How to approach teaching the bible: KS1 and KS2.
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How to approach teaching the bible: KS1 and KS2 AREIAC Workshop
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Transcript of How to approach teaching the bible: KS1 and KS2.
How to approach teaching the bible: KS1 and KS2
AREIAC Workshop
Recent ResearchPart 1 Meet the process of ‘unpacking’ a passage
in order to teach a bible passage Part 2 See an example from KS1 and KS2 Try it out
Purpose
20 schools 10 Primary and 10 secondary (mixed independent state funded). Some findings
1. Primary school fundamental aims to teach children to read, create a love of books through various stimuli eg IWB text analysis. Children are keen to read books
Secondary school: pupils have a negative attitude. Books are ‘dull, boring difficult’.
Research funded by DcSF: Julia Ipgrave
2. Secondary: ‘I like RE because we don’t use books’. Secondary classroom rarely offers time for reading. Exams are learnt by bite-size revision/scriptural quotes. Books are used by non-specialist cover teachers. Often seek to inspire through media eg U-tube/Simpsons rather than the text itself
Consequently the Bible is not of significance to RE. Issues eg Euthanasia are of more interest. There is an implication that the bible discourages thinking.
Research funded by DcSF: Julia Ipgrave
Primary understanding of some Bible stories: one 5 year old saw the man as ‘foolish’ to
sell everything for the pearl 8 year olds were given ‘I am ‘ sayings with
no explanation 10 commandments taught by pupils making
up their own rules and so lost the significance of ‘God’s rules’
The Lost sheep taught ‘Never give up’
Research funded by DcSF: Julia Ipgrave
1. Respect for tradition2.Foundational Word: give ‘because’ for
religious practices3.Extraordinary: part of narrative of religion is
excitement, hope being puzzled eg Jonah4.Contextualisation: context of stories5.Scriptural Reasoning6. Interpretation: understanding of story7.Progression: Further engagement with
scriptures
Proposes 7 elements for secondary RE to usefully build upon Primary RE
Meet the process of ‘unpacking’ a passage in order to teach a bible passage
Part 1
Task: Think of a Bible story you have taught your class that you were very pleased with and tell your neighbour about it.
Why did it work so well?
A Bible story
Step 1: Unpack the beliefsStep 2: Which central meaning do I want to
explore?Step 3: a) How can I present this story to relate it to
the child’s experience?b)What activity will help the children
understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
Step 4 What is the main theological idea and how is that relevant to the children?
Assessment
STEPS 1-4
Question for the teacher ask him/herself: What are the beliefs embedded in the story? What are the possible meanings of the story? If you are unsure of the possible meanings, look up the story in a bible commentary
(Note: the children will have many of their own meanings/interpretations to offer).
Step 1: Unpack the beliefs
a) select one belief/meaning to explore Question for the teacher ask him/herself: What one
belief do you, as the teacher, wish to include in the learning objective?
Check the belief is theological eg the story of Noah’s Ark is not a story about rescuing animals but about God’s promise/covenant to people.
The one belief chosen directs the lesson planning but does not strait jacket the children’s response.
b) write the learning outcomes to include AT1 (learning about religion) and AT2 (learning from religion)
Step 2: Which central meaning do I want to explore?
a) How can I present this story to relate it to the child’s experience?
As ‘a rule of thumb’ it is helpful to start with a question related to the children’s own experience which matches the learning objectives and serves as an introduction to the story. For instance, the ten lepers ‘saying thank you to God’ relates to children’s experience of saying ‘thank you’: When do you say thank you? Do you ever forget?
With the story of the lost sheep the talking about being ‘lost to God’ is unfamiliar to the children but it can be related to children’s experience of being ‘lost’ or of ‘losing things’: Have you ever been lost? What did it feel like? Who found you? What did that feel like?
Step 3
b)What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
The story can be presented in many ways e.g. puppets, visual aids, an artefact as a stimulus, role play as the story is told. Plan the questions and the follow up activity so that children begin to see the theological meaning. Activities might include: exploring the story with music, painting, collage as a class or individually, whole class display, movement, drama. Setting up a play area for the story to be extended, re-enacted, explored etc.
Question for the teacher as a check: Does the activity chosen deepen the child’s understanding of the story?
Step 3: How can I present this story to relate it to the child’s experience?
The teacher draws out meaning and interpretation of the story from the children.
What does the story mean? What does the story tell about God? Why did Jesus tell the story? Make sure this part of the lesson is related to the Christian belief.
eg In the lost sheep: What do you think it means to be ‘lost to God’? Who do you think feels lost to God? What would it be like?
Note: If Step 4 is omitted it is similar to sitting on a three legged stool which only two legs. The children leave with a story but no deepening of their understanding or analysis of possible meanings
Step 4 What is the main theological idea and how is that relevant to the children?
Be sure the assessment activity relates directly to the learning objective
Assessment task:
In relation to the Bible story you have just talked about....
Reflect
Step 1: Unpack the beliefsStep 2: Which central meaning do I want to
explore?Step 3: a) How can I present this story to relate it to
the child’s experience?b)What activity will help the children
understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
Step 4 What is the main theological idea and how is that relevant to the children?
Assessment
STEPS 1-4
See an example from KS1 and KS2 Try it out
Part 2
An example: The lost sheep: Luke 15:1-7 What’s the story?
Background information There are three parables about being ‘lost’ in Luke that
follow on from each other: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. If children can understand the story of the lost sheep and lost coin, it provides a foundation for the story of the lost son at KS2. The sheep gets lost because of its silliness in not following the others. The hearers would think immediately of God as the shepherd of Israel. Jesus talks of himself coming to the ‘lost sheep of Israel’. The caring nature of a God who will come looking for the lost as well as the ‘risk-taking’ nature of a God who will leave those who are not lost to look after themselves, are both parts of this parable.
The lost sheep: Luke 15:1-7
The lost sheep is concerned with people walking away from God, following a pathway which ignores God’s love and care. The shepherd cares enough about the sheep to leave the 99 in order to search for the lost one.
Step 1: Unpack the beliefs
a) select one belief/meaning to explore the love of the shepherd in risking leaving
the sheep to search for the one lost sheepb) write the learning outcomes to
include AT1 and AT2 to understand the story of the lost sheep to reflect upon the shepherd’s dilemma to connect the story with God’s ‘risk-taking’
love for everyone
Step 2: Which central meaning do I want to explore?
Opening questions: Have you ever been lost? What did it feel like? Who found you? What did that feel like? Why did they look for you?
Play a game of hunt the ‘sheep’/any object using ‘getting warmer/colder’ to indicate how near the child is. What is it like to find something?
Step 3: a) How can I present this story to relate it to the child’s experience?
The children role play the following script with 10 sheep only! The teacher reads the script slowly allowing good time for children to act.
The shepherd’s dilemma ‘Imagine you are a shepherd who looks after sheep – you live in a hot country
and you are wearing a long robe to keep you cool. Walk around slowly in your long robe – feel how cool it is. What would you have in your hand? Hold your crook firmly and walk around with it. You have 10 sheep to look after. Count them up 1, 2, 3 ....- make sure they are all there. Now look for a fresh green patch of grass and when you have found one, lead your sheep there. Count up your sheep 1, 2, 3....Are they all there? Sit down and have a rest. What are you going to do? You could play the pipe that you have in your pocket? You could weave some twigs or grasses together. Choose something to do but remember to keep looking at the sheep. Look carefully – is that a wolf hiding behind the bushes. You think it is... Very slowly and quietly take a medium sized stone from the ground and when you are ready throw it at the wolf to scare him away. Time to move on. Call the sheep, count them up: 1, 2, 3....look for another grassy patch of land. Lead your sheep to the new grass. Sit down. Oh no! You have forgotten to count the sheep. Count them up 1, 2, 3..there are only 9 – check again – only 9 – What are you going to do?’
Step 3 b) What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also the learning objectives?
In pairs the children discuss what they will do and why. The children act out their decision.
The teacher tells the story of the lost sheep using illustrations. What did the shepherd decide to do? Why?
Class display of 9 sheep with one lost sheep in a ditch with the question: Would you look for the sheep? Why?
Step 3 b) (contd) What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
In pairs: Why did Jesus tell this story? What do you think this story means? Could the story tell people anything about God?
(The teacher offers questions not solutions: it is for the children to work out their own solutions)
Step 4: What is the main theological idea and how is that
relevant to the children?
TASKIn pairs: one child is the shepherd and the
other the interviewer. They ask questions about what happened, what did you do and why?
In pairs: one child is Jesus and the other asks, ‘Why did you tell this story?’
Assessment task
Key stage 2 The Ten Girls Matthew Ch25 v1-13What’s the story?
Background informationThis is about being watchful. It is a Palestinian
wedding where a bridegroom went in a procession to the bride’s house and then after a party conducted her back to his own house. It is not clear which house the ten girls are at, though they are awaiting the bridegroom’s arrival. Jesus may have thought of himself as the bridegroom and the Jews weren’t ready for him. The parable comes directly after Jesus teaching about the second coming.
Key stage 2The Ten Girls Matthew Ch25 v1-13
Being ready for when Jesus returns or for one’s death
Step 1: Unpack the beliefs
a) select one belief/meaning to explorebeing prepared for God b)write the learning outcomes to include
AT1 and AT2 children are familiar with the story of the
ten girls Christians believe they need to be ready for
a time when Jesus may return How important is it for people to be ready?
Step 2: Which central meaning do I want to explore?
a) Have you ever had to wait for someone or something for a long time? Did you have to take anything with you? (eg Looking out for badgers at night time and taking enough food to last all night long).
Or What do you do to get ready for an exciting event?
Step 3: a) How can I present this story to relate it to the child’s experience?
A short story is told by the teacher: visual aids eg candles may be usedThere were once 10 children who were invited to be in a special procession
because the queen was visiting their town. They had to stand at the entrance to the town where there was a large iron gate. 5 of them were to stand on one side of the gate and 5 on the other. They had to hold large white candles so that when she came there would be a candlelit entrance for her to drive through. They were very excited that they had been chosen and dressed up really warm because it would get cold late at night. They knew she would arrive sometime after 11.00 at night but they didn’t know what time exactly she would arrive. They all gathered by the iron gate at 11.00 at night with their candles lit and sat down to wait. They put the candles in a holder beside them and waited. 12 o’ clock struck but no sign of her, 1.00 struck and still there was no sign of her. The children yawned and got more and more tired and when 2 o’clock struck, they had all fallen asleep by the side of their candles. They didn’t know that the queen had been delayed in another town and as the town clock struck 4 o’clock, in the dark distance, a voice could be heard shouting,
b)What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
‘The queen is coming – get ready – the queen is coming’. One child heard it and woke the others up. ‘Quick wake up’, he said she’s coming she’s coming! Get your candles ready’ They all woke up, but to their horror the candles had burnt right down to the very bottom of the holders and the flames were just about to go out. 5 of the children quickly felt in their large pockets and brought out a smaller spare candle which they lit and put into the holder. The other 5 children looked horrified. ‘What shall we do? Can you break your candles in half and then we can have one each?’ they said, ‘We didn’t think the queen would take so long to arrive and we didn’t think to bring a spare candle’.
But the others said, ‘No if we did that the candles wouldn’t last long enough to greet her. You had better run home and get another one quickly.’ So they did run home but by the time they got back, the queen had passed through the iron gates and had waved delightedly at the 5 children who were proudly holding their lit candles.
b)What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also match the
learning objectives? (story contd)
In pairs: What do you think of the story? Which part do you like best? Why?
The teacher then tells a story told by Jesus. The teacher will need to explain about the wedding.
Resources: Roman oil lamp and children The story of the 10 young women is told using children to role
play having a spare flask of oil and all falling asleep. When they awake, 5 do not have enough oil and the lamps went out. The others refuse to give them any oil. The children hot seat asking questions of those who brought extra oil and those who didn’t.
In pairs: Children work out a radio interview with a girl who didn’t bring oil, one who did bring oil and the bridegroom. Interviewer summarises the interview at the end.
Question for the teacher as a check: Does the activity chosen deepen the child’s understanding of the story?
b)What activity will help the children understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
In pairs: What do you think this story means? What do you think it is telling Christians?
Children make a calligram on an oil lamp of the words ‘Be ready for God’, (or choose any word associated with the story). Small print above may say ‘The story means’. Calligrams are displayed.
Make sure this part of the lesson is related to the Christian belief.
Step 4 What is the main theological idea and how is that relevant to the children?
In pairs: Partner A tells B the story and Partner B tells partner A what he/she think it means.
The class then ‘listens in’ to one pair as they repeat the above.
Assessment task
In pairs Choose a Bible story you know well Go through the steps Plan a lesson together
Have a go!
Step 1: Unpack the beliefsStep 2: Which central meaning do I want to
explore?Step 3: a) How can I present this story to relate it to
the child’s experience?b)What activity will help the children
understand the meaning of the story and also match the learning objectives?
Step 4 What is the main theological idea and how is that relevant to the children?
Assessment
STEPS 1-4
Feedback
Part 1 Meet the process of ‘unpacking’ a passage
in order to teach a bible passage Part 2 See an example from KS1 and KS2 Try it out
Purpose
