What Is the Bible S Big Story and What Does It Reveal About Having Faith in God? Christianity

What Is The Bible’s ‘Big Story’ and What Does It Reveal About Having Faith in God? Christianity

Name of Unit:
What Is The Bible’s ‘Big Story’ and What Does It Reveal About Having Faith in God? / Faith:
Christianity.
Key Stage in which this unit should be taught:
Key Stage 2 / Recommended Year Group (if specified:)
Previous Learning: All previous learning about Christianity will be a good foundation for this teaching unit about The Bible.
AT1 Learning About Religion
Focus: Beliefs, teachings and sources. / AT2 Learning From Religion
Focus: Meaning, purpose and truth.
What This Unit Teaches:
V  How The Bible came into being. How we got The Bible we use today.
V  Whether The Bible has many plots or one plot. What the term ‘metanarrative’ means.
V  Why The Bible is sometimes referred to as a map for Christian life.
V  What The Bible teaches about faith, reflection of what faith means to us.
V  What makes a person of faith in The Bible?
V  How Christians demonstrate faith today in spreading the ‘Good News’.
Key RE Vocabulary:
The Bible, biblical, Christian, The Old Testament, The New Testament, inspiration, version, translation, translator, books, prophets, apostles, library, plot, ‘big story’, metanarrative, God, Creation, The Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel, Salvation, Kingdom of God, map, guide, Christian life, The Apostles’ Creed, belief, verse, chapter, trust, faith, faithful, hope, ‘Good News,’ Jews. / Cross-Curricular Links:
English, Personal, Social and Health Education, Maths, Computing, Drama, Art and Design, Design and Technology, History, Geography and Music.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development:
Inspiration; sharing personal views and feelings; thinking and reflecting; building trust; learning about those of other faiths and no faith;
things / people that guide / influence us, provide a moral compass for people; learning from the past; collaborative working with others;
cultural life at different historical times / biblical times. / Sensitivities:
Be sensitive towards Muslim pupils who are (generally) not permitted to represent people in dance or drama or in artistic form.
If this is the case, consider how they can take part in the activities without compromising their beliefs.
Possible Further Thinking and Extension Activities:
Develop an interactive ‘Big Question’ board in class to address questions that arise and ask pupils to say what they find interesting and puzzling.
Encourage pupils to seek and suggest answers.
Lead a Collective Worship about the metanarrative of the Bible;
share how Christians may find learning Bible verses helpful and make suggestions for Bible verses to learn.
Future Learning:
All future learning about Christianity can build upon the learning in this teaching unit about The Bible.
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 1
Pupils should:
recall some books and types of books of the Bible, who wrote them and say whether they are in the Old or New Testament;
(AT1)
express what inspires them about how the Bible came into being and compare their ideas with those of other people.
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How Did We Get The Bible We Use Today?
Introduction:
What do we already know about the Bible?
In groups, mind map known facts about the Bible. An envoy from each group goes to another group with their facts. Compare similarities / differences.
Main Part of the Lesson:
Ask the class to bring in different translations of Bibles from home to share with each other. Discuss them as a class, with the person who has brought a particular version in presenting it to the rest of the class.
Who has a Bible? Why do they have a Bible? When did they receive it? Do they use it? How? How do they treat it? Why?
Introduce the idea of seeing the Bible through a telescope: long view of books of Bible - count, name, sort the books.
Introduce the idea of seeing the Bible through a microscope: take a closer look at an important character, (not covered elsewhere in the RE curriculum,) e.g. Ruth, Samuel, Paul.
Relate their story to the big picture.
Who believes the Bible is God’s word?
Is the Bible only used by Christians?
Explain that the Jews share the Old Testament and why.
Do non-religious people use the Bible at all?
Discuss with pupils:
U  what is important to each of us;
U  what influences each of us;
U  how it influences us.
Dig for further information.
Create a Smartboard / IWB file to revisit during the unit.
Ask pupils how they think the Bible came into being.
Explain that writing took place over a long period of time, over many years, by many people inspired by God, from prophets to Moses, to some of the Apostles like John. Among the writers were: prophets, fishermen, kings, a tax collector, a physician, married and unmarried, rich and poor, people from all walks of life.
Share ‘The Story of the Story’, clip from Barnabas In Schools
Activities:
Act out all the books of the Bible – Pupils make up actions for each book, e.g. could be hands together, open up – Old Testament and New Testament, etc.
Drama exercise workout based on the books of the Bible.
Make a class display of the books / stories in The Bible that pupils know within them / key verses and messages, e.g. “The Bible as a Library” display: Make a class 3-D display of the library of different books, could use old cassette / video tape boxes / box files, etc.
Display could have pockets to put writing in, build in throughout the year so that by the end of the year there are examples of all the types of writing from the class as in The Bible, e.g. golden rules; writing letters; etc.
Plenary:
Show ‘Making the King James Bible’ power point and ask children to reflect on what it has taken through history for us to have the Bible as we know it to-day.
Look up, compare in KJV and more modern translations and reflect on: Exodus 19:5 and 2 Timothy 3:16. / Prior to starting this unit of work, the class needs to be asked to bring in different versions of Bibles from home to share with each other.
Resources:
Basic information:
http://www.request.org.uk/main/bible/bible01.htm
Information and facts about the Bible:
http://www.biblesociety.org.uk/l3.php?id=201
Different versions of Bibles brought in from home by the class;
The Bible as a library
- BBC Religion: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/texts/bible.shtml
http://www.barnabasinschools.org.uk/5428
http://www.barnabasinschools.org.uk/5422
http://www.Bible4schools.org/road-to-king-james-Bible/the-king-james-Bible
http://www.Biblegateway.com/
Sacred Books and Stories and Find Out About: Beliefs and Belonging.
- Whiteboard Active:
http://www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk/BBCActiveHub/BBC_Active_Hub.aspx
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 2
Pupils should:
describe the metanarrative of the Bible for Christians;
(AT1)
ask questions and suggest answers to things they find interesting and puzzling about the Bible.
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What Does the Term ‘Metanarrative’ Mean?
Introduction:
Thought-shower stories children know from the Bible (from previous RE work and from Collective Worship, and possibly from their faith background) and what Christians learn from them about God.
Main Part of the Lesson:
There are many versions / translations of the Bible, but the contents all tell a ‘big story,’ the story of God’s relationship with the people He made. This is referred to as the ‘metanarrative,’ meaning the Bible’s ‘big story.’
Use picture cards to recall, order and make a class Bible timeline.
Discuss what it says about God’s relationship with the people he made, from God and creation to salvation, the resurrection of Jesus and the kingdom of God. Encourage children to recall what they remember.
Continue recalling Jesus’ life and teaching and the message of Easter.
Note: ‘Jesus Storybook Bible’ weaves the ‘big story’ throughout the whole book in a way that children can understand.
Activities:
U  In groups, pupils to think and write in one sentence what the main plot of The Bible, the metanarrative of The Bible is.
U  Ask pupils to individually create a set of symbols, one for each part of the metanarrative of The Bible. These could be in 3D form, made out of a variety of materials.
Plenary:
Address questions that arise and ask pupils to say what they find interesting and puzzling.
Encourage pupils to seek and suggest answers.
Develop an interactive ‘Big Question’ board in class to address these in subsequent lessons. / The metanarrative of The Bible is one plot which is made up of these key parts:
God, Creation, The Fall, People of God, Incarnation, Gospel, Salvation, Kingdom of God.
Resources:
What is the Bible?
http://www.request.org.uk/unpacked/christian/Bible/Bible.htm
Bible games e.g. picture cards to make a timeline:
http://livingwaterBiblegames.com/Bibletimelinegame.html
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 3
Pupils should:
reflect on the ‘big story’ of The Bible and be able to articulate their own and others’ understanding of its metanarrative;
(AT1)
know how and why The Bible is important for Christians and some other people.
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a Map For Christian Life?
Introduction:
Recall learning so far by watching “What’s It Like To Be a Christian?” from Request website.
Main Part of the Lesson:
Read and reflect on the Apostles Creed – a statement of belief for Christians.
Ask pupils to point to relevant parts of the timeline whilst reading through for a second time.
Pupils to highlight on their copy of The Apostles Creed lines that refer to the metanarrative of The Bible.
Explain that the Apostle Paul, writing a letter to the church in Ephesus in the book of Ephesians, called the word of God, The Bible, a Christian’s sword.
Paul spoke about Christians needing to ‘‘put on the ‘armour’ of God’’ to prepare them for life’s journey, (like a soldier putting on armour for battle.)
He refers to the Bible as the sword of God’s Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 6:10-18.
What do pupils think that Paul meant by this?
Activity:
Many Christians learn Bible verses by heart.
How do pupils think learning these verses would help a Christian?
They believe God, through His Holy Spirit, will bring The Bible to mind at any time, helping them to follow the right paths through life. This is like a map, for life, for Christians to follow.
Read Psalm 119: 105 ‘Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.’
Is this similar at all to any other faiths? If so, which ones and in what ways? Jews also learn verses from parts of The Old Testament by heart.
Ask pupils to research from a variety of sources, different Bible verses to look up and remember which people feel help them in life. Sources could include asking people, looking in The Bible, searching the internet, including the Bible Gateway website, etc.
Ask pupils to choose their favourite Bible verse that could help them in life and to record it on something permanent to keep in a little container in their possessions.
Plenary:
Play quietly some reflective music, e.g. a hymn / Christian worship song that focuses on the metanarrative of The Bible, or a part of it.
Ask the class to individually share their special Bible verse with the rest of the class.
Further Activity:
(Either here or at the end of this unit of work.)
Lead a Collective Worship about the metanarrative of the Bible; share how Christians may find learning Bible verses helpful and make suggestions for Bible verses to learn. / Resources:
“What’s It Like To Be a Christian?”
http://www.request.org.uk
Copies of The Apostles Creed, (large display copy and individual copies)
available in Common Worship prayer book and on the Church of England website in the Prayer and Worship section,
http://www.anglicansonline.org/basics/apostles.html
The Bible.
Other sources to use for researching Bible verses.
Bible sayings in daily use.
http://www.bible4schools.org/files/files/RE_bible_bible_sayings.pdf
http://www.Biblesociety.org.uk
Materials for recording Bible verses on.
Little containers to store Bible verses in.
Reflective music, e.g. a hymn / Christian worship song that focuses on the metanarrative of The Bible, or a part of it.
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 4
Pupils should:
know what Christians mean by the word ‘faith’
and make links between what Christians learn from The Bible and the ways in which they express their faith in God;
(AT1)
express what faith means to them and others, (including those with different religious views).
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and What Does Faith Mean To Us?
Introduction:
In pairs ask pupils to, in turn, lead their blindfolded partner around the classroom / school. Discuss how this felt by each person in each role. Elicit the idea of trust.
Main Part of the Lesson:
‘Everyone has faith in someone or something’ – do you agree or disagree? Why?
What or who do you put your faith in?