Otterton C of E Primary School

Pat Fowler

Christianity in Action

This unit of work was planned for a class of mixed ability years 4,5 and 6 children over half a term. Links with ICT were used wherever possible but more particularly where they added to the RE content of the lesson rather than for the sake of using it.

We began by exploring through discussion what groups the children belonged to and what belonging to that group meant to them. The children were split into small groups to brainstorm their ideas of:

• what ‘belonging’ to a group meant,
• how members of a group know how to behave
• what the expectations of belonging to that group were.

They came up with a comprehensive list of ideas, which were discussed at length during the plenary session. We concluded with a short discussion of what is meant by ‘commitment’.

We then began to think of the ‘Church’ as a group to which many people belong. The concept of a ‘faith community’ was introduced and leading on from the previous weeks discussions the children were asked to discuss what rules or guidelines they thought Christians followed. This led to a short discussion on the rules laid out in the bible (the Ten Commandments) and what they mean to us today. Reading the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), their attention was drawn to verses 27 and 28 and they were asked to decide what ‘your neighbour’ would mean today?

• In groups of 5/6 they created a short drama which illustrated their ideas of a modern day Good Samaritan. These performances were videoed.
• Using Microsoft Publisher, they created posters giving the message ‘Love Your Neighbour’.
• Using Microsoft Word they wrote out their own versions of the story and illustrated them using appropriate clipart.
• Using a cassette recorder they interviewed the local vicar about the work of the church in the local community.

Taking a more global view, the work of Christian charities was investigated using the Internet.

• Suitable sites were chosen by me and loaded onto the class favourites file so that the children could access them when they needed.
• Web pages were downloaded onto disk to enable children to research specific pieces of information when access to the net was impossible.
• Children were given time to explore the chosen sites for themselves to familiarise themselves with how they work.
• Through discussion, we decided what information about the charities we were interested in finding out.
• The children then explored given sites with a specific focus.
• Using Microsoft Word and the web page on a split screen, they produced their answers, importing pictures and graphics from the site into their work where appropriate, and using the information to write their own answers. They were discouraged from copying pieces of text directly into their work. Where the site had a school’s page these were used, as the language was more appropriate for the younger children.
• Activities were downloaded and carried out by the children in the classroom.

Useful web-sites used were:

www.cafod.org.uk/  (Banana Factfile, Water, findout.)

www.salvationarmy.org.uk/mustardseeds

www.ccfgb.org.uk/

www.christianaid.org/

www.helptheaged.org.uk/

Issues arising from the project.

• Access to the Internet. It was not always possible to gain access at the time available.
• Suitability of sites. The sites visited were not necessarily written for children. I found it useful to explore the sites and select the pages I felt were the most suitable. These pages were added to the class favourites folder so that they could access them directly. Certain pages were downloaded so the children could access them directly from their folder on the hard disk.
• Ensuring that the main focus of each lesson was RE and not ICT.

Quality of children’s work.

The work encouraged:

• high quality discussion,
• a deeper understanding of how beliefs affect action and behaviour and what it means to be a member of a faith group.
• a clearer understanding of the work of the different charities which was enhanced through their use of the Internet
• their ability to relate issues arising in today’s society to the meaning of the original story
• reflection about those in who are in need today and how they could help.
• respect for the beliefs and values of others in society.

About this Unit

Children will learn that their beliefs affect action and behaviour; that Christians base their behaviour on the teaching of Jesus and the guidance of the Church. They will learn what commitment to a religious group may involve and consider the values held by others, particularly religious groups and individuals.

Estimated time for this unit: 6 hours

EXPECTATIONS

Assessment in this unit will be focused in attainment target 1 on knowledge and understanding of religious practice, and in attainment target 2 on the skills associated with values and commitments   At the end of this unit, most pupils will Be able to describe what is involved in being a member of a faith community and to recognise that Christians believe that their behaviour and choices should be based on their faith. (Level 4)   Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: Be able to describe how some features of religious life are practised and be able to recognise that values and commitments affect the way that people live and make links with their own values and commitments. (Level 3)   Some pupils will have progressed further and will: Explain how religious life and practice make a difference to the lives of individuals and communities, and begin to express their own ideas and beliefs in relation to moral questions. They will be able to respond to other people’s values and commitments in the context of their learning. (Level 5) In addition, there are some expected outcomes which will not be assessed Recognition of the spiritual dimension in human life. Respecting the importance of the beliefs and values of others. Responses to questions of pupils’ own beliefs, values and commitments.

 

Key questions	Learning Objectives Pupils should learn:	Possible teaching activities	Learning Outcomes pupils	Points to note Links
What groups do I belong to?   What does belonging to a group mean? What is my role within the group? How do I show commitment to the group?	We all belong to groups.   What is meant by ‘commitment’ to a group.   That belonging to group entails following rules, beliefs and values and having to make choices based on these rules, beliefs and values.	Brainstorm (whole class) – what groups do they think they belong to. In small groups discuss how they know how to behave in a group. How do rules help them to make decisions about how to behave, (class or school rules, Cub Scout, Brownie/Guide laws etc.) Share ideas and make class list of groups the children belong to. IT:	Pupils will know what is meant by commitment, and the importance of following the beliefs and values of a group.
How do the beliefs and teachings of Christ underpin the actions of Christians? What are the teachings of Christ about neighbours?	That the Church is a family or group and that Christian beliefs and values are based on the teachings of Christ.   That Christians believe that all people are our neighbours to be treated and loved as we treat and love ourselves.	Read the two commands of Jesus (Luke 10 vs 27,28) Discuss what Jesus meant by ‘your neighbour’. Discuss what Jesus meant by telling the story. In small groups discuss who might be considered a ‘neighbour’ today and what this story could teach Christians about their behaviour towards their neighbour.	Pupil will be able to explain the importance and significance of the teaching of Jesus to the beliefs and values underpinning the Christian way of life.
Who is my neighbour? (2 weeks)	That the stories Jesus told can be used to teach a way of life.	IT: design a poster (verse 27 and 28). Interview a member of a local church about the work of the church in the community and the beliefs and values that underpin that work.
How do Christians serve their neighbour? In what ways does the church serve / help the community? (2 weeks)	About the work of different Christian charities and understand why Christians are involved in this type of work. Christian beliefs affect their behaviour and actions. Understand the link between the teaching of Jesus and the action of Christians.	Research the work of various Christian charities: CAFOD Christian Aid Tear Fund Salvation Army Church of England Children’s Society Using the INTERNET Write to different charities requesting information / pamphlets etc. using email attachments. Ask children to write an answer to the question ‘Why and how do Christians help others’?	Pupils will be able to discuss the work of a number of Christian charities and explain how the teaching of Jesus and the action of Christians are linked.	Split screen technique