Year 3 and 4
Why do people choose to make a new start?
ATT 1: Learning about religion and belief
What events might lead a person to decide to become a Christian? / ATT 2: Learning from religion and belief
How and when do I decide to make changes in my life?
Engage
(Week 1)
What does it mean to make a new start. / Scientific demonstration:
  • Aim: to visually represent a ‘clean slate’/ making a new start
  • Method: Please use tongs in this demonstration to protect your hands. Dip a white handkerchief into a bowl containing a mixture of iodine tincture and water. When you remove the handkerchief it will appear stained. Then dip handkerchief in a bowl of film fixer. The handkerchief will now appear clean again. (See full description below.)
  • Reflection: sometimes people choose to make a clean start. You could talk about the phrase turning over a new leaf and how it’s origins are turning over a page in a book, a blank page.
Film clip (suggested film is Despicable Me):
  • Watch 1st clip from Despicable Me and discuss the Character of Gru.
  • Watch 2nd clip and discuss how he has changed.
  • Discuss: Why do you think he changed?
In groups, children create 2 freeze frames depicting Gru before and after he changes. Children can create a statement for each freeze frame describing Gru’s feelings.
Introduce the key question - Why do people choose to make a new start?
Enquire
(Week 2)
Develop questions with the children that will help them answer the key question. / T - Show before and after picture of Gru as a reminder.
T - What questions do we need to ask to find out why people choose to make new start?
Possible question 1: When in their life might people choose to make a new start?
Possible question 2: How might it change them?
Explore
(Week 2 & 3)
Accounts of people making a new start. / T - how can we try to explore these questions further?
Possible answer: research people we know have made a new start?
T – Do we know anybody who has made a new start?
Children suggest friends, relatives, celebrities etc
Each child should research at least 2 people (including 1 bible character) and either fill in research sheet (below) or write notes in book using the headings on the sheet to organise work.
Suggested bible characters; Zacchaeus, Apostle Paul,
Suggested Christian converts: C S Lewis
Evaluate
(Week 4)
Responding to, analysing and evaluating what they have learned – have we answered our questions? / At the end of the research session, children report back in class discussion about each person researched answering the two possible enquiry questions;
When in their life might people choose to make a new start?
Possible answers 1: Moving house/area, new school/class, new hobbies/friends, new job/ retirement, marriage/ having a family,
Meeting someone, Going somewhere new, Discovering a different way to do things
How might it change them?
Possible answers: new attitudes, new behaviour, mood, relationships
T - Has anyone here ever turned over a new leaf?
Hot-seat teacher or TA as a class to talk about a time when they made a new start.
Then, in small groups, children discuss their own experience(perhaps hot-seat each other?).
Express
(Week 4 & 5)
Expressing knowledge and understanding – children answer the key question / Possible final tasks:
Create a chat show in which the children act out aninterview with either someone we’ve researched or an imaginary character (OR someone in the class who has made a new start) explaining how and why they have turned over a new leaf.
Perform to class.
Either as a class or prepared before, draw two identical outlines of a human on two separate pieces of sugar paper (or similar) and cut out.
Discuss together what sort of bad attributes someone might have and want to change. For example; ‘lies’, ‘unkind; ‘selfish’. Write these attributes on one of the outlines.
Then discuss what good attributes someone might have after making a new start. For example; ‘truthful’, ‘kind’, considerate’. Write these attributes on the second outline.
Now attach the two together with a treasury tag and display so that it turns around and you can see both sides.

Tools:
2 Clear Glass Bowls
1 small bottle of Iodine
1 bottle of Film Fixer
1 white Handkerchief or similar
1 pair of tongs

Preparation:

In one bowl put approximately 150-200mls of fixer in the bottom
Fill the two bowls with approximately 1 litre of water.

In the second bowl add a few drops of iodine

Assessment
Using the level descriptors below, level each child using a best fit method over the whole of this unit.
Level 2 / Level 3 / Level 4
The following level descriptors are covered within this unit if work:
  • Use religious words and phrases to identify some aspects of religion and say why they are important to their followers.
  • Give a simple reason to say why they have a particular belief.
  • Talk about the questions a story from a religion or worldview might make them ask.
  • Talk about what is important to them and others with respect for their feelings.
/ The following level descriptors are covered within this unit if work:
  • Describe simply what a believer might learn from religious stories, practices and worldviews.
  • Give a reason to say why their affect their lives and compare with other people’s experience.
  • Ask questions about religion and belief and explore different answers to them.
  • Identify similarities and differences about things that influence them and others.
/ The following level descriptors are covered within this unit if work:
  • Describe the impact of religion and belief on peoples’ lives.
  • Use more than one reason to support their view and begin to make use of principles to support their view about religion or belief.
Provide and be open to a simple challenge to their own views.
  • Ask questions about the meaning of life, and moral decisions and suggest answers which take into account the views of religious believers and those who hold a worldview.
  • Give reasons why some people inspire or influence them or others.

I am looking at how chose to make a new start.

Before they made a new start this person was;

They decided to make a new start when;

After this person made a new start they were;