Unit: A literature approach to Being Human using thinking routines Strand: Believing Standard 2 Year 3/4

CROSSWAYS

Key Idea 2 Students respond to the idea that humanity is made in the image of God and grounded in God’s love, and explore the themes of grace and sin.

Outcome 2.2 Researches ways that people live in community and demonstrates an appreciation of the interdependence of people and creation.

MITIOG

Being Human – Created by God Examines the belief that life is a special gift that God shares with us and identifies factors influencing the development of a positive regard for self and others.

CATHOLIC TRADITION SUPPORTING THE LEARNING IN THE UNIT

Created by God: As Christians, we are called to live in relationship. Developing positive relationships requires generosity, respect and forgiveness. Community: people are created to be in relationship with each other. People grow in relationship with God as they grow in relationship with each other. Sometimes in a relationship there is hurt that requires healing and forgiveness.

CONTENT DESCRIPTION LEARNING ACTIVITIES

God is revealed in all people, the beauty of nature and all living creatures.

Who are you? Tuning in Ask the students to think about who they are, what makes you, “you”. Ask them to sit and reflect on that questions for some time. After reflection, invite the students to represent their response on the paper provided (see BLM1 page 1). Their response can be written, visual or both. Explain to the students that they will need to be able to explain what they have represented but that it won't be shared with the whole class unless they want to and that it will be revisited at a later date. Provide children with silent time or time with reflective music to complete their responses. Collect responses. Look at the front cover of the book “A true person”. (Have a colour A3 poster of the front of the book.) Give each child three post it notes and ask them to respond using the see, think, wonder strategy.

What do you see? What do you think? What do you wonder? Students place their post its on and around the poster and share their ideas.

Going further Before reading the story explain the ‘Peeling the fruit’ strategy to the students (BLM 2) and explain each section so that as the story is being read they can record ideas and thoughts on their post its. Keep an A3 version of this organiser visible as you read. Read “A true person” by Gabiann Marin. Divide the students into groups and ask them to take their post its with them. As a group students discuss and record their responses onto the A3 version of the organiser.

The skin Describe what you can see in the story. The inside layer Make a connection – How does the story connect with your life? Different viewpoints - How could the ideas in the story be seen differently? Building explanation – what is the story really about? The core What does the author want you to learn from this story?

Groups are invited to share their responses with the class. Reflecting Return the sheets from lesson 1 to the students. Using the same strategy as in lesson one ask students to answer the same question… “what makes you, you?” and give them the same time to respond. Ask the students to add to the bottom of that sheet the reflection strip (BLM 1 page 2) and then finish the “I used to think/But now I think” sentences. (Assessment task) When they have finished ask the students to pair up with another student and to discuss these questions:

Has your response changed from the first lesson?

Why do you think it has or hasn't changed?

People are created to be in relationship with others.

What does it mean to be in relationship? Tuning in Introduce the students to the 3-2-1 Bridge thinking strategy and show them BLM 3 before reading the text. Read “The Man who loved boxes” by Stephen Michael King. Students use the 3-2-1 bridge template to think of 3 words that stood out for them from the text, 2 questions they have and one connection they were able to make.

Were there any common words among the class?

Were there any common themes among the questions?

Further discussion questions: • What might it be like to live without knowing that someone cared about you?

• What are some ways that someone could be hurt if they thought that no one cared about them?

• Do you think that all people need to know that they are cared about? If so, why?

Going further Read Genesis 2: 4b-22. A children’s version is provided in the scripture section of this plan as an alternative. Read the scripture twice. After reading ask the students to Think Pair Share by posing the question: “What do you think this scripture story is about?” Ask them to take a few minutes of thinking time and then turn to a nearby student to share their thoughts. After sharing their ideas with each other ask them to think about the discussion they had with their partner and pose a new question using the Headlines routine: “If you were to write a headline about this story right now that captured the most important aspect that should be remembered, what would that headline be?” Invite the students to share their headlines so that a class list of headlines is created. Reflecting Think about what it means to be in relationship with others and with God. Create a Wordle or Tagxedo by listing words that show your understanding of what it means to be in relationship with others. (Assessment Task)

Sometimes in a relationship there is hurt that requires healing and forgiveness.

Tuning in Read “Koala Lou” by Mem Fox. Students respond by completing this sentence “I feel loved when…” and illustrate to show themselves being loved. Going further Students recall times when they felt less loved (e.g. when they made wrong choices). Explore the nature of God's love as being unconditional. Present the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) to the students. This could be done via reading, Godly Play or dramatic presentation. Discuss the connection between being sorry and being forgiven by reflecting on what might have happened to the relationship between the father and son if the son had never gone home and said he was sorry or if the father had not forgiven him. Students complete a retrieval chart on the Prodigal Son story. (Assessment task) Reflecting Students view the clip about the importance of forgiveness. https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/Lpwhv3JJWxw?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0

Explain that healing relationships, being forgiven and forgiving others is an important way to build a loving world. As a class list values and behaviours that help build positive relationships with others. Students compose a prayer for God’s help in seeking reconciliation with others.

LITERARY AND MEDIA RESOURCES SCRIPTURE

“A true person” by Gabiann Marin. “The Man who loved boxes” by Stephen Michael King. “Koala Lou” by Mem Fox

Genesis 2: 4b-22 – Adam and Eve (An adaptation from the International Children’s bible) 15The Lord God put the man in the garden of Eden to care for it and work it. 16The Lord God commanded him, “You may eat the fruit from any tree in the garden. 17But you must not eat the fruit from the tree which gives the knowledge of good and evil. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will die!”18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.”19From the ground God formed every wild animal and every bird in the sky. He brought them to the man so the man could name them. Whatever the man called each living thing, that became its name. 20The man gave names to all the tame animals, to the birds in the sky and to all the wild animals. But Adam did not find a helper that was right for him. 21So the Lord God caused the man to sleep very deeply. While the man was asleep, God took one of the ribs from the man’s body. Then God closed the man’s skin at the place where he took the rib. 22The Lord God used the rib from the man to make a woman. Then the Lord brought the woman to the man. Luke 15:11-32 – The Prodigal Son A modern take on The Prodigal Son https://vimeo.com/35595649

THINKING ROUTINES IN THIS UNIT

See, Think, Wonder

Peeling the Fruit

I used to think/But now I think

3-2-1 Bridge

Think, Pair, Share

Headlines

Retrieval Chart

ASSESSMENT TASKS

“I used to think/But now I think” sentences about what makes you, you? Create a Wordle or Tagxedo by listing words that show your understanding of what it means to be in relationship with others. (Assessment Task) Retrieval chart on the Prodigal Son story.

Viviana Graney St John Bosco School 19 Lipsett Terrace, Brooklyn Park

What makes you YOU? What makes you YOU?

Do not cut this part off.

This section for gluing on reflection sentences.

BLM 1

Name:

I used to think… But now I think…

I used to think… But now I think…

I used to think… But now I think…

BLM 1

1. The skin

2.The inside layer

“Peeling the Fruit” concept map Describe what you can see in the story.

Make a connection How does the story connect with your life?

Different viewpoints How could the ideas in the story be seen differently?

Building explanation What is the story really about?

3. The core What does the author want you to learn from this story?

BLM 2

1. The skin

3.The inside layer

“Peeling the Fruit” concept map Describe what you can see in the story.

Make a connection How does the story connect with your life?

Different viewpoints How could the ideas in the story be seen differently?

Building explanation What is the story really about?

4. The core What does the author want you to learn from this story?

2. Under the skin What are two questions you have about the story?

BLM 2

3 words

2 questions

1 connection

BLM 3

The Prodigal Son – Retrieval chart

Steps to reconciliation

Draw a picture and write a description of the part of that story that illustrates the

step in the process of reconciliation.

Picture Process Part of the story

Admit you

were

wrong

Say sorry

Make up

Seek

forgiveness

Being Human Work samples – Viviana Graney

I see… I think… I wonder…

Peeling the Fruit

Responding to the picture Book: A True Person.

What makes you you? / I used to think… But now I think…