ASU Title: A Celebration of Christian Education Key Stage: 1 Year Groups: Length of unit: 6 lessons Lesson Title of lesson Main points of content / Bible references for Christianity units 1 INTRODUCTORY LESSON Why is my teacher special? 2 3 4 Why did people call Jesus Teacher? How did Jesus teach? How did the idea of Christian schools begin? 5 What does it mean to be a church school today? 6 CELEBRATION & EVALUATION Use a story book to explore the role of the teacher. By focusing on the children s own experiences of teachers, identify the teacher s role not just in teaching academic knowledge but in helping them to learn how to be good citizens and happy members of the community. Review the children s knowledge and understanding of who Jesus was and what He did. Ensure the concept of Jesus the teacher is unpacked, exploring very simply some of the basic teachings given in the Sermon on the Mount. Discuss the way Jesus used stories to help him teach and introduce the concept of a parable. Use drama to explore one such story and discuss together why Jesus told the story and what we learn from it. Link this session with the children s understanding of history, identifying times when not all children went to school. Highlight through the telling of a story e.g. Hannah More, how Christian education began in Sunday Schools and has developed and continued through the years. Identify your school s link with your local church. How do people know you are a church school and how is the link shown practically? e.g. through the Incumbent s visit to school assemblies, visits to the church, pictures in the entrance hall. Revisit the concept of what does our teacher teach us? Assess whether the children have understood the importance of learning Christian values and attitudes as well as academic knowledge. Using material from previous weeks make a display to celebrate the fact that they enjoy a free Christian education.
Notes / Background to the unit: As the National Society celebrates 200 years of free education for all started by Christians in this country, it is a good opportunity to celebrate the role of Christian education in this land. This unit can be integrated with programmes of study in history If a visit to the local church is part for your normal RE cycle, it will fit comfortably into this unit. Links with the local church community can be highlighted through the delivery and outworking of this unit. The culmination of this unit is a display celebrating the nature of our church schools and the idea of free education. Arrangements could be made to have this displayed in the local church.
Lesson: 1 of 6 Lesson title: Why is my teacher special? Skills being developed: Reflection: Expression: Evaluation; Investigation that school is a place of learning that there are many things in life that we need to learn that their teacher is special because he/she is the one who helps them learn The book: I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child ISBN: 780763624033 There are a number of similar stories about First Day at School; any of these may be used as an alternative If you are making the collage you will need a large piece of paper, a variety of materials for collage, scissors, glue and glue spreaders. Read I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child, or any similar book, focusing on a child s first day at school. Reflection: Discuss with the children their memories and feelings about their first day at school. Investigation: Explore with the class on the reasons why they need to come to school. Try to bring the discussion to a conclusion which identifies that there are things that they need to learn and school is the place where they do this.. In groups, or with partners create a list of all the different things that they learn at school Review the lists identifying similarities and differences. Using the suggestions the children have made identify and list the different types of learning that are necessary basic skills, knowledge of our world, appreciation & skills of creativity etc Highlight the fact that as well as these things we need to learn how to behave, how to be good / nice people, how to treat others etc. Expression: If time - create a full life collage of the teacher and around the edge place captions identifying the different things that their teacher has taught them. OR use drama to role play teachers and learners and some of the different things they have been taught Plenary/Extending the thinking: Evaluation: Look again at the list of things they learn at school which do they think is most important e.g. to learn to read or to be kind: to learn how to spell words or to share with others. Know that school is a place of learning and understand that their teacher is the person who helps them to learn (AT2L1) Identify their need to learn other things in life as well as reading, writing and maths and be able to identify them (AT2L2) Be able to comment and make judgements about the relative value of different types of learning. (AT2L3)
Lesson: 2 of 6 Skills being developed: Expression: Interpretation: Lesson title: Why did people call Jesus Teacher? That Jesus taught His followers about the way they should live. That some of Jesus teaching was very different from what people thought before He came That Christians today try to follow Jesus teaching in the way they treat other people You will need to refer to The Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7 Prepare a poster with some of Jesus teachings listed on it. Provide poster paper and drawing materials Work out beforehand how you can darken the room Have ready a candle in a holder and matches/lighter. Be aware of the health and safety implications when lighting the candle Ask the children what they know about Jesus. Spend a few minutes listening to the facts they can re-count. Ask the group if they know what Jesus friends called Him? their Lord, Master, Friend, Teacher Focus on the title Teacher and review the previous week s session when they thought about their teachers. Produce and review the list produced in the previous week showing the many things their teachers teach them. Compare and contrast this with the things Jesus taught. Did He teach reading? or writing? or PE? or art? or history? No, but Jesus did teach people how to be loving people. Introduce the story of Jesus meeting with His disciples on the hills in Galilee (as recorded in Matthew Ch.5-7.) when He sat down on the hillside and began to teach them. Choose four or five of the teachings reflected in these chapters and relevant to your age group and list them on a chart e.g. love your enemies (5:44); don t fight back (5:39): don t worry (5: 25-31): don t judge others (7:1): don t get angry (5:22). Discuss these teachings briefly and appropriately for the age group you are teaching. Expression: Make a circle and tell everyone to stand with backs facing the inside of the circle ready to turn inwards and mime. Using the teachings of Jesus as concepts to be explored ask the children to demonstrate in frozen mime the opposite of the concept and then the concept itself e.g. 1. a hateful face and body/ a face and body showing great love 2. an angry, fighting frozen mime/ a gentle, accepting mime when someone else is angry etc Ask everyone to design a poster illustrating one of the lessons Jesus taught. Plenary/Extending the thinking: Make the room as dark as you can (pull the blinds, turn off lights). Light a candle and put it in front of the group. Interpretation: Remind the group of Jesus conversation and teaching on the hillside and read Matthew 5:14a and ask what they think Jesus meant... when He said You are the light that gives light to the world. Listen to their responses and refer to 5:16 in summary. Know that people called Jesus Teacher and recount simply how he taught His disciples (AT1 L1) Identify some of the teachings given in the Sermon on the Mount (AT1L2) Understand what Jesus meant when He said we were to be light to the world.(at1l3)
Lesson: 3 of 6 Lesson title: How did Jesus teach? Skills being developed: Investigation; Expression: Interpretation That Jesus was a Teacher who taught people about God s way That Jesus told stories called parables That Jesus parables all had meanings that helped people to learn about God and how He wants us to live. Children tend to confuse miracles stories of what Jesus did, with parables -- stories He told. Keep these definitions clear. o The meanings of some parables are not easily understandable by children in this age group so choose suitable parables e.g. The Lost sheep (Luke 15: 1-7) The Lost Coin (Luke 15:8-10) The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-34). o Interactive DVD Puppets n Parables available from Resources Centre 01483 484913 Ask the children to tell their partners the names of all the teachers they know. They may include teachers from pre-school settings or teachers their brothers or sisters have had etc. Spend a few minutes receiving feedback and listening to the names. See if any of the children include Jesus in their list, if not remind them of the previous week s session about Jesus teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Investigation: Ask the class how their teachers make their learning fun and how they help them to remember things they are teaching them? e.g. they show pictures, they use the interactive white board, they let the children have apparatus, they use a mnemonic Refer back to Jesus He used to make His teaching interesting by telling stories. Ask the group if they know any of the stories Jesus told. Take care to differentiate between stories about Jesus and stories Jesus told. Teach the children that the stories He told were called parables and they were all meant to help the people who heard them understand something. Choose one of the parables and tell it/ show it on DVD e.g. the Unforgiving Servant on Puppets n Parables and other DVDs available from Resources Expression: Encourage the children to re-enact or mime the story either in groups or with all taking the main part as you narrate the story. Plenary/ Extending the thinking: Gather the group together and revisit the main facts in the parable Interpretation: Help the children to unpack the teaching behind the story. What was Jesus trying to teach about God or about the way we should live e.g. God forgives us if we do something that displeases Him but He wants us to forgive others if they do wrong to us. Be able to retell one of Jesus parables (AT1L1) Be able to retell a parable and explain its meaning. (AT1L2) Be able to explain how this aspect of teaching/this parable applies to them (AT2L3)
Lesson: 4 of 6 Lesson title: How did the idea of Christian schools with free education for all begin? That education has not always been free That free education for all began with Christians from local churches wanting to help That now all children can go to school and have free education in Britain Make a list of fair and unfair statements for use in the introduction Research the impact of a key motivator in the introduction of free education e.g. Hannah More / Robert Raikes see www.infed.org/walking/wa-raikes or www.infed.org/thinkers/more.htm Find a film/power point showing Victorian classroom e.g. www.bbc.co.uk/primaryhistory/victorian Look up your school history to see if you have a story to tell. Skills being developed: Empathy: Reflection: Expression Empathy: Play a game highlighting fairness. Make a list of statements which the class must declare to be fair (thumbs up) or not fair (thumbs down) e.g. All the blue eyed boys can have a sweet. Those who have not finished their work must stay in to finish it. Divide the children into two groups boys and girls. Ask the boys to come and sit near you ready for a lesson ignore the girls! Identify the fact that when Jesus was a boy only the boys went to school girls stayed at home and did the housework! -was that fair or not fair? Here in England at one time only rich people went to school because you had to pay and the poor children did not have enough money was that fair or not fair? Some churches started Sunday Schools to teach children about the Bible; but as the people could not read they started teaching them to read too Later some of the people in the local churches started to build schools so that everyone could learn (reading, writing, rithmetic and religion) without having to pay. EVERYONE could go to school. We call this free education Tell the abridged story of Hannah More/ Robert Raikes or of a local educational philanthropist associated with the start of your own school. Show a film of a Victorian classroom Expression: Dramatise some aspects of education from the turn of the century lining up, straight backs, nail inspection, P.T. in lines, writing on slates, sitting in straight lines, rote learning of e.g. a Bible verse. If appropriate make links with the history curriculum. Plenary/ Extending the thinking: Empathy: Sit quietly and imagine that you were poor and you could not go to school What would you miss? How would you feel? Reflection: Remember the people like Hannah More/Robert Raikes/local philanthropist who made it possible for everyone to have education Identify one thing that is fair and one thing that is unfair in the world today (AT2L1) Understand the circumstances which motivated Christian pioneers to provide free education for all (AT2L2) Compare their education with that of someone at the turn of the century and know what made the difference (AT2L3)
Lesson: 5 of 6 Lesson title: What does it mean to be a church school today? Skills being developed: Investigation: Empathy: Expression: Reflection That their school is a church school That church schools foster Christian values and attitudes That local Christians want to provide Christian education for the children in their community If possible arrange to go and visit the local church linked to your school If this is not possible try to arrange for the local incumbent / foundation governor to visit the class Brief any visitor about the purpose of the unit Have to hand the posters made in week 3 Prepare paper for the children s prayers remembering that they may be used for display purposes Ask the children what their school is called Take them to see a notice board or display that records the full name of the school including its church school affiliation Revisit the story heard in the previous week of how free Christian education began and make the link that your school is a Church school. Identify the church to which your school is attached, identifying the link if the name is the same. Show a picture of the church, or even better go and visit the church, or invite a representative to join you for the session Investigate: Challenge the children to identify the things they do with / for / at the church e.g. end of term services, visits from clergy/governors who are members of the church Identify the fact that because your school is a church school, the teachers think that it is important for the children to learn many things including the things that Jesus taught us when He lived on earth. (refer to the teaching in weeks 2 and 3). Show the posters made in week 3 Explore how your school rules / expectations reflect some of the teachings of Jesus Identify some of the things people do in church worship, sing hymns, say prayers, help the needy and explore how the school does the same things. Recall the previous week s input remembering that children did not always have the right to free education Expression: Invite the children to write prayers thanking God for their schools, their teachers, their church, their free education Plenary /Extending the thinking : Empathy: Sit quietly and imagine what it would be like if they did not have a school to go to If you have a link with a school abroad identify some of the differences e.g. do they have to pay for their schooling, books, equipment? Reflection: is there any way we can make a difference to this? Know that their school is a Church school and be able to identify how they know this (AT2L1) Explain how some of the Christian values taught by Jesus/ the church are reflected in their school rules/code of conduct (AT2L2) Identify what might make a church school different from some others and how this might affect them (AT2L3)
Lesson: 6 of 6 Evaluation lesson: That their school is special That Church schools think it is important to teach Christian values and attitudes That free Christian education has been available in this country for 200 years Information about the National Society s 200 th anniversary can be found at http://www.natsoc200.org.uk/ You will need the children s work from weeks 1,3 & 5 Have ready large speech bubbles for the children to write in, felts or access to computers Organise a space in school or church where this celebration board can be displayed When discussing the specialness of their schools, listen carefully to the responses to help you assess the level of their understanding CELEBRATION & EVALUATION Skills being developed: Investigation; Reflection: Expression Investigation/Reflection: Display the question What is special about (our) Church school(s)? Allow the children to reflect on this quietly and then share some of their responses. Talk to the children about birthdays. Have they ever been to a birthday party for someone who was very old? Listen to their experiences! Introduce the fact that it is 200 years since a group of Christians first agreed that everyone should have a free education and a school to go to it s a kind of birthday We want to celebrate it. We have no (birthday) cards to put up but we could make a display so everyone who comes into the building knows about it. Investigation: Ask the children what they would want to say is special about their school / teachers. Some children will be at a very personal stage of development and this will be reflected in their responses but try to move the discussion to facts that reflect your Christian ethos/roots. Expression: Give each child a speech bubble in which they can write their thoughts (boldly in felt/or using ICT) Gather together the teacher collage made in week 1, the posters designed in week 3 and the prayers written in week 5 and discuss how these could be displayed with their speech bubbles Plenary/ Extending the thinking: Investigation: In pairs let the children consider What caption would they like to go on their display? Listen to their suggestions and reflect o Does it say their school is special? o Does it reflect that the school is a church school? Does it remind people that we want to celebrate 200 years of free education? Know that their school is special and be able to identify one thing that makes it so (AT2L1) Understand that the school s link with the local church influences their school s attitudes and values (AT2L2) Appreciate the contribution made by Christians in a different age to their ability to access free education (AT2L3)