Essex County Council explore Essex scheme of work for RE at Key Stage 1 Summer term topic on SPECIAL THINGS IN NATURE (designed for Year 1 pupils but could be used with Year 2 pupils if a two year cycle is being used with mixed age classes) Key questions Personal experience - What aspects of the natural world can we enjoy around us? How can we help to look after the natural world? - How do we feel in response to the wonder and beauty of the natural world? Christianity - How do Christians believe the world began? - How do Christians believe we should treat the natural world? - What stories of Jesus and Christian hymns help us to think about the beauty of the natural world? - Who was Saint Francis of Assisi? What sort of relationship did he have with things in nature? - Why did Saint Francis think the natural world was special? Key questions (either Hinduism or Islam or both): Hinduism - What nature gods do Hindus have and why do they have them? - How (according to one Hindu creation story) do Hindus say many things in nature came into existence? Islam - Why is the cave on Mount Hira such a special place for Muslims? - How do Muslims remember what happened at the cave during Laylat al-qadr? - What do stories about Muhammad and animals tell us about him and his beliefs? N.B. The material below is not meant to be covered in the order in which it appears. The order is for teachers to determine.
Personal experience What aspects of the natural world can we enjoy around us? Organise the children to undertake trails of the natural world, e.g. in their gardens, school grounds and parks. Record the seasonal changes taking place through photos, drawings, images from magazines and newspapers: longer days, flowers, blossoming trees, young birds and animals. - Science Group and display their findings. Ask the children to identify aspects of nature they experience and particularly enjoy. Make a class display featuring pictures of the children and their responses to the natural world. - Spiritual development How can we help to look after the natural world? How do we feel in response to the wonder and beauty of the natural world? Discuss ways in which the children can care for and contribute to the natural world, e.g. by using litter bins, clearing rubbish, walking to school, planting bulbs and seeds. Create banners and posters for display. Show the children film clips illustrating the beauty of the natural world and evoking a sense of awe and wonder. Examples of suitable DVDs/Blu-rays include programmes from the BBC Natural History Unit (David Attenborough s wildlife programmes) and films such as Microcosmos and March of the Penguins. - Moral and social development - Spiritual development
Christianity How do Christians believe the world and everything in it began? Using a children s Bible or picture book retellings, read the story of creation found at the start of the Bible (Genesis chapter 1 chapter 2 verse 4). Discuss the different aspects of creation included. Ask the children to think about the most important point for the people who wrote the story: that the world did not come into existence by accident, there was a creator behind its beginning. Explain that some people, including Christians and other religious believers, believe that God created How do Christians believe we should treat the natural world? everything and that others do not believe this. Retell the story through words, pictures, mobiles or drama. Discuss what Christians believe God meant when he said, [Human beings] will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting [human beings] in charge of the fish, the birds and all the wild animals (Genesis 1:28). This is generally understood to mean that human beings have a responsibility to care for the world and all living creatures., art and design, drama What stories of Jesus and Christian hymns help us to think about the beauty of the natural world? Read/tell some of the stories of Jesus that evoke a sense of awe and wonder in response to the beauty of the natural world. At Key Stage 1 it is important to let the children enjoy the stories at face value rather than delving into their inner meaning, an exploration more suitable for Key Stage 2. Suitable stories include the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-13), the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, Luke 13:18-19) and the lilies of the field (Matthew 6:25-34). (These stories may be found by googling Essex SACRE and going to Key Stage 1 Stories from world religions.) Read/sing Christian hymns celebrating the beauty of the natural world and thanking God for his creation, e.g. All things bright and beautiful, Morning has broken, When God made the garden of creation, We plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land. Discuss the statements of faith contained in the hymns and make the point that some people believe that God created everything while others do not. In response, children could create pictures showing the beauty of the natural world., music
Christianity (continued) Who was Saint Francis of Assisi? What sort of relationship did Saint Francis have with things in nature? Why did Saint Francis think the natural world was special? Show the children pictures or devotional statues of Saint Francis of Assisi. Ask, What do you notice about him? When and where do you think he lived? Why is he dressed like that? Who do you think he might be? Explain that Saint Francis of Assisi lived in Italy about 500 years ago. He gave up all his possessions and devoted himself to helping the poor, the sick and the needy in the service of God. His followers are called Franciscan friars, meaning brothers. Tell the children about Saint Francis and his relationship with nature: how he called all things in the natural world his brothers and sisters (see his Canticle of the Sun). Read/tell the story of how Saint Francis talked to the birds and how he tamed the wolf (this story may be found by googling Essex SACRE and going to Key Stage 1 Stories from world religions). Talk about why Saint Francis felt this way about the natural world. He believed that since God the Father had created everything (including human beings), everything in the natural world was like a brother or sister to everything else. We therefore have a duty to care for everything in nature as we would a brother or sister. The children could create pictures of Saint Francis with some of his brothers and sisters in the natural world (animals, birds, sun, moon, stars, etc). - Spiritual development
Hinduism What nature gods do Hindus have? Why do Hindus have nature gods? Invite the children to look closely at pictures of ancient Hindu gods associated with the forces of nature, e.g. - Indra the sky god, seated on a white elephant and associated with thunder, lightning and rain - Surya the sun god, shown riding in his chariot across the sky - Agni the fire god, usually shown riding on a ram - Varuna the water god, shown riding on a strange sea creature - Vayu the god of wind, shown riding on a gazelle (symbolising swiftness) Ask, What do you notice about them? Who do you think they might be? Explain that in ancient India, just as in other ancient civilisations such as Egypt, Greece, Rome or Scandinavia, the people thought that the forces of nature were so powerful that they must be gods. These gods could be terrifying and destructive (e.g. thunder, lightning, fire) or kind and life-giving (e.g. sun, moon, water). Ask the children to invent their own nature gods and create pictures of them. How (according to one creation story) do Hindus say many things in nature came into existence? Tell the children the following creation story (one of many in Hinduism): - In the beginning the god Brahma had no body. He was pure spirit. Brahma started by creating special things in nature: Surya the sun, Soma the moon, Agni (fire), Vayu (wind) and Varuna (water). He placed a golden egg onto the surface of the water and for a whole year the egg grew. Then the egg cracked and split open. Out of the egg stepped none other than Brahma himself, but he now had a body. Brahma divided the egg into two halves. He placed one above, as the dome of the sky, and he placed one below, as the earth. So the whole of our world rests within the empty shell of an enormous golden egg! Ask why the egg plays such an important part in the story. It is a symbol of new life. The story provides opportunities for creative artwork.
Islam Why is the cave on Mount Hira such a special place for Muslims? How do Muslims remember what happened at the cave during Laylat al- Qadr? Show children pictures of the cave on Mount Hira in the Arabian desert (these may be found on the internet). Talk about the scenery around the cave (hot dry rocky desert). Explain that this is a very special place in the natural world because Muslims believe it was here the angel Gabriel gave messages to Muhammad from Allah (God). This is said to have happened about 1,400 years ago. The messages were collected and written down in the Qur an, the Muslim holy book. Every year thousands of Muslims climb up to the cave to visit this special place for themselves. Read/tell the story of Muhammad and the angel s message. (This story may be found either by googling Essex SACRE and going to Key Stage 1 Stories from world religions or by searching elsewhere on the internet.) The children can be asked to create pictures of the angel Gabriel but not Muhammad. N.B. The great majority of Muslims regard any attempt to picture the Prophet Muhammad as highly offensive, so children should never be asked to depict Muhammad. Explain that every year Muslims remember how the angel Gabriel revealed Allah s words to Muhammad during Laylat al-qadr (the Night of Power). This night comes towards the end of Ramadan (the month of fasting) and many Muslims spend it praying to Allah. The dates of Laylat al-qadr for the next five years are: 2 nd July 2016, 21 st June 2017, 10 th June 2018, 31 st May 2019, 19 th May 2020. - Geography - History - Cultural development - Cultural development What do stories about Muhammad and animals tell us about him and his beliefs? Read/tell stories about Muhammad and his care for animals, e.g. the thirsty camel, the ants and the sleeping kitten. (These stories may be found either by googling Essex SACRE and going to Key Stage 1 Stories from world religions or by searching elsewhere on the internet.) Discuss what these stories show about Muhammad. Explain the Muslim belief that Allah is the creator of the world. Invite the children to think why Muhammad had such a caring attitude towards animals. What was Muhammad trying to teach people by his treatment of animals? - Moral development
Assessment opportunities, in relation to non-statutory end of key stage statements (see explore page 100) End of key stage statements Recognise and name features of religion Identify similarities in religion Identify the importance of religion for some people Demonstrate understanding of religion through the creative arts Identify different forms of expression that religion uses Recognise that some questions cause people to wonder and are difficult to answer Opportunities provided through suggestions made for personal experience - How do we feel in response to the wonder and beauty of the natural world? Opportunities provided through suggestions made for Christianity - Belief in God - Creation stories - Moral (care for the natural world) - Songs in praise of God (hymns) - Special people (saints such as St Francis of Assisi) Opportunities provided through suggestions made for Hinduism - Belief in gods - Creation stories Opportunities provided through suggestions made for Islam - Belief in creator God (Allah) - Messages from God (the angel s revelation of the words of the Qur an to Muhammad) - Sacred texts (the Qur an) - Special stories (how Moses led his people to freedom) - Festivals (Laylat al-qadr) - Moral (care for animals) - Christians, Hindus and Muslims believe that everything was brought into existence by God - The idea that God is the creator and that we should care for his creation is very important to Christians - Retelling the creation story through art, drama, dance, etc - Creating pictures of St Francis of Assisi accompanied by animals and other things in nature - Stories (creation) - Songs (hymns) - The idea that Brahma is the creator god is very important to Hindus - Creating pictures of nature gods - Creating pictures inspired by a Hindu creation story - How did everything begin? - How did everything begin? - The idea that the Qur an contains the very words of God (Allah) and that Muhammad was the messenger of Allah is very important to Muslims - Stories (creation) - Sacred texts (the Qur an) - Are there such things as angels?