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An investigation into the importance of Muhammad (pbuh) for pupils with special needs achieving at ‘P Levels’ 1-8.

For pupils with special needs achieving at ‘P Levels’ 1-8. Originally written by Anne Krisman. Updated in April 2019.

Learning Outcomes

Emerging

Talk about what makes you and others special and unique
Use the word ‘Qur’an’ in talking or writing

Expected

Use the words ‘Muhammad’, ‘Islam’ and ‘Muslim’ correctly
Explain how Muhammad heard God’s words
Explain why Muhammad is inspirational to Muslims

Exceeding

Explain, with reference to two Islamic practices, how we can see the impact Muhammad had on Islam

Key words and concepts

Hadith: a report of what the prophet Muhammad said or did. Used as guidance by Muslims.

Nasheed: a form of unaccompanied Islamic devotional music. Sometimes a drum is used.

Qur’an: meaning ‘recitations’. God’s words revealed through the prophet Muhammad in Muslim belief.

Inspirational: influencing people to lead their lives in a special way.

This resource uses the idea of ‘burning core ideas’ to express the key knowledge to communicate to pupils:

Muhammad is special to Muslims;
Islam is the name of the Muslim religion;
Muslims believe in one God called Allah;
Muslims cannot see their God;
Muslims do not make pictures of Allah or Muhammad as people;
Muslims’ holy book is called the Qur’an.

Further key ideas and knowledge:

Muhammad was trusted by people – they called him Al-Amin (the one you can trust);
Muhammad believed in one God called Allah;
Muslims call him a messenger and prophet of Islam (rasul);
Muslims say ‘Peace be Upon Him’ after the name of Muhammad, sometimes written as ‘pbuh’;
Muslims believe an angel appeared to Muhammad in a cave on a mountain (Mount Hira);
Muslims believe the angel, called Jibril, revealed the words of the Qur’an;
Muslims try to lead their lives from the example of Muhammad.

Learning activities

The following activities follow the ‘Five Keys Into RE’ approach (Anne Krisman)

1 Connection – How can we link our theme with pupils’ lives?

Share these thoughts with the pupils:

We all have special unique qualities.
We like to help others.
We have special places where we can be calm.
We care about

Let pupils know that Muhammad was known as ‘The Friend’ and ‘The Helper’ and that they are going to look at things that connect them with the life of Muhammad. This will begin by looking at their special unique qualities.

Share or gather the special qualities of each child in the class. This can be done by sharing ideas in the classroom, by going around the school and asking people who know them well, or by asking parents and carers to respond. Words such as helpful, kind, peaceful will be gathered.

Make the names and qualities into a class performance: names can be signed, clapped, drummed or chanted for each child, e.g., Joshua the Peaceful, Hannah the Friend.

Make a display with pupils’ pictures, their new values name and where appropriate, comments about why this name is right for them.

Paint either a) the pupil’s first name or b) their values name onto the fold of an A3 or larger piece of paper. Fold the paper to create a symmetrical design. Ask the pupils to then decorate and beautify their name.

An additional idea is to write the pupil’s values name in PVA glue and to encourage children to throw different coloured sand onto it. If you wish to highlight Muhammad’s special colour during this theme, use green sand.

While working you could play different nasheeds about Muhammad, you will find many on you Tube, such as:

Ya Muhammad
Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him)
99 Names for Muhammad
99 Names of Muhammad (translated)

2 Knowledge – How can we communicate burning core knowledge within the theme to our pupils?

Share these examples of burning core knowledge with the pupils:

Muhammad was trusted by people (Al-Amin);
Muhammad believed in one God called Allah;
Muslims call him a prophet and messenger of God (rasul);
Muslims believe an angel appeared to him in a cave and revealed to him the words of the Qur’an.

Let pupils know that Muhammad was valued by people and called Al-Amin – The Trustworthy. Muslims believe he was a messenger of God and that they are going to learn more about his life.

To highlight the importance of Muhammad’s name of Al-Amin – The Trustworthy – trust the pupils to take a special gold wrapped package to another class. Arrange for the member of staff who receives the package to affirm the trust placed in the pupils and to pass on something special from their room for the pupils to take back to their class.

Ask pupils to carry a message in an envelope or sign that Muslims believe there is only one God and tell this to others in the class or around the school. Anyone who hears the message can take a gold star and add it to a picture of the Arabic calligraphy for Allah, to show that the message has been heard.

Let pupils know that Muhammad believed in one God called Allah.

Listen and watch popular nasheeds which mention Allah, for example Yusuf Islam: A is for Allah, Zain Bhikha: Mountain of Mecca.

Encourage pupils to sign the letter A and the number one while responding to the music.

Islamic plaques with Muslim prayers and the raised names of Allah and Muhammad can be touched – these can be obtained from shops in areas with a Muslim population and through artefact catalogues.

Print out lots of small pictures of the word Allah in Arabic calligraphy. Ask pupils to carefully stick the words on to gold paper, trying to put them on the right way up and showing care in placing them, to reflect how Muslims respond to the name of God. [This can also be repeated with the name of Muhammad, this time sticking the names on green paper and keeping the same rules of respect and care. These two pieces of work can be stuck together and a beautiful border made around them, to link them, with glitter.]

Let pupils know that, Muslims believe that an angel appeared to Muhammad in a cave and revealed to him the words of the Qur’an

Show images of Mount Hira while listening to Zain Bhikha’s Mountain of Mecca.

Ask pupils to create a collage made from brown ripped paper, of the cave at Mount Hira. Then, without creating a human image, add the feeling of the angel Jibril, using glitter, holographic paper, cellophane etc.

Make a peaceful cave area in the classroom by putting together prayer mats, cushions and glittery material. Add light changing resources to show the presence of an angel.

Introduce pupils to the first of four stories of Muhammad and use the sensory story guide to help pupils know about the revelation that Muslims believe Muhammad received on Mount Hira.

Share the sensory story together, allow time for the stimuli to be experienced by each pupil.

Ask pupils to reflect on the story and, where appropriate, to ask questions about it.

Where appropriate, choose a question to focus on, for example, ‘Why did the angel say, “Read!”?’ and share possible answers. Adults can also ask questions and respond.

If time, share the story once more.

3 Senses – Which sensory elements are in the theme?

The following sensory activities can help pupils experience something of the life of Muhammad and the importance of Islam to Muslims:

Recitation of the Qur’an and Call to Prayer (adhan);

Islamic nasheeds (unaccompanied devotional music, sometimes using drums);

Prayer mat and topi (prayer cap).

Play a version of the Call to Prayer (adhan) to pupils while they use red, orange, purple and yellow crayons or sponge paint to create a sunset sky. Versions to be used could include those from Turkey, Bosnia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well as British muezzins.

Afterwards, encourage pupils to add a black paper cut-out of a dome and minaret, to give a scene of a mosque at sunset.

Engage pupils in the experience of wearing or touching a Muslim prayer cap (topi) for boys and headscarf for girls, while turning the pages of a Qur’an on the whiteboard, a resource called ‘Baybar’s Magnificent Qur’an’.

Encourage them to touch some Muslim prayer mats and then look at how Muslims pray, such as by looking at video clips or animation online.

Help pupils make a prayer mat out of sensory materials, such as textured wallpaper. The prayer mat could include arches, a picture of the Ka’bah at Mecca, and a hanging lamp to stick on.

4 Symbols – Which symbols are the most accessible in the theme?

Share these examples of Muslim symbols with the pupils:

Moon and star;
Arabic name of Muhammad and Allah;
Salaam (peace) – Muslims say ‘peace be upon him’ when talking about Muhammad;
Islamic art symmetrical designs.

Crescent Moon and Star

Invite pupils to recognise the moon and stars in a slideshow of pictures and to sort a selection of pictures of crescent moons and stars.

Encourage pupils to use Makaton signing for star and moon while listening to a song about wonder in the universe, for example There is Only One God by Zain Bhikha.

Encourage pupils to make collage pictures of the Muslim symbol – the crescent moon and star, or rub over a moon and star stencil and decorate.

Salaam – Peace

Ask pupils to identify what makes them feel peaceful out of a choice of different pictures, such as listening to music, going on the computer, lying down, praying, etc.

Help them practise writing the word Salaam in paint while listening to peaceful chill out music.

Ask pupils to make a dove of peace – there are many templates online. Add cut-outs of the name of Muhammad, with crescent moon and star symbols, to show that Muslims say ‘peace be upon him’ when talking about him.

Islamic art symmetrical designs

Explain that Muslims believe only Allah is the creator and so natural designs are shown in a non-realistic but beautiful way, with unexpected colours being used. Repetition of designs shows that God goes on for ever. An example can be found in Iznik pottery from the 16^th century Ottoman Empire, although its designs are still being used for ceramics in Turkey.

Show images of Iznik art from the Turkish tradition. Ask pupils to look for the colours of blue, red and white and for flowers.

Prepare four pieces of black, blue, red and white paper and make concertina folds. The black will be used for the background. Ask pupils to draw simple flower designs and leaves shapes on the three pieces of paper and to cut these up. They should then lay out the three elements of the flower design on the concertina folded black paper, trying to repeat the pattern.

Create an Iznik Art gallery from the pictures, displayed with images of Iznik art pottery.

5 Values – Which values in the theme speak to our pupils?

Share these examples of Muslim values with the pupils:

Following a straight path
Helping poor people
Caring for animals
Forgiveness

Explain to pupils that they are going to learn about three more stories about Muhammad (Muslims say peace be upon him) that will help them understand how inspirational he is for all Muslims and how he set an example for all Muslims to follow.

Share the sensory story of Muhammad and Crying Camel allowing time for the stimuli to be delivered in a caring manner to each pupil.

Ask pupils to reflect on the story and, where appropriate, to comment and ask questions about it.

Where appropriate, choose questions to focus on, for example, ‘How do we look when we are sad?’ ‘How can we be kind to animals?’ and share possible answers. Adults can also ask questions and respond.

If time, share the story once more.

In follow up lessons, use Muhammad and the Old Woman, as a call and response poem, and Muhammad and the Sleeping Kitten, with the associated activities, to show how inspirational Muhammad is for Muslims. Can pupils identify the parts of each story that show that Muhammad was helpful, kind, compassionate, loving, generous, following a straight path, brave, forgiving?

An investigation into Islamic history and beliefs based on the sitarah.

KS2&3. Originally written by Jim Robinson, updated in April 2019.

Learning Outcomes

Emerging

Explain the purpose of the sitarah cloth
Explain the significance of on Qur’anic passage on the sitarah cloth

Expected

Explain how at least two key Islamic beliefs are represented on the sitarah cloth
Compare and contrast one ancient use of the sitarah to a modern use
With reference to two pieces of information, explain what secret story the cloth tells

Exceeding

Offer a supported view as to whether the sitarah is a sacred object or not

Key words and concepts

Sitarah: screen or curtain hung near the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad.

Haramayn: holy sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina.

Kiswa: ceremonial embroidered black cloth used to cover the Ka’bah.

tomb: place where someone is buried, usually casket-shaped in Islam.

Qur’an: Muslim holy book containing 114 verses of the revelations of Muhammad.

Shahadah: confession of faith, one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Muhammad [often succeeded by ‘Peace be upon him, pbuh, as a mark of respect]: the final prophet of Allah, the ‘Seal of the Prophets’, to whom Allah revealed the Qur’an, the Muslim sacred scripture.

Medina: city established by Muhammad as the first Muslim community, where the Mosque of the prophet houses his tomb along with the tombs of other key figures in Islam.

Mecca: sacred city of Islam and direction of prayer for Muslims.

hajj: annual pilgrimage to Mecca.

mosque: Muslim place of worship.

mihrab: niche in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca.

Sultan Selim III: Ottoman or Turkish ruler who reigned from 1789-1807.

donation: gift given without expectation of payment.

piety: the quality of being religious or reverent. For Muslims this might be expressed through an act of devotion, e.g., charitable giving at an auspicious event, such as the hajj.

prestige: widely recognised respect and admiration felt for someone or something.

sacred: set apart, special because it is in a sacred space or place or relates to a religious concept or person.

calligraphy: the art of using special script when writing out sacred verses e.g. the thuluth script used on the sitarah to record verses in Arabic from the Qur’an.

Allah: Arabic for God, means literally ‘the’ [al] ‘God’ to represent the fact that there is only one God, as monotheism is a key belief in Islam. ‘Alahu Akbar’ or ‘God is great’ is a key phrase used by Muslims.

Shirk [idolatry]: the placing of an individual or thing above Allah for worship is regarded as a grave sin. No images are allowed in Islam and calligraphy is used instead.

Prophet: messenger of God, Allah. Muslims believe that there have been at least 25 prophets in total starting with Adam, each of whom provided partial messages from Allah whereas the message or revelation imparted to Muhammad is complete and perfect and the final one.

Caliph [successor]: there are believed to be four Rightly Guided Caliphs or ‘successors’ of the prophet Muhammad. These are: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. They are mentioned by name on the top of the sitarah.

angels: the angel Gabriel [Jibril in Arabic] revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad. A belief in angels is central to the Six Articles of Faith in Islam. Angels are heavenly beings who do the will of Allah.

blessings: the conferral of sacred benefits, spiritual rewards from Allah. Some Muslims believe that possessing or being close to objects such as the sitarah confer blessings because they have been close to a sacred place such as the tomb of the prophet Muhammad. For example, reciting one of the verses found on the sitarah is said to confer blessings and lead to paradise.

paradise: in Islam the place where the righteous will go as reward in the afterlife from Allah. Allah judges all individually. There is no intercessor who will stand between the individual and Allah on Judgment Day. There are different ideas about what paradise or Jannah will be like and there are references to it in the Qur’an where it is sometimes described as a celestial garden.

pilgrimage: a sacred journey undertaken as a religious duty or in the hopes of spiritual reward. In Islam pilgrimage [hajj] is one of the Five Pillars or duties of Islam. Only the fit and healthy and those who are free of debt are expected to undertake hajj to Mecca. In Islam there is minor hajj, which can be undertaken at any time of the year, and major hajj which is annual pilgrimage undertaken during the month of hajj [dhul-ul-hajj]. Pilgrimage can include an optional visit to the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina where pilgrims can be near the tomb of Muhammad, which is screened off.

Learning activities

The learning activities are based around the Sitarah, an embroidered cloth to cover the prophet’s tomb in Medina. The Sitarah is held in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and is available to look at online.

Firstly, search for Sitarah, Jameel Centre, Ashmolean and make sure you have this resource. The Jameel Centre is an online resource allowing viewers to look at and learn about some of the museum’s collection.

Explain that pupils are going to investigate and then make a presentation on a museum exhibit [or better still take them to the Ashmolean Museum, Room 31 Islamic Middle East Gallery to look at the sitarah] to answer the question: What secret stories can be told by a sacred object in Islam? This can be done using it as a mystery object initially or a group exercise where they are given the task of identifying what the object is using the weblink above. Prior knowledge of what the inside of a mosque looks like is needed. Labelled drawings of a mosque showing the mihrab, mosque lamps and use of calligraphy would be useful from the start. Similarly, prior knowledge of aspects of the hajj is required such as the decoration of the Ka’bah with a cloth similar to the sitarah and a map of Saudi Arabia showing the pilgrimage route with Mecca and Medina.

Provide some background historical information about the sitarah as a sacred curtain donated initially by a Muslim ruler during hajj to be hung on a wall in or near the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina. Pupils can be given the task of finding additional background information using a range of resources such as: the video of the tomb, recent photographs of the tomb, links to the British Museum hajj exhibition, weblinks to information about the Prophet’s Mosque and the Green Dome in Medina, information about the Ka’bah and the kiswa cloth that cover it and the sacred sites of Mecca and Medina [the Haramayn]. Remind them that they are trying to find out what secret stories can be revealed by the sitarah and that they are acting like detectives finding clues.

Show pupils the sitarah either in the Ashmolean Museum as part of a museum visit or as a PowerPoint presentation in the classroom using its online resources. Take pupils through what they need to focus on working from the outside edge to the middle in a clockwise direction. Draw attention to the framing of the overall design within arches and columns that resemble the mihrab, then the calligraphy and the finer details such as the imperial monogram of Sultan Selim III at the bottom which is two crossed swords and symbol in between. Ask pupils to write down as many key facts as they can remember about the sitarah and then share these in pairs or groups. If pupils are on a museum visit there is an interactive board with a link to the online information about the sitarah also.

Provide pupils with quote from Dr Christopher Brown CBE Director of the Ashmolean Museum about why the sitarah is so important in understanding the ‘complex nature of the Islamic cultural tradition’. Ask pupils to record on a large sheet of paper what they have learnt so far about this Islamic cultural tradition and about their own cultural traditions [e.g. the importance of learning about other cultures and religions, shared values, celebrating diversity]. Then ask them to record at least three questions they would like to ask about the sitarah as a sacred object and about the possible secret meanings and stories hidden in its design. Swap questions with each other to use as a later task where the other pupil has to try and answer the question and provide useful information regarding the sitarah.

Provide pupils with a printed version of the Ashmolean information about the sitarah. Ask pupils to work in pairs to recall aspects of the sitarah and then label an image of the sitarah explaining what it shows about Muslim beliefs.

Ask pupils to work in pairs to exchange views and make a range of written comments on why each of the following five verses from the Qur’an was chosen to be embroidered onto the sitarah.

Encourage them to say what each verse reveals about why the sitarah is a sacred object, and what each verse might be saying about the meaning and purpose of life. Prompt their thinking by asking which quote from the Qur’an might be the most revealing in this respect. [The Throne Verse seems the most likely as it brings rewards.]

Ask them to focus on the design which recalls the mosque, the place of worship and in particular the mihrab showing the direction of prayer [Mecca] and the references to Caliphs and the donation of the sitarah by the Sultan. Direct the discussion towards whether the sitarah is an example of piety [devotion through the act of giving at an auspicious event, the hajj] or prestige [marking the accession to the throne of the Sultan; something that was standard practice at the time amongst the Ottoman rulers].

29:35 Chapter of the Light which proclaims God as the ‘light of the heavens and ’ [Think about the mosque lamp.]
33:56 Chapter of the Clans: ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all ’
The Shahadah: ‘There is no god but God and Muhammad is His Prophet.’ [The names of Allah and of Muhammad are on the red roundels at the top of the ]
2:225 Throne Verse. One part of it states: ‘His throne extends over the heavens and on earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, for He is the Most High, The Supreme in “’

Explain that you would now like them to work out answers to their original questions asked about the sitarah and its possible secret meanings and stories. They can email a Muslim or ask an RE Expert to help them find the answers. Share some of the answers across the class.

In preparation for the next lesson, pupils should assemble all the information that they have gathered so far about the sitarah in response to the original main question about the secret stories it might reveal and then decide how this information will be presented. Examples could include: a poster display of questions and answers; a cartoon illustrating the voyage of the sitarah from Constantinople to Medina and then Oxford; an interactive quiz; a guidebook for visitors to the museum going to see the exhibit; a letter of thanks to the museum or the donor Dr Khalil explaining how it has helped deepen understanding of Muslims tradition and culture; or as a collection of recordings of pupils speaking about what they have learnt about and from the sitarah to donate to the Ashmolean Museum Education Department for use as a resources for future RE students.

Provide access for pupils to computers and other resources to enable them to produce their presentations. They should choose a catchy title, bearing in mind the key question, ‘What secret stories can be told by a sacred object in Islam?’ and think about the intended audience. This is where Assessment for Learning could be applied to improve presentations and think about assessment opportunities.

Encourage the pupils to include some or all of the following ideas in their presentations:

the ‘secret stories’ that can now be told about the sacred object, the sitarah (this could include a sense of competition for finding the most obscure or most revealing secret e.g. Sultan Selim III, the original donor of the sitarah, was a member of the Sufi order of whirling dervishes and this means the sitarah may well have been given out of piety as well as prestige;
some mistaken beliefs about the prophet’s tomb, e.g. that you should ask for Muhammad’s mercy when only Allah can grant mercy to the believer;
their ideas about the sitarah as a CURTAIN – why might that be significant for Muslims here?
what big questions of life are being addressed within the design of the sitarah and within the embroidered quotations [e.g. about God, the role of Muhammad as God’s prophet, the ultimate rewards for Muslims who honour God, Muhammad and the teachings of the Qur’an]
how people might give different answers to those questions, depending on their own beliefs;
their own insights into the stories, mistaken beliefs, mysteries and big questions raised by their study of the sitarah, using reasoning and examples to support their ideas;
their thoughts about how and why the Sufi practice of dhikr which involves the repeated recitation of the name of Allah might create a trance like state of union with God;
the choice made by the designer of the sitarah to use the Thuluth script for the embroidered verses of the Qur’an and what secret stories this tells us about the art of calligraphy [e.g., the belief that you cannot be a calligrapher until you have mastered the Thuluth script; the beauty behind the lines and shapes created this way and how it might show devotion to Allah and His revelation in the words of the Qur’an];
their own thoughts about how the arts and beautifully embroidered cloth specifically might lift people spiritually [e.g. linking with the idea of beauty and order in creation being a sign or ayat of Allah].

Ask pupils to present their completed work to others. This can be done in a variety of ways: as a poster in which questions are answered; as a PowerPoint presentation; as a cartoon charting the creation of the sitarah to its donation to the Ashmolean; as a guide for visitors to the Ashmolean; as a question and answer interactive display to go in the museum for young visitors.

Remind pupils of the questions they wrote about the sacredness of the sitarah and ask them to choose three of the best. Explain that a key Muslim belief is that there is only one God and worship of anything or anyone other than God is called shirk (idolatry), which is a sin. Ask them to work out in small groups what answers they think that present day Muslims might give to these questions, bearing in mind the points above about shirk. What answers might believers from another religion such as Christianity give? [This could link with the idea of relics of Jesus and saints.]

Explain that not all Muslims will agree about the value of the sitarah in providing protection and blessings. Most believe that only Allah can provide this, so Muslims should perform their religious duties such as prayer (du’a), follow the teachings of the Qur’an and remember the words of the 1^st Caliph Abu Bakr, “Oh people, if Muhammad is the sole object of your worship, then know that he is dead. But if it is Allah the One God you worship then know that He does not die.” Other Muslims may believe that going to the Prophet’s Mosque at Medina as part of hajj and praying in front of his tomb will gain them protection (for example from hell) and blessings in life. However, visiting the Prophet’s tomb is regarded as an optional part of hajj. The verses from the Qur’an embroidered onto the sitarah remind Muslims of the Allah’s power over the universe and the importance of worshipping Him alone. Remind them also about shirk (see above). This could provide the basis of a pupil debate about the spiritual value of the sitarah, arguing both for and against from a Muslim perspective.

Revisit the group exercise and the sheet summarising what was learnt about Islamic cultural tradition and one’s own tradition (based around the quote from Dr Christopher Brown). What can now be added to this? In summary and as feedback, do pupils feel that the sitarah is an object of piety or prestige? What has it taught them about their own beliefs and what insights have they gained about the beliefs of Muslims, bearing in mind that there might be differences within these?

[There are videos of the hajj available from the British Museum shop that might be relevant in terms of the procession of the kiswa or ceremonial cloth covering the Ka’bah at Mecca.]

A consideration of forgiveness in relation to Christianity.

KS2&3. Originally written by Mary Myatt, updated in April 2019.

Learning outcomes

Emerging

Retell the story of the Prodigal Son, explain one meaning of the story
Explain at least two aspects of the story and what they may symbolise

Expected

Explain the story of the Prodigal Son through two different viewpoints
Give an account of what the story tells readers about forgiveness
Answer the question, with evidence; ‘how hard is it to forgive? What is it like to be forgiven?’

Exceeding

Make a connection between the story and modern examples of forgiveness

Key words and concepts

Parable: a short story with something for people to think about in their own lives.

Prodigal: wasteful, extravagant or foolish.

Forgiveness: letting go of anger and resentment.

Redemption: rescue from sin.

Reconciliation: restoring of respect between people who have hurt one another.

Love: affection, kindness, compassion.

Mercy: forgiveness and kindness.

Jealousy: negative thoughts of fear and resentment.

Selfishness: personal concern regarded as higher than concern for other people.

Pride: an inflated sense of personal importance.

Greed: wanting more than is needed.

Parable: this comes from the Greek, meaning comparison or analogy. Many Christians refer to the parables Jesus told as ‘earthly stories with heavenly meanings’.

Redemption: – this means to ‘buy out’ and originally meant buying freedom for a slave. For Christians it means that through dying on the cross, Jesus bought freedom from sin for all people.

Forgiveness: – this means to give up resentment or to grant pardon. For Christians, it is an important idea – as people ask forgiveness from God for their wrong doings they are also expected to forgive those who have done wrong to them.

Grace: – the unconditional love which Christians believe God has for humans.

Reconciliation: – the restoring of good relationships after a break up. For Christians, Jesus’ death on the cross reconciled human beings to God.

Learning activities

This lesson planning is built around the story of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15: 11-32. Later in the learning process pupils will read this biblical text but start by introducing the story through a video or animation, or through a graphic bible. Your first task is therefore to locate the story of the Prodigal Son in a format suitable for your pupils.

As preparation for watching the video ask pupils to complete the following stems:

The times I want my own way are when …
I realise I’ve made a mistake when …
It can be hard to say sorry when …
It can be hard to forgive when …

Explain to the pupils that they are going to be watching a video about the story of the lost, or prodigal, son. Prodigal means wasteful, extravagant or This is a story Jesus told.

Remind pupils that Jesus told parables as a way of helping people understand what God wants them to do with their lives. Some people say that parables are an earthly way of telling a heavenly story.

Jesus had been telling a number of stories or parables to help people understand what God is like. Some of the people Jesus was talking to were tax collectors and sinners and others were important people in the Jewish community called scribes and Pharisees. They were not happy that Jesus was talking to sinners as well as to people who lived within the law.

Ask each of the pupils to look at the video through the eyes of either the father, the ‘good’ son or the lost (prodigal) son.

At the end of the video ask each pupil to spend a few minutes drawing a fortune On a sheet of A4 the vertical axis is marked on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 is sad, worried, anxious and 10 is happy, exhilarated, joyful). The horizontal axis is marked 1 to 10 to represent different stages of the story. This shows what the character in the story was thinking or feeling at different stages in the story. Once pupils have completed the fortune graph ask them to compare notes, i.e., those who had looked at the story through the eyes of the father to talk together, the good son and the lost (prodigal) son groups to work together.

Bring the groups together as a class and draw out the main themes of the pupils’ findings. How do these compare with the findings from the question stems which the class did before watching the video? Who do the pupils think Jesus meant the characters in the story to represent? What might Jesus have wanted his followers to think about in their own lives? E.g. When might they have acted like the father? Are their times in peoples’ lives when they might have acted like the good son and at other times like the lost (prodigal) son?

What questions could pupils ask about the decisions which each of the characters in the parable made? What might have happened if the father had acted differently? What if the good son and the lost (prodigal) son had acted differently?

Now read the story from the Bible (Luke 15: 11-32) with pupils.

Divide the story into sections: the father giving his sons his fortune: the younger son leaving to explore the world: the hard times for the younger son: the homecoming. Ask pupils to work in pairs on one of the sections. Encourage them to discuss their ideas on the most interesting or puzzling aspects of their section of the story. What are the two or three things that they think are most important about this section of the story? Ask them to choose one key point to explain to the other groups – i.e. what the key point is and why it is significant?

Ask pupils to think about a time when they have made a mistake and been forgiven. Ask them to create a paper chain. On one side of each paper chain, ask them to write the key words for what it felt like to be forgiven.

Now ask pupils to think about a time when they have forgiven someone for something which has hurt them. How hard was it? What did it feel like? On another paper chain, ask them to write the key words for forgiving someone else. Is there a difference between the two types of paper chain? Create a wall display with the heading: ‘The Forgiveness Project’

Ask pupils to research another Biblical reference on forgiveness: Colossians 3 v 13 ‘Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another’. Ask pupils to summarise the reference and think of two questions they would want to ask a Christian about the Biblical quotes.

Ask pupils to create images in pairs representing ‘forgiveness’: and ask them to say how these images relate to the parable of the lost (prodigal) son.

Consider some examples in the world today where forgiveness has made a Ask pupils in groups to look at one of the following examples where the principles of forgiveness have been at the heart of the work:

Corrymeela
Foundation for peace
The Iona community
The Taizé community
Truth and reconciliation in South Africa

Ask pupils to work in pairs to research one of the examples above. They should find out the answers to these questions: What is the main focus of the work in this organisation? Why does this organisation exist? Why would someone get involved in this organisation?

As each group feeds back to the rest of the class, ask them to collect the main ideas on a grid. [For a sample grid download the pdf of this resource at the bottom of the page.]

Ask pupils to fill a backpack with heavy items which represent carrying heavy burdens e.g., resentment, hurt, bitterness, anger, revenge. Using examples from the accounts on the websites above, ask them to describe what it feels like to carry the heavy burden from the point of view of some of the people they have researched.

Ask them to write a song/poem or create artwork which shows what it is like when that is removed. Make links to the idea of forgiveness.

Final personal reflection:

This is what I set out to do …
This is what I found hardest …
This is what I learned from doing this work …
If another group were going to explore this, they could also think about … and this would make it even better: …

An investigation into the links between the Exodus and the Pesach meal celebrated by Jews today.

For pupils with special needs achieving at ‘P Levels’ 1-8). Originally written by Tina Ward, updated in April 2019.

Learning Outcomes

Emerging

Use the name ‘Moses’ and ‘Jews’ or ‘Judaism’ correctly when talking or writing
Explain three events which you think are important from the story of Moses

Expected

Use three words to describe what qualities a good leader should have and explain why
Explain, with reference to the story of Moses and the Exodus, why Moses showed good leadership
Explain, with reference to either sensory items of symbols, three aspects of the story of the Exodus

Exceeding

Give three reasons why Jews today remember Moses and the Exodus
Show understanding of links between the slavery in Egypt and ways people feel trapped today

Key words and concepts

Moses: The most important prophet in Judaism. According to the Hebrew Bible, Moses brought the Law, including the Ten Commandments, from G-d to the Hebrew / Jewish people and led them from slavery in Egypt to the ‘Promised Land’ of Canaan. He is traditionally considered to be the author of the Torah – the first five books of the Bible.

Aaron: The older brother of Moses, regarded as a priest and prophet of the Israelites. Aaron was known as an eloquent speaker; he became the spokesman for Moses when demanding the release of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

Pharaoh: title for the rulers of Egypt in biblical times. The name of the pharaoh at the time of Moses is not given in the Bible.

Slaves: According to the Bible, the ‘children of Israel’, also known as ‘Hebrews’, were forced to become slaves to the Egyptian rulers. The descendants of Jacob, who had settled in Egypt after Joseph had become chief minister there, had grown in population and were seen as a threat by the Pharaoh.

Israelites: those descended from Jacob (also known as ‘Israel’), that is, from the twelve ‘tribes’ descended from the twelve sons of Jacob.

Ten Plagues of Egypt: According to the Biblical book of Exodus, Israel’s G-d, (Yahweh) inflicted ten calamities on Egypt as signs that the Pharaoh should release the Israelites from slavery. He finally gave in after the tenth plague, where all the first-born sons of the Egyptians suddenly died one night. At this point the Hebrew people / Israelites began their Exodus.

Passover: Commemoration of the last of the Ten Plagues. According to the biblical narrative, the angel of death ‘passed over’ the houses of the Israelites, and took the life of each of the Egyptian’s first-born sons. Before this final plague, G-d had told Moses to inform all the Israelites to mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood so that the ‘destroyer’ would not visit their dwellings.

Exodus: The name given to the escape of the Israelites / Hebrews from Egypt.

This planning uses the idea of ‘burning core ideas’ (developed by Anne Krisman) to express the key subject knowledge to communicate to pupils. Here are some burning core ideas:

Moses is special to Jews because he led the people out of slavery to the Promised Land;

Judaism is the name of the Jewish religion;

Jews believe in one G-d and do not usually use His Name. They sometimes write G-d to avoid using the name in a bad way;

The Jewish holy book is called the Tenakh (Bible);

At the time of Moses the Jews were known as Hebrews (descendants of Eber – an ancestor of Abraham) or Israelites (see above). The Jews spoke the Hebrew language.

Here are the further key ideas and knowledge contained in this resource to help you prepare for the teaching and learning activities:

Moses was trusted by people – they followed him out of slavery in Egypt;

Moses inspired the people to follow him – he brought messages from G-d;

Moses led the people; he was their leader. He acted with conviction. With the help of G-d, he found a way through the Red Sea to escape from the Egyptians. Sometimes he was angry with the people when they did not do what G-d wanted;

Moses had many qualities. He could be angry but at times he was caring, kind, fearless, committed, truthful, patient and fair. He trusted G-d;

Moses had a vision of a better future for the Israelites.

Learning activities

This planning resource follows the ’5 Keys to RE’ developed by Anne Krisman.

1. Connection – How can we link our theme of Moses and the Exodus with pupils’ lives?

Let pupils know that Moses inspired his people to escape from slavery and risk everything for freedom and self determination. What inspires us to live a good life and helps us to be free?

Explain to the pupils that they are going to be learning about leadership and what makes a good leader who is worth trusting and following. One way in to the topic is to tell pupils about how one person can start a craze that everyone eventually joins in with. In this way, videos uploaded to YouTube get seen by millions of people, e.g. ‘Gangnam-style’, ‘Harlem Shake’ etc. There are also YouTube clips about one person starting a crazy ‘dance party’ at a music festival, e.g., see the one at the Sasquatch Festival 2009.

Ask the pupils to talk to a partner: in what ways is the first person to start a craze a leader? Is it more important that someone joins in and encourages others? Why do pupils think that other people want to join in some crazes? Why do some people NOT join in?

What are some of the names of a leader? Can pupils think, e.g, of ‘teacher’, ‘captain’, ‘ruler’, ‘president’, ‘governor’, champion’, master’, ‘expert’, ‘director’?

Get some feedback and then ask them in pairs again to think of different leaders, e.g., work, school, community, sport, society etc. and to talk about what each one does to fulfil his / her role. What makes a good leader?

Put a picture of a leader known to the class, such as the Headteacher (?!) or a manager of a football team, or the person who leads a school club or music group, up on the board. Ask the pupils to say what they think this person does in their job and how necessary the job is. How do they think the leader got to their position? Does the leader have close supporters? What qualities might they have? Can the leader do whatever they like or do they have their own rules to follow? Do they have any responsibilities relating to religion and belief? How has this person influenced them? Note some key words from the pupils’ ideas as a class list.

Make some of the key words about leadership in their answers [help pupils with some of these: ‘hard work’, ‘confident’, ‘brave’, ‘inspiring’, ‘unselfish’, ‘caring’, ‘honest’, ‘strong’, ‘thoughtful’, ‘wise’, ‘good listener’, ‘generous’, ‘passionate’, ‘positive’, ‘resilient’, ‘responsible’, helps others’] into a musical performance: signing, clapping, drumming, use of other percussion instruments, or chanting some of the words in different patterns and volumes, so, e.g., small groups could select three words or phrases to repeat with clapping rhythms, starting softly and getting louder then softer again. You could take the lead in the performance, to model each part to be played by the groups.

An alternative or extension activity is for pupils to think of the characteristics of a ‘bad’ leader, e.g. ‘bossy’, ‘cruel’, ‘demanding’, ‘overbearing’, ‘ordering’, and to create a musical performance as above.

Ask the pupils in pairs or small groups to decorate a poster about this leader or another of the pupils’ choice, helping them where needed with words about their role, style of leadership and their impact as a leader. The leader’s picture could be in the middle of the page with one third for key words relating to the leader’s role, another third for phrases to describe their style of leadership and the final third for words about their impact on others. For some pupils, rather than words, help them to stick material, tissue paper, sequins, feathers, ribbon, etc to represent the leader’s qualities.

Ask pupils: what do we need help with and what can we do for ourselves? Could we do more for ourselves than we do at the moment?

2. Knowledge – How can we communicate burning core knowledge within the theme to our pupils?

Share these examples of burning core knowledge with the pupils:

The Hebrews were slaves to the Egyptians
Moses was called by G-d to lead his people out of slavery
Pharaoh only agreed to let the slaves go after a series of plagues and the death of each family’s first born son
The Red Sea miraculously parted to let the Hebrews cross to the other side but the Egyptians who were chasing them were drowned when the waters returned to normal
Jewish people remember the Exodus today in an annual festival called Passover [Hebrew = Pesach].

Let pupils know that the Israelites had been good citizens of Egypt since the time when Joseph and his brother settled there many years before the time of Moses. The King (Pharaoh) of Egypt had enslaved them when he became afraid that they had grown so numerous that they might rebel against him, or take sides with his enemies.

To highlight the hardships of the Israelite slave, ask pupils to re-enact the building of a temple through drama actions: the mixing of mud and straw for bricks; the hauling of great loads of bricks to the site; the exhaustion of the slaves in the hot sun; being whipped by Egyptian guards if they slackened; the building of the temple one brick at a time. Use some music to accompany the dramatic reconstruction, e.g. ‘Zavod – the Iron Foundry’ by Alexander Vasilyevich Mosolov. You could film the pupils’ contributions to this activity.

Let pupils know that Moses believed that G-d had spoken to him through the burning bush and that he should ask Pharaoh to let his people go free.

Ask pupils to create a collage made from different coloured paper, showing Moses in front of the burning bush in the desert, with his sandals on one side. Add the feeling of the power of G-d’s words on Moses, using glitter, holographic paper, cellophane, plastic gem stones, etc.

Exodus Question Game

Generate as many questions as you can about the story of Moses and the Exodus. Alternatively a list is given on the following page.

Look at the questions. Discuss which 10 questions best explain the story, the people and the reason for the events. Separate or highlight these 10 questions. Introduce the challenge: to answer ten questions that will help the Israelites escape from slavery.

Provide a game board of 10 steps. Each correct answer moves the slaves away form Egypt and towards the Promised Land.

List of possible questions:

Why did G-d choose Moses?
Was Moses scared when he led the people out of Egypt?
Why did they follow Moses?
Did the sea really open for the Israelites?
How do we help others in the class?
Where can we go that is a calming place for us?
What special qualities do you and members of our class have?
How do you / your parents or carers / teachers / friends show these qualities?
What do they do / say / think?
How did Pharaoh / Moses / the Israelites / G-d show these qualities?
Why is it important to have a good leader?
Why was Moses a good leader?
Was Moses always a good leader?
Why did the slaves trust Moses?
Did Moses make any mistakes?
What was it about Moses that impressed the slaves?
What jobs did the slaves have to do?
What was it like to be a slave?
Why were the Egyptians cruel to the slaves?
Why was Moses angry with the guards of the slaves?
Did Moses ever believe in the Egyptian gods?
Why did the Egyptians need the slaves?
Why did the Egyptians build temples and pyramids?
Why did G-d want the slaves to leave Egypt?
Why did the slaves want to leave Egypt?
Why did G-d choose Moses to talk to Pharaoh about releasing the slaves?
Why did G-d want the slaves released? Or, why was G-d angry about the slaves?
How did G-d speak to Moses?
Why did G-d speak to Aaron too?
When Aaron and Moses spoke with Pharaoh, what did Aaron do to show G-d’s power?
Why wasn’t Pharaoh scared?
Was Moses always happy with G-d? [The slaves were worked even harder after Moses first asked Pharaoh to release the slaves]
How do people celebrate/remember Passover today?
How do you think Moses persuaded the slaves the leave Egypt?
How do you think the slaves were feeling as they left Egypt?
After Moses and the slaves left Egypt Pharaoh changed his mind and wanted the slaves to come back. Why do you think that was?
How do you think the Hebrews felt when they saw Pharaoh’s soldiers chasing after them in their chariots?
Once the slaves were the other side of the Red Sea, how did they feel?
What do you think the Egyptian soldiers that were still alive felt?
What do you think Pharaoh felt?

Answer the first (and second if helpful) question together. When the correct answer is given, move one square along the game board. Students will answer the remaining questions in three alternative ways:

If pupils have access to computers they can work individually (or in pairs) to complete the questions that help the Hebrews to escape. Ask them to make a record of how many answers they give (incorrect and correct) before they reach the Promised Land.

Alternatively you can run the exercise as a whole class activity with small groups of pupils debating each question and voting on their answer. Ask each group to give their answer. Demonstrate any wrong answers that are given before clicking on the correct one. Award points for giving the correct answers.

A third alternative is to connect the events of the story with the items on a Seder plate. Find a Seder plate template online and print. Display food items on cards, with an explanation as to their meaning (see below). Connect one food item with one element of the story as a class. Find a question that food item relates to and discuss the q. Answer as a class.

Each group sends one member up to collect question 2. The group must agree an answer and bring it up to you at the front. If they’ve got it right they choose another item for the Seder plate, and continue until one group has completed the Seder plate. The first group to collect the complete set of Seder meal items is the first to reach the Promised Land.

When each group has completed answered the questions, teach the symbolism of each Seder item. Ask pupils to reflect on the story and, where appropriate, ask them why they think Jewish people today want to remember the experiences of Moses and the Hebrews every year at the Pesach festival. Share possible answers. Adults can also ask questions and respond.

If time, share the story once more.

3. Senses – Which sensory elements are in the theme?

The following sensory activities can help pupils experience something of the Exodus and the importance of the festival of Pesach to Jewish people:

Dramatic music to represent the sound of the Israelite slaves building houses and temples for the Egyptians;
Pesach (Passover) songs, e.g. Seder Prayer’ from ‘Two Candles Burn’ by Stephen Melzack or ‘Best Seder in the USA’ by the Maccabeats;
The scent of Pesach candles;
Tasting Pesach food;
Feeling the Matzah, cushions etc.

Play a version of a Pesach song to pupils while they use coloured crayons or sponge paint to create the Red Sea.

Afterwards, encourage pupils to add:

a black paper cut-out of a pyramid on one side of the sea to represent slavery in Egypt
symbols of milk and honey on the other to represent the Promised Landcloth
cut-out figures (in blue and white stripe if possible) to represent Moses and the Israelites
shiny material to represent the armour of the pursuing Egyptian army
black paper to place across the Red Sea.

Ask the pupils to contribute to a composition (including voice, percussion and any other sound effects) to represent moving from the pursuing Egyptian Army (clattering, drumming, the sound of horses and chariot drivers shouting) across the Red Sea (the sound of waves, storm) to the triumphant Israelites on the other side (tambourines, trumpets, whoops of joy).

Explain that once the Israelites had escaped it still took them 40 years to reach the Promised Land! Ask pupils to say when they have been through a difficult time and came out the other side, perhaps even feeling happy.

4. Symbols – Which symbols are most accessible in the theme?

Items of the Seder plate:

Haroset: made from a mix of apple and nuts. It serves to remind Jews today of the mortar the slaves used when they were building temples and homes for the Egyptians;
Lettuce (or other leaves): tastes sweet when you first start to eat it. After a few mouthfuls the taste becomes bitter. Lettuce on the Seder plate reminds Jews of how good life was before they became slaves;
Lamb shank: reminds Jews of the temple where they would make sacrifices to God;
Parsley: represents the new spring and the initial flourishing of the Israelites. In the Seder meal the parsley is dipped in salt water or vinegar to taste the tears the slaves shed over their suffering;
Roasted egg: symbolises the cycle of life – even in the most painful of times there is always hope for a new beginning;
Horseradish: represents the bitter taste of slavery. This is dipped into the Haroset to associate the bitterness of slavery with the hard work that went with it;
Matzot: Next to the Seder plate will be 3 pieces of matzah wrapped or covered in a cloth. Matzot are made from unleavened bread dough. They are used to remember the haste in which the Israelites left Egypt;
Candles: lit to bring light and joy to the occasion of the Seder meal. It may remind Jews of the light that guided the Israelites through the wilderness;
Wine: a sip of wine is drunk, even by children, four times during the Seder meal. Wine symbolises how the Israelites celebrated their escape and their new freedom. Jews say, ‘Next year in Jerusalem’ at the end of the meal;
Cushions: each seat has a cushion or pillow. At the Seder meal Jews can sit back in comfort and relax. This may remind them of the freedom the Israelites experienced when they finally escaped from slavery. Now they were free to live according to their own laws and commandments.

Matzot

Explain that when the Israelites left Egypt they had to rush. There was no time to wait for their bread to rise, so they make it without yeast, producing flatbreads / crackers like Matzot. They risked everything to follow Moses.

Ask pupils to identify people who set a good example and tell them the right things to do.

Help them practice writing the word Leader and play a game of ‘Simon says…’

Candles

Explain that when the Israelites were in the Wilderness escaping the Pharaoh they were, according to the story, guided by a pillar of cloud during the day and a pillar of fire at night.

Turn the light out, close blinds or curtains, and guide pupils around the classroom using candle light. Reinforce the idea of TRUST in the LEADER.

Ask pupils: who can you trust to lead you to safety? (e.g. perhaps get the pupils to think about when they do a fire practice).

Cushions and Wine

Explain that when Jewish people remember the events of the escape from slavery, they recline on pillows or cushions to remind them that they are free.

Instead of sitting on school chairs invite the pupils to recline on cushions and enjoy a cup of fruit juice. Encourage them to exchange ideas on what it means/feels like to be free.

5. Values – Which values in the theme speak to our pupils?

Bravery / courage, faith and belief, strength, patience, perseverance, commitment, determination, confidence, inspiring, resilience, knowing weaknesses, getting help for others).

Share these examples of Jewish values with the pupils:

Trust in G-d;
Act as G-d’s chosen people – keep His Laws (Commandments);
Remember how G-d brought the Israelites out of slavery.

Explain to pupils that they are going to learn about one more story about Moses that will help them understand how inspirational he is for all Jews and how he set an example for all Jews to follow.

Using, e.g., the Lion Storyteller Bible (pages 34 and 35), tell some of the story of how Moses led the Israelites through the Wilderness, with the help of various signs: miraculous food and discovery of water in the dry rocks. Ask pupils why they think the Israelites / Hebrews didn’t trust Moses all the time. What questions might they want to ask Moses if they had been following him the Wilderness?

Where appropriate, choose questions to focus on, for example, ‘What things make us worry or be anxious?’ and share possible answers. Adults can also ask questions and respond.

If time, share the story once more. Can pupils identify the parts of the story that Moses was a firm leader, brave, determined, committed, persevering, inspiring, confident and trustworthy? Display these words for pupils whilst they are listening to the story.

Finally, remind pupils of the key question, ‘How did Moses inspire the Exodus?’ Ask them to say when in the story Moses was:

brave or courageous;
confident;
patient;
trusting in G-d;
determined;
persevering;
inspiring;
trustworthy

Ask pupils when in the story they think the Israelites showed any of the above qualities. Can the pupils think of times when they themselves:

needed any of these qualities?
wished they had any of these qualities?
actually used any of these qualities?

Culham St Gabriel’s has teamed up with award-winning film-makers, TrueTube, to produce seven exciting new films to support Key Stage 1 RE. These excellent five minute films are already rating as the most popular on TrueTube. Together with the well-worked out lesson plans that accompany each film they make a substantial resource for introducing key ideas in six major religions.

Each film revolves around a little girl called Charlie and her loveably inquisitive soft toy, Blue. Together, Charlie and Blue investigate an RE-inspired question and they meet people from different religions and beliefs who can help them find the answers they are looking for, enabling Key Stage 1 children to learn alongside them.

Script-writer: Kath Yelland

Lesson Plans: Emma McVittie, Linda Whitworth, Dave Francis and Bob Ayres

Zippity-zip, let’s go on a trip! Charlie and her favourite soft toy (and best friend) Blue visit their neighbour Seyed in his garden to find out why Muslims believe they should look after the world.

Download the teacher notes

Charlie and Blue in the Classroom (About the Films)

Find out more about how the Charlie and Blue films and teacher notes can be used in primary classrooms.

Script-writer: Kath Yelland

Lesson Plans: Emma McVittie, Linda Whitworth, Dave Francis and Bob Ayres

Zippity-zip, let’s go on a trip! Charlie and her favourite soft toy (and best friend) Blue visit a Buddhist Centre to find out what it means to be enlightened, and how Buddhists try to live more peaceful lives.

Download the teacher notes

Charlie and Blue in the Classroom (About the Films)

Find out more about how the Charlie and Blue films and teacher notes can be used in primary classrooms.

Script-writer: Kath Yelland

Lesson Plans: Emma McVittie, Linda Whitworth, Dave Francis and Bob Ayres

Zippity-zip, let’s go on a trip! Charlie and her favourite soft toy (and best friend) Blue visit a Jewish neighbour called Rachel to find out what Jews celebrate at the festival of Passover, and how the food they eat helps them remember important things that happened in the past.

Download the teacher notes

Charlie and Blue in the Classroom (About the Films)

Find out more about how the Charlie and Blue films and teacher notes can be used in primary classrooms.

Script-writer: Kath Yelland

Lesson Plans: Emma McVittie, Linda Whitworth, Dave Francis and Bob Ayres

Zippity-zip, let’s go on a trip! Charlie and her favourite soft toy (and best friend) Blue go to a Church where they meet Chris to find out why Christians give to charity, and why they do their best to follow Jesus by helping other people.

Download the teacher notes

Charlie and Blue in the Classroom (About the Films)

Find out more about how the Charlie and Blue films and teacher notes can be used in primary classrooms.

Script-writer: Kath Yelland

Lesson Plans: Emma McVittie, Linda Whitworth, Dave Francis and Bob Ayres

Download the teacher notes

Charlie and Blue in the Classroom (About the Films)

Find out more about how the Charlie and Blue films and teacher notes can be used in primary classrooms.

Understanding Christianity is a substantial resource aimed at supporting RE teachers’ work in teaching Christianity.

With funding from Culham St Gabriel’s Trust, Jerusalem Trust and Sir Halley Stewart Trust, the resource has been created by the Church of England Education Office in Partnership with RE Today.

Built on Theological concepts, the project aims to help teachers support pupils in their learning about Christianity.

This resource is a useful part of teaching and learning about religion and belief and should be used alongside other resources focused on the wide range of religions and beliefs relevant to the UK.

To access the resource, go to: www.understandingchristianity.org.uk