Tuesday 26th February 2019

Why is Easter so special to Christians?

LO - To experience the Easter Story

Today the children were part of an interactive drama where children combined with props and an enthusiastic  teacher retold the story from Palm Sunday through to the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday

Friday 16th November 2018

Special Places

LO - what is Ebrington Church like and who goes there?

After reading about Freddie Fisher and his cat Pudddles we decided to see what our local church was like. We saw ancient artwork, locking doors with no locks, church bells, prayer ribbons and much more. Can you see Puddles playing in the church?

Friday 12th October

Being Special - Christian

LO - what is baptism and why is it so special for Christians?

Being made to feel welcome is so important to everyone. At school we have a Welcome Service and every child is presented with a pebble with the idea being that all pebbles look different but are all still pebbles, much like children. At the church we investigated how Christians welcome new babies in to the church family.

Friday 2nd November 2018

Special Places

LO - Sarah believes the great outdoors is a special place. What do I think?

The children spent some time being still and peaceful to see if we perhaps miss some of the beauty of our school. Could our school be a special place?

Look at the photos the children took.

Friday 12th October

Being Special - Christian

LO - what is baptism and why is it so special for Christians?

Can you spot Puddles our vicars cat helping our reception children?

Friday 15th June 2018

Who is Jewish and how do they live?

LO - Why are synagogues important as a place of worship for Jews?

Give the children time to think about their ‘special places’ – school, home, the park, the library, family and friends houses, church, etc.

Introduce a synagogue as the Jewish place of worship- share virtual tour of the synagogue 

Identify the Ark, the Torah Scrolls, the bimah, Siddur, the Eternal light and the memorial boards.

Children to complete a labelling activity.

Monday 21st May 2018

What is the Jewish festival of Taslich?

Today Samuel talked to us about going to his favourite place, a special river where he and his family meet every year. Whenever he is by the river Samuel remembers Tashlic when all the things he is sorry about float away down the river. Samuel throws sticks in the river and watches them wash away. In class we draw pictures of things we wish we hadn't done, screwed them up and threw them in the bin. 

May the 4th be with you!

Who is Jewish and how do they live?-Passover

LO - Can we create a beautiful Passover Wine Cup and one of the plagues of Egypt

Can you spot the plagues?

Friday 27th April 2018

Who is Jewish and how do they live?

LO - What is Passover?

Monday 23rd April

Who is Jewish and how do they live?

LO - What is Shabbat?

Friday 20th April 2018

Who is Jewish and how do they live?

LO - What is the Shema and why is it important to Jews?

Introduce Jewish beliefs about God as expressed in the Shema(means hear/listen)(Deuteronomy 6:4-9) i.e God is one, that it is important to love God. This will make it clear to children that Jews believe in one God.

(Note that some Jewish people write G-d, because they want to treat the name of God with the greatest respect).

Explore the meaning of the words in the Shema, what they teach Jews about God, and how they should respond to God. Ask the children, what words would you like displayed in your home? Why?

In the shared area there is a copy of the Shema for children to sort into the correct order (the order is red, orange, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, pink).

'Therefore put My words upon your very heart: bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, and teach them to your children' - Shema

What word would you stick on your forehead and why? Use paper and elastic bands for all the children to stick a word to their head. Children must explain why.

26.3.18

Who made the world?

LO - Think, talk and ask questions about living in an amazing world

To make a connection between Christian ideas of God as Creator and the importance for everyone (not just Christians) of being grateful for what we have, you might like to try this experiential activity:

Have some fruit (grapes, for example) in the class. Get pupils to think about how the fruit grew. It needs light, water, to bud, to flower, bee pollination, fruit growing, harvesting, transporting — and here we have the fruit.

Ask them to hold the fruit, to stroke it, to sniff it; they should put it in their mouths and feel their teeth and tongue on it before biting — and feeling the juice spurt. Which words do pupils use to describe this experience? Compare with how we usually tend to eat without noticing. It might make us be a bit more grateful for our food.

List foods on WB under headings: Party Foods, Meals, Breakfast, Snacks

On Tables – Draw food on template (TA record Children’s answers)

How does this idea apply to all the food pupils eat? Get pupils to take two tokens. Before eating, place one token in the centre of the table and talk to other pupils about how important it is to enjoy the food, and why. For example, ‘I will really enjoy... because...’. After the food has been enjoyed, think about one person they really need to thank for it: for example, dinner supervisors, cooks, farmers, shopkeepers, and God. They put the token in the middle of the table, or give it to the relevant person if they’re present, and say, ‘I want to thank... because...‘.

26.3.18

 ‘Why is the word “God” so important to Christians?’

LO - why would Christians be interested in caring for animals?

Teacher’s note: At Tom and Tessa’s church, they talk about God a lot. They say and sing words of praise and worship
to God who has made all things. They say the Creed together: ‘I believe in one God, the maker of heaven and earth’.
Some church members work hard to preserve the environment and to ensure that animals and people are looked after
too; they believe it is part of the mission of the church to ‘treasure’ the world God has given to all people.
Tom and Tessa are getting ready for a special service for Animal Welfare Sunday (or a Pet Service). A ‘service’ is
when all the Christians at church get together, usually on Sunday, to sing and pray to God and learn from the Bible
together.

Tom and Tessa are helping to make a big banner for the service. The vicar has given them some special words from
the Bible to arrange on the banner. It needs to say: O LORD, what a variety of things you have made! In wisdom
you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24 NLT)

The vicar has asked all the children to paint ‘creatures’ to go on the banner and carry it into church at the start
of the special service. They are going to need help with this. They also need to choose a song to teach to the
adults in church. We've been learning 'From The Tiny Ant . . .'

23.3.18

Who made the world?

Y1 and Y2 also investigated the meaning of 'The Precious Pearl' and some children wrote their own version of the parable, for example, 'The Golden Crown' or 'The Precious Unicorn'. After, we investigated the Creation Story art work of the famous Jewish artist Jackie Olenick.

Why is the word 'God' so special to Christians?

LO - Paint and decorate your own names and then consider a way to make the name God look very special for a Christian

After reading the parable of 'The Precious Pearl' the children decorated the word God so that it looked very special.

New Life - Easter

In EC1 we have been planting daffodil bulbs as we discover the new life that Spring brings. It is also the time Jesus came back to life for Christians! 

Friday 9th March 2018

Why is the word God so important to Christians?

LO- Investigate how Christians worship and thank God for his creation

Teacher’s note: At Tom and Tessa’s church, they use the name ‘God’ a lot. They say and sing words of praise and
worship to God. They thank God for all he does and all he has made. Harvest festival is a time to celebrate God’s
goodness and to help others. Tom and Tessa enjoy ‘Messy Church’ where they do lots of crafts and activities, as well as hearing Bible stories and joining in worship before eating with everyone.
At Tom and Tessa’s church they are getting ready for a harvest service. A ‘service’ is when all the Christians at
church get together, usually on a Sunday, to sing and pray to God and learn from the Bible together. The twins
will take tomatoes and carrots they have grown in the garden for the big harvest display. Everyone in church will
remember God is the maker of the world and say thank you to him for their food. Mum says there will be Harvest
Messy Church in the afternoon, which Tom and Tessa love.
Tom and Tessa need to choose a song about God to sing at the service with the other children. Listen/clap along
to several songs suitable for church, i.e. they must mention the name ’God’. Help the twins choose.
Listen to some possible songs from ‘Combined Harvest’ (Out of the Ark) – ‘We thank you’; ‘Thank you God for the
harvest’; ‘Sing a song of harvest’; ‘Everybody praise him’.

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Read A Wet and Windy Harvest for Puddles and talk about the harvest festival at this church. Paint Puddles the cat at the church harvest.

Friday 23rd February 2018

Who made the world?

LO -Give at least one example of what Christians do to say thank you to God for the Creation

Recall the idea that Christians believe God created the world, so they should be thankful. One key way for Christians to show thankfulness to God is for them to be generous to those with less. In Matthew 10:8, Jesus said to his followers, ‘Freely you have received, freely give.’ Talk about how Christians might share the resources offered at harvest. Find out what some churches do with their harvest offerings: for example, taking it into the community, or giving it to food banks. What does the school do, and why? What could we do when we grow up?

If Harvest is an annual event, how do Christians remember to be thankful to the Creator every day?

One way is by saying ‘grace’ before meals. Find out some grace prayers, and see if pupils can make up their own grace for Christians.

Dear Caring King, thank you for our fantastic,wonderful and scrumptious food. Food makes me feel alive! My favourite food is pudding. You are the best chef in the universe!

Jean 

Dear Mighty God. thank you for the sausages, fruit, vegetables and puddings. I love receiving all types of food, they are scrumptious! Thank you so much. If I was small enough I would live in food, I love it that much. You are amazing!

Inaya

19.1.18

Why is the word 'God'so important to Christians?

For Christians the word ‘God’ is important as the name of someone very important: the Creator of the universe and all that is in it, including people and animals. It is important to draw inferences from the Creation Story as to what God is like.

Why would God make Jellyfish?

LO - Create jellyfish with collage material, playdough or jelly. Discuss results. Was it easy to create a jellyfish? Was it alive when you had finished? Why not? Explore the idea that Christians believe God is the giver of life, giving life even to jellyfish

Monday 15th January 2018

Who made the world?

LO - Say what the story tells Christians about God, creation and the world

After creating dances to two different types of music, the first mechanical and repetitive which represents day to day life and work. The second fun and peaceful, representing the weekend break from weekday life. We created artwork to reflect how the music made us feel. What would life be like without a good rest at the end of the week? Even God needed a rest after creating the world!

27.11.17

Being Special - Muslim

Today the children investigated how Muslims welcome babies into the world. Saffiyya came to JC1 to tell the children how her Muslim family welcomed their baby brother into the world. Muslims believe that babies are a gift from Allah (God). As soon as the baby was born he was washed and the special words "Allahu Akbar" were whispered into the baby's ear, meaning "God is greatest". Muslims want the name of Allah to be the first word that their new baby hears, because Allah is very important.

The children passed the baby around and whispered words into the baby's ear words that they thought were important for a newly born.

After, a drop of honey is placed on the lips of the baby. This is to show that the person hopes their baby will be sweet-natured and kind.