The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Cambridgeshire

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1 Title: Why do people go on Pilgrimages? The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Cambridgeshire Year Group: Y3/4 A Suggested Christianity School Development Unit 1

2 Materials to Support The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education in Cambridgeshire For the Teacher - The Christian beliefs and teaching in this Unit When following the Y3/4 unit on Worship in this set of SDUs pupils will probably have come to the conclusion that worshipping God can take place anywhere or at any time that s absolutely right of course, but for some people the place where one worships can be of great importance, whether it s one s own home shrine or a huge basilica. What makes pilgrimage destinations special is that they are places which many people over many generations have regarded as important to a religion, usually because of their association with the life of the founder of a faith or a key spiritual leader. Often they are places where special events or miracles have been known to have happened and the faithful pilgrim, in some small way, wants to be a part of that. The journey itself is a great act of religious devotion it is both a physical and a spiritual journey and the pilgrim will feel their spiritual life has been enhanced by both the hardship they have gone through and the blessing of seeing the holy place with their own eyes. They have visited a place where, in a spiritual sense, heaven feels closer to earth; it has been both a real and a symbolic journey. The tradition of pilgrimage is especially strong in faiths such as Islam with the Hajj to Mecca, and it is sometimes forgotten that Christianity has an equally ancient tradition of pilgrimage; in fact there are written records of pilgrimages to Jerusalem from Western Europe as early as the fourth century, when the practice was clearly already well established. In Cambridgeshire itself the great Fenland monasteries were bustling centres of pilgrimage right up until the Dissolution. At Ely the tradition of visiting the burial place of the monastery s holy (and royal) founder Etheldreda began very soon after her death in A.D. 679 and still carries on today although not in the same numbers. (Although one could argue that modern tourists are in many ways the successors of the medieval pilgrims if they come with a religious interest it is the intention which turns a journey into a pilgrimage.. and of course you can actually book holidays which are also pilgrimages.) Remember that the term pilgrimage is also used of secular journeys which have a significant, often personally moving, purpose for example a war veteran returning to visit the graves of fallen comrades would certainly feel himself to be on a pilgrimage. Life is also a journey and can certainly be described in similar terms to a pilgrimage: Celtic monks once spent their lives on perigrinatio a constant physical journey to match their constant spiritual journeying. If you do undertake a visit to Ely Cathedral as part of this unit, then ask about the meaning of the Way of Life sculpture under the West Tower to continue with this theme. Pilgrimage is.. an exterior journey and an interior journey. a geographical journey.and a spiritual journey.. a real journey,,,,,,,,, and a symbolic journey.. 2

3 Extra Ideas and Resources The unit is still in draft form, and it is certain that you will have many creative ideas about better ways of presenting elements of the enquiry, arranging assessments, or even better enquiry questions altogether! If you have any ideas to share or comments to make we would welcome feedback before the materials go into their final printed form (i.e. by Summer Term 2014) please send your comments to Here are some suggestions made by people who have already worked on and trialled the materials: Beginning with the AT2 Also at Ely Cathedral Rather than going straight into special religious places, it helps to talk about places the children have visited which are special to them first perhaps make a display of holiday postcards, or draw their own special place (real or imagined). The cathedral offers a medieval pilgrimage role play (including great dressing up costumes!) and you can book them to bring this out to your school as part of a cathedral roadshow. less expensive than the coach! 3

4 UNIT TITLE: Why do people go on pilgrimages? Key Question: What is a pilgrimage? Learning Objectives Suggested Teaching and Learning Learning Outcomes (Can be written as success criteria) To understand why Christians will choose to go on pilgrimage to a special place Talk about together: Where in the world can you find God? Are there any special places you know where people go to be alone and pray, or because something special happened there? Create a class list of special places like this that pupils would like to go to or return to and why. Watch together the video on the children on pilgrimage to Lourdes (BBC Learning Zone clip 2879). Make a list of the other pilgrimage places named in the video and record what the children on the video felt about going on pilgrimage. I can tell the story of a visit to a special place and I can ask why people make these journeys. I can describe how Christians make journeys to special places (churches) and I can link how they feel with how I feel when I go somewhere special to me. I can explain the difference between the idea of pilgrimage and an ordinary journey and I can suggest what makes some places more special than others for people. Pilgrimage is more than a physical journey, it is a journey of the heart and a spiritual experience be aware that pupils personal faith stances should not be deliberately compromised as part of this enquiry. The introductory discussion invites a wide number of responses, including pupils talking of intimate personal or family experiences. Feeling an affinity with nature may also feature here. e/clips/2879.html - the first half is on pilgrimages, the second part is a discussion on miracles (not necessary at this point of the enquiry) 4

5 Key Question: Where do Christians choose to go on Pilgrimage? Learning Objectives To be able to identify and explain the important features of a pilgrimage centre Suggested Teaching and Learning Small group work (one centre per group) explore the different places Christians may choose to go on pilgrimage. Create a working map of the Christian world as a display and add notes against the sites which answer the questions Why here? What are three important things pilgrims should see or do here? Share the information with each other noting similarities and differences in what has been selected. Learning Outcomes (Can be written as success criteria) I can identify special items in a pilgrimage church and ask questions about them. I can describe the key features of a particular place of pilgrimage and identify why pilgrims would want to see them I can make comparisons between different places of pilgrimage and ask questions about what makes them special hatpilgrimage/places/places01.htm is a helpful introduction to pilgrimage for KS2 which includes links to several other websites, including Walsingham. If you are planning a visit to Ely Cathedral or Walsingham as part of this enquiry, make sure that one group is working on this site. If you intend to undertake a pilgrimage to your local or nearby church instead then this should also be referenced. See also what_are_cathedrals_for.html 5

6 Key Question: Can we plan our own pilgrimage? Learning Objectives To be able to research and prepare for a real pilgrimage Suggested Teaching and Learning Decide from your world map where you will go on pilgrimage (there should only be one answer if you are physically going or plenty of choice if it is a journey of the imagination). Brainstorm - What do we need for the journey and when we get there? Group work creating all that is necessary for the pilgrimage. And make the pilgrimage either in reality or through role play. Learning Outcomes (Can be written as success criteria) I can identify what is necessary for a pilgrimage and respond appropriately to other people s suggestions. I can plan and create different items to help myself and others prepare for a pilgrimage and ask and answer religious questions about what is needed I can show my understanding of what is necessary for a pilgrimage and apply my knowledge creatively Preparation tasks for the pilgrimage include: Researching the route you will need to take drawing a map noting any special Christian places you should pass on the way (could these pupils do a commentary on the actual journey?) Writing prayers to be used setting out on the journey and on reaching the destination. (prayer cards?) Producing a service for use at the church (and leading it?) Researching and creating enough pilgrim badges for everyone to be given one on completion of the pilgrimage. Creating a list of must see items at the destination and writing to the destination about what you would like to be shown and why. Note if visiting Ely Cathedral it is particularly relevant to the theme to ask to see the Way of Life sculpture and to use the Labyrinth the cathedral also has a portable Labyrinth which can be brought to your school on the roadshow. 6

7 Key Question: How is being a pilgrim different from being a tourist? Learning Objectives Suggested Teaching and Learning Learning Outcomes (Can be written as success criteria) To be able to differentiate between pilgrimage and holiday tourism Discuss your pilgrimage or pilgrimage reenactment and your own reactions to the journey and destination. Compare this with holidays you have been on. If you have actually undertaken a journey you may have noticed tourists at the site you visited. how was what they were doing different from what you were doing? Create a chart showing the differences between pilgrims and tourists. Relate this back to the main enquiry question (assessment). I can retell what happened on our pilgrimage and how I felt about it. I can describe how different people reacted to our pilgrimage place, depending on whether they were pilgrims or tourists, and link this with personal beliefs or feelings. I can show my understanding of the difference between being a pilgrim and being a tourist and apply this understanding to explain why people go on pilgrimages Christianity is not the only faith in which pilgrimage plays an important part and this enquiry can be extended by relating the key questions to other faiths. 7