what I find interesting or helpful about the prayers I have listened to or know.
I can recognise that prayer is important to some people.
I can talk about which prayers might be suitable for different occasions
I can talk about the different ways in which people pray.
I can recall the story of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector and I can respond to the feelings and attitudes of the two characters.
I can recall that the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer that Jesus taught His followers (Christians)
I can recognise that a Christian prayer may take place in a range of different settings.
I can talk about the ways in which Christians might choose to pray – alone, with others, silently, out loud.
I can recall some of the different types of prayer that Christians use
I can respond sensitively to the importance of prayer for many people. / Resources
Paper, pencils, pictures of phones, computers, cards, mobile phone, Braille.
Book of Children’s’ prayers
see section ‘pray the office’
see section on ‘Daily prayer’
Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18 v9-14)
Mr Proud and Mr Sorry (The Big Bible Story Book 1SBN 978 1 844 27 22 80. A more child friendly version)
Bible or The Big Bible Story Book, camera
The Lord’s Prayer Unplugged by Lucy Moore
The Lord’s Prayer by Lois Rock
Exploring the Lord’s Prayer with Maximus Mouse
The Lord’s Prayer retold by Lois Rock
Lion publication
0 7459 3901 5
The Lord’s Prayer, Come and Praise CD, or a sung version e.g. the version on the Celtic Daily Prayer CD from the Northumbria Community.
for information about Christian prayer – look under ‘Do what?’ section. This includes information on the Lord’s Prayer; positions for prayer; what Jesus taught about prayer
Photopack e.g.
PCET Photopack Christianity or Folens Accessing Religious Education series – Photobook 2 and Big Book 2
Assessment Opportunities
I can recall elements of a Bible story which show people talking with God
I can recognize that Christians believe they can talk and listen to God through prayer
I can talk about some ways in which I communicate
I can give examples of how Christians pray and the sort of prayers they use.