Why was Jesus given the name ‘saviour’? Key Stage 1 RE EMMANUEL Project: Teaching Christianity effectively in Key Stage 1 Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 1 Background Information Religious Education requirements: This unit fulfils requirements for the KS1 Learning Theme ‘Believing: what some people believe about God, the natural world, human beings, a significant figure’ (Suffolk Agreed Syllabus for RE 2012 p.26-27). The focus is on the Christmas stories and the key Christian belief in Jesus as ‘saviour’. it could be taught at any time of year but is best in either the half-term leading up to Christmas or the half term afterwards. Teaching Christianity effectively means: accuracy when portraying Christian beliefs, use of great resources, creative approaches, awareness of the school setting, contextualization of beliefs e.g. by using Tom and Tessa, setting challenging but enjoyable tasks and should result in children who understand more about Christian belief and practice, and are better equipped to think more deeply about their own lives and beliefs. We have held these ideals in mind but you are invited to adapt the material and make the unit even more effective in your setting. Whole school celebration of Christmas: This unit can be used to prepare younger children for a whole school celebration of Christmas or as part of an RE Theme Day on Christmas. Whole school working often permits more art, craft, music, dance, poetry and drama to be used in RE and gives more time to meet and interview members of the Christian faith; these things can greatly enhance RE learning BUT it is important to keep the focus of the unit on what Christians believe. There are some excellent resources which could enable a key stage or whole school approach to work on Christmas / believing e.g. Festival Matters – a folder of material for teaching major Christian festivals from Reception to Year 6, and designed to promote progression in understanding. Christmas for Year 1 covers Gifts and Giving (Christians believe Jesus is God’s Gift) and Year 2 Lights (Christians believe Jesus is the Light of the World). Buy from http://www.salisbury.anglican.org/schools/publications/festival-matters Experience Christmas – a set of 6 interactive reflection and prayer stations which tell the Christmas story and also explore its significance in the lives of Christians and the church today. Purchase from Jumping Fish pubs (Gloucester Diocese): http://gloucester.anglican.org/parish-life/jumping-fish/ A Gift for All: musical nativity play–written in Norwich Diocese for KS1 pupils with a series of simple songs and a short play supported by CDs. Would complement or form the basis for an RE unit / day on ‘Believing’ while providing a nativity play for that all-important Christmas performance. A track can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my0-qrDxpYQ. Purchase from: http://shop.dioceseofnorwich.org/ A focus day on Christmas could also lead to a special service in church / school to tell the stories of Christmas, and songs which tell of Christian beliefs about Jesus – traditional, modern, global. Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 2 INCARNATION / EMMANUEL INCARNATION is the traditional Christian belief that God came into the world in human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The first Christians did not believe Jesus was just a good man, healer, teacher or prophet but trying to put into words what they had seen and experienced of this incredible man was like trying to catch the wind. Eventually they expressed their beliefs by stating that Jesus was fully human and fully God. The units of work in the Emmanuel Project all add something to this understanding of Jesus as ‘God with skin on’ or God ‘incarnate’. God with us – Emmanuel (The Bible: Matthew 1 v.23; Hebrews 4 v.15-16; John 11 v.27, 19 v.7) Incarnation is about God’s Son becoming ‘one of us’, a human. Christmas carols often call Jesus ‘Emmanuel’, or ‘God with us’. Nativity scenes show Jesus placed centrally with everyone facing this vulnerable tiny baby, and the key to Christian celebration of Christmas is that this is God in human form. Christians believe that when they pray they will be understood because Jesus came and shared human life; he knows the trials and joys of being human. The Bible stresses that Jesus got tired, hungry and even wept; he was human, like us, but also divine. Giving up power (The Bible: Philippians 2 v.5-9) Christians believe that when God the Son "became flesh" it was like the creator becoming part of his own creation. ‘Lo, within a manger lies, he who made the starry skies,’ wrote Christina Rosetti. With Mary’s consent, God’s Son grew within her womb and was born as a human child. Becoming human meant giving up power; God risked leaving the distance and safety of heaven to become one of us, and in solidarity with humanity, faced poverty, danger and death to put things right in the world, to ‘save’ us. JESUS / SAVIOUR The relevant Bible passages : Luke 1 v. 26-38 (annunciation to Mary) Luke 2 v.1-7 (birth of Jesus) Luke 2: 21-39 (Simeon and Anna) Mary and Joseph were told to call their child ‘Jesus’, meaning ‘he saves’ or ‘saving one’. Its Hebrew equivalent is ‘Joshua’, a common name in those days reflecting the expectation that God would send someone to rescue the Jews from their enemies. When Mary said ‘yes’ to God’s plan, she sang a ‘Magnificat’ praising God for coming to rescue his people, seeing it like the amazing story of God calling Moses to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt thousands of years before. Mary is herself a model of selfless ‘helping’. During his earthly ministry, Jesus attracted crowds like a moth to a flame; they saw him ‘save’ the sick and dying, and offer hope, forgiveness and new life to all he met. The crowds simply recognised he could help. The church today sees one of its roles as caring for those who need such an earthly everyday salvation as well as the eternal life bought by Christian faith. The Salvation Army is a good example of such a view. Christians talk about Jesus as the saviour of the world – salvator mundi – the one who came to ‘give his life as a ransom for the lost.’ (Mark 10 v.45). by becoming human, he was able to take on all that had gone wrong in the word because of human ‘sin’ and failure. Christians still believe that Jesus ‘paid the price’ for sin through his death on the cross. So when they celebrate Jesus’ birth, Christians celebrate the coming of God’s Son to rescue people, and to model the need for humans to get their hands dirty and act to save and help others. Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 3 Why was Jesus given the name ‘Saviour’? ENGAGE with the concept of rescuing / saving What does it mean to rescue or save someone or something? Have you ever rescued or helped someone in trouble? When do people need help? Look at pictures of rescues. There are lots on the internet from rescuing cats from trees to rescues from floods or accidents. Or watch a brief clip from something like ‘Shrek’ which shows a rescue. Talk about who needs rescuing/who is being rescued? By whom? How? Why? What has this picture got to do with rescuing or saving? Imagine God saying through the angel: Your world needs help. I would like you to help me. You are going to become pregnant and have a baby. You will call him Jesus, meaning Saviour; he will save or rescue the whole world. And Mary replying: I am your servant, Lord. I will do as you ask. I’m going to show you another picture to do with ‘saving’ and rescuing’. Look at picture of Mary and the Angel e.g. Annunciation by Nigerian artist, Paul Woelfel. Cover the picture just leaving the envelope and hand visible. What do you think is in the envelope? Look at how it is being held. Uncover and look at the whole picture. In pairs freeze-frame the picture. What are you saying? Write speech-bubbles on whiteboards to hold by your head to show your ideas! Take photos. Ask questions about the picture linked to the idea of rescues and saving where possible e.g. What’s in the envelope? Is it someone asking for help? Does the lady need rescuing? What trouble are they in? Record. Who is this story important to? How are the characters connected to a rescue? Introduce Tom and Tessa, who are Christians. They know the story and they can help / save us, by sharing it with us. Take a story bible from their bag and maybe some more pictures of the story to look at. Tell the story of the ‘Annunciation’ e.g. from the Storyteller Christmas Book or Jesus Storybook Bible. What have you learnt? What do we think now about the words which should be on the whiteboards? Use the same picture, or choose a new version, to freeze frame and rewrite the speech-bubbles. Take a new photo of your freeze-frame. Can you connect the angel, Mary and the baby all to the idea of a ‘rescue’? How did Mary feel about being God’s helper? Are you good at saying ‘yes’ and helping? Finish the session by lighting a candle and being still. Cover the original picture so children can just look at Mary. Think very quietly about how she felt about being God’s helper. Are you a helper too? Blow out candle. Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 4 ENQUIRE into the Christmas story and what the characters in the Christmas stories were told about Jesus What the characters were told comes out in Christian songs today because these express Christian beliefs You could play some Christmas carol music at the start of the lesson. The word ‘Christ’ means ‘anointed one’ or king EXPLORE What Jesus means to Christians; what they say /believe about him / the idea of What do you know already about the Christmas stories / characters? Remember Tom and Tessa. They love Christmas. Bring out some Christmas cards and a parcel. They enjoy presents, parties, cards, food and sweets AND they also love Christmas lights and hearing the Christmas story and singing Christmas songs at their church. The story of Angel Gabriel and Mary is part of the story told every year at Christmas. Unwrap the parcel to find a nativity set –one with lots of figures, not just Mary, Joseph and Jesus. These figures tell the Christmas story; line them up on a bright cloth underlay. In talking partners, discuss which figures look most important. Who are they all? What do we know already? Divide class into groups as Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Kings – they must listen to the story with the bottom question in mind. Can you put the whole story together? Tell the Christmas story from e.g. Big Bible Storybook or Lion Christmas Storyteller Book. OR watch e.g. C4 Stop, Look and Listen: Life of Jesus or Read and Share Bible Christmas Story’ or Beginners’ Bible. OR read together: http://issuu.com/tnelson/docs/christmas_story_excerpt_-_read_and_share_bible Sequence the story using pictures e.g. from a school nativity play, or Christmas cards. Or dress children up and act out the stories together. Make your own nativity figures e.g. out of playdough and retell the story What were the different characters told about Jesus? Hot seat the shepherds, Mary, Joseph and the Kings – what was each of them told about Jesus? Christians believe these words are true. Arrange the nativity figures on the cloth underlay with Jesus placed centrally. Light a candle and listen quietly to a Christmas song e.g. ‘Child in a manger born’ or ‘The Gift’ from Songs for Every Christmas. Listen for the special names / words about Jesus that Christians use. What’s in a name? Play ‘Child in a manger born’ or other Christmas carol as children come in to find a ‘manger’ complete with baby (doll) in centre of the room. Gather round the manger. Dress one child as Mary, one as Joseph. Light the candle. Read these words quietly. ‘God decided that the only way to really show his love was to come and live with his people. God decided to wrap himself up really small, and he quietly entered his own world as a tiny baby. The baby’s name was Jesus – the saviour or rescuer. He had arrived. God was here with his people.’ Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 5 Jesus coming as a saviour Lift up the baby and give him to Mary. What is Mary thinking while she holds her baby? What is Joseph thinking as he looks down? I wonder … We’ll leave them for a while and come back later. Blow out the candle carefully. What if you had been given the name ‘helper’? NB Find a manger in the nativity play props or use a cardboard box filled with straw or paper shreddings. Jesus would save people from their sins – their shortcomings, the things which separate them from God and from each other. He also helped and rescued many people in difficulty while on earth. Do you remember how Mary and Joseph named their baby? The angel said, “Call him Jesus because he will save people from their sins” – save is like ‘help’ or ‘rescue’. The angel also said Jesus would be Son of God and a great king. What else were people told about Jesus? Ask the children round the class: ‘What’s your name?’ How did you get your name – does anyone know? If time, have cards with meanings of some names in the class. Pupils guess whose the names are. Do you have a favourite name? Do you wish you had a different name? If we renamed you ‘helper’ or ‘rescuer’ or ‘saviour’ what would people expect you to be like when you grew up? Would you live up to your name? In talking partners, think of things you might grow up to do if your name was ‘helper’ or ‘rescuer’? Then draw / paint pictures of these things for others to guess. What would Jesus do when he grew up? How would he help or save or rescue? Return to Mary … Look at Mary; she is thinking hard about her baby. Let me light the candle and tell you why. Tell the story of Simeon and Anna – use Reflective Story telling if possible. Maybe a storyteller from church can help. A Christian visitor would be very useful and able to talk to the children afterwards. There is a lovely song to go with this Reflective Story ‘Presentation in the Temple’ by Ruth Shepherd, Music for Stories CD. OR read the story e.g. from The Lion Christmas Storyteller Bible. OR use a picture such as Dinah Roe Kendall’s ‘Presentation in the Temple’ Hold the candle up. Simeon spoke about Jesus being a light to show people what God wanted, to show them the way to God. But Simeon had a warning. Jesus’ work would not be easy. Sometimes it is hard to help people. It can be dangerous to save people. Sometimes the rescuer gets hurt or loses their life. Blow out the candle carefully. You might like to sing a quiet Christmas song like ‘Away in a manger’ as Mary places the baby back in the manger. What is Mary thinking? What are you thinking? Have lots of art and construction materials available and send the children off one at a time to respond to the story in their own way. Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 6 EVALUATE your RE learning about what Christians believe about Jesus Use opportunities throughout the unit to check children’s achievements. See the Assessment Grid for some ‘I can’ statements. EXPRESS your RE learning so it can be shared with others For example…. Why was Jesus given the name saviour’? Remember Tom and Tessa. Take the nativity figures from Tom and Tessa’s bag. Name them as you place them on a tray. Cover figures with a cloth. Remove a figure secretly. Who is missing? Why are they important in the story? What did they know about Jesus? Repeat several times and finally remove Jesus. How did Jesus get his name? Why Jesus? What does it mean? (saviour) What is a saviour? What else do you remember in the story about who the baby was supposed to be? What do you think this Christian is saying she believes in her picture about Jesus? (Extension) Look at the picture ‘Eternal God is Born’ by Sister Mary Stephen. Who is in the picture? What do you think the picture is about? Why is it called ‘Eternal God is born’? Why do Christians think God was born as a baby? A few ideas: Create your own class art gallery of Christmas drawings and paintings. Create good labels which show you understand what Christians believe about the baby Jesus. Use 3D (clay or plasticine) to make your own nativity set. Choose the 6 most important characters to put in your crib set. Explain your choices. Choose important words/ names about Jesus from Christmas carols or the Christmas stories and create your own simple Christmas song. Record it. Draw your own picture or ‘Eternal God is born’. Make the envelope from Paul Woelfel’s painting and then write the message which you think goes inside – you could do this on the computer. Drama – respond to the painting of Simeon and Anna in ‘Presentation in the Temple’ by Dinah Roe Kendall . Imagine yourself in the painting. Where are you standing? How do you feel? How would you have reacted? What is Anna saying and doing? Act out in a small group. Photograph or record. Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 7 Attainment Target 1 ~ Learning about religion and belief Level 1 2 3 How pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding with reference to: beliefs, teachings practices and forms of and sources ways of life expression Attainment Target 2 ~ Learning from religion and belief How pupils, in the light of their learning about religion, express their responses and insights with regard to questions and issues about: identity and meaning, purpose values and belonging and truth commitments I can I can I can I can I can I can remember a Christian story and talk about it e.g. remember the story of the angel Gabriel and talk about it use the right names for things that are special in a religion e.g. use the words God, Jesus, nativity, Christian, correctly in questions / answers recognise and talk about religious art, symbols and words e.g. recognize some pictures of the Annunciation and talk about what I see talk about things that happen to me talk about what I find interesting or puzzling e.g. talk about times when I need help or have been able help someone else e.g. talk about what I find interesting or puzzling in the Christmas stories tell a Christian story and say some things that people believe talk about some of the things that are the same for different religious people ask about what happens to others with respect for their feelings talk about some things in stories that make people ask questions e.g. tell one of the Christmas stories and say some things Christians believe about Jesus e.g. say what some Christian symbols stand for and what some of the art, music, etc is about e.g. say what the figures are in the nativity set; say the candle might stand for Jesus the light of the world use religious words to describe some different ways people show their beliefs e.g. using religious words, describe how Christians sing about or draw and paint their beliefs about Jesus talk about what is important to me and to other people e.g. talk about what helps me when I feel alone and what I have found out helps a Christian talk about what is important to me and to others with respect for their feelings e.g. e.g. talk about things in the Christmas story that make them, or others, ask questions e.g. talk about who or what it would be important to me to help or rescue, and what others think compare some of the things that influence me with those that influence other people e.g. compare ask important questions about life; compare my ideas with those of others e.g. ask why people need rescuing and who should help them, comparing my ideas with others link things that are important to me and other people with the way I think and behave e.g. describe what a describe some of the believer might learn things that are the from a religious story same and different for religious people e.g. describe what a e.g. Christians might learn from the stories of Christmas about God and Jesus Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 8 Resources for this enquiry: Tom and Tessa - are imaginary Christian characters who enable you to talk about things Christian children learn or do. They provide a context for pupils’ learning which is easier to handle than talking abstractly about religious people. You can create your own Tom and Tessa by enlarging and using our cartoon characters, drawn by Dennis Buhr. However, you could use persona dolls or any suitable photos of children to create similar characters. The names ‘Tom’ and ‘Tessa’ are immaterial; feel free to change them. Sometimes scenarios can be created around their lives to start a discussion. Sometimes they help by bringing in a bag containing Christian artefacts or books! Here are suggestions for this unit: A children’s story Bible (see below) A CD of Christian children’s songs (see below) Pictures of the Annunciation A nativity set wrapped as a parcel Some Christmas cards Some recommended story resources: The Big Bible Story book - www.scriptureunion.org.uk The Lion First Bible - www.lionhudson.com The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones The Lion Christmas Storyteller Bible by Bob Hartman - www.lionhudson.com Read And Share DVD Bible Christmas The Life of Jesus (C4 Learning) Two resources from The Discovery Centre, Bury St Edmunds / [email protected] ‘ A Book of Reflective Stories’ complete with CD of scripts, actions, patterns, etc Music for Stories CD by Ruth Shepherd, – including ‘Presentation in the Temple’ The Discovery Centre (see admin address above) also have a Guild of Storytellers who will visit schools for a small cost and tell stories for you. They could tell the story of the ‘Presentation in the Temple’ for your class and also act as Christian visitors to answer questions about what Christians believe about Jesus. Drama resources - dressing up clothes for the nativity story and a ‘manger’ and doll – found in most schools! Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 9 Art resources - materials for drawing, painting and 3D work Copies of artwork / paintings – a large range of these are to be found on the internet. We used The Annunciation to Mary e.g. by Paul Woelfel The Presentation in the Temple by Dinah Roe Kendall Eternal God is born by Sister Mary Stephen Nativity sets Most schools have a Nativity set of some kind but it is always worth looking for a new one. The internet has many fair traid examples at good prices. See: http://www.kidsrooms.co.uk/ and http://www.oneworldprojects.com/products/nativity_main.shtml Christmas carols and songs freely available but Songs for Every Christmas(Out of the Ark) is already in many schools. Out of the Ark Music also produce a traditional carols CD. http://www.outoftheark.co.uk/ All the initial ideas for this unit were worked on by Lindsay Blankley (Parish children’s worker and teacher, Beccles) and Lauren Moore (Thorndon CEVC Primary School) at the Emmanuel Project weekend at Belsey Bridge Conference Centre 2012. Thank you all for your hard work! Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser – [email protected] / 01473 298570 Page 10
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