Church in Wales Primary School

Foundation Phase R.E. Scheme of Work

Strand (Range): Christian life and values / Term: Autumn 1
Year Group: Reception
Learning Objectives:
  • Thanking God for the things I can do (talents, Early Years skills)
  • Thanking God for his gifts
  • Identifying different types of prayers
Aim: All children working towards attaining Outcome 3 RE skill / Literacy Numeracy Framework
Elements:
Numeracy:
Identify processes and connections - Transfer mathematical skills to play and classroom activities / Select appropriate mathematics and techniques to use
Represent and communicate - Use every day and mathematical language to talk about their own ideas and choices / Present work orally, pictorially and in written form, and use a variety of ways to represent collective data
Review - Interpret answers within the context of the problem and consider whether answers are sensible / Interpret information present it in charts and diagrams and draw appropriate conclusions
Use number facts and relationships - Count reliably up to 10 objects / Read and write numbers to at least 10
Literacy:
Oracy Speaking- Talk about things from their experience and share information / Use words, phrases and simple sentences / Express what they like dislike / Speak audibly
Listening - Show that they have listened to other e.g. by drawing a picture / Ask questions about something that has been said
Collaboration and discussion - Exchange ideas in one to one and small group discussions e.g. with friends / Take part in activities alongside others, with some interaction
Handwriting Grammar Punctuation Spelling - Hold writing instrument appropriately /
Write from left to right / Discriminate between letters / Distinguish between upper and lower letters / Use correct initial consonant by beginning to apply phonic knowledge / Use familiar and high frequency words in writing
(The above elements will be covered depending upon the selected follow on activity.)
Core Skills/A.f.L / Links
(Values, S.E.A.L. and P.4.C) / Suggested Skill Development (including resources)
[Learning Activities]
Spiritual Development
  • Can share ideas about things which are important.
  • Can begin to observe and talk about quiet times and saying prayers. [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Communication
  • Ask questions about themselves, other people and living things, and listen to the answers. . [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Personal Social Wellbeing
  • Can say what they like/dislike.
  • Can show by actions how they feel.
  • Can say how they feel.
  • Are aware of the feelings of those around them.. [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3
Thinking & Problem Solving
  • Can reflect on what makes them happy/sad/excited/lonely. [Outcomes 1 & 2 ]
/ SEAL – New Beginnings
Values – Creativity Cycle A
Justice
Cycle B
(See detail in ‘Values for life’ File – Shahne Vickery) / Thanking God for the things I can do (talents, Early Years skills)
Introduction ideas:
  • Encourage the children to bring to school a certificate / award or achievement - anything new they had done previously or for the first time, e.g. learning to swim / riding a bike / tying their shoelaces. Emphasize the fact that these are all talents and in order to achieve they would have to try their best at all times, keep practicing and not give in. For example, the child on a bike might have fallen off a few times before ultimately gaining balance etc. Alternatively you could show a PowerPoint of children practicing skills.
Independent work
  • Using ‘talking partners’ the children can discuss the talents they have (Things they are good at.) and how these make them feel. Try to encourage less obvious skills such as e.g. being kind, listening well, helping in the house etc.
  • Ask each pair to feedback to the rest of the class whilst the teacher scribes the different talents, and emphasizes and celebrates the different skills they possess.
Possible follow on activities:
  • Each child takes a photograph or draws a picture of themselves doing something they’re really good at. When the children have completed their individual pictures they may wish to make a “Thank-you God for our Talents’ board.”
  • Alternately depending on the results the teacher could compile pictograms and ask the children to paste their pictures under the appropriate skill.
  • Or the children could spend time in supervised small groups showing each other their individual talents.
Plenary ideas:
  • Pass around a box or bag with a mirror inside, not telling the children what is inside but encouraging them to guess at God’s “most wonderful creation of all” - themselves. When all the children have guessed the answer, reveal the mirror – and tell them it’s them. Explain Christians believe that God made us all unique each with specific talents.
  • Say a pray together to thank-you God for giving us our talents and making us special.
Other extension activities
  • • Play ‘Guess Who’ – Teacher to give criteria (e.g. if you have brown hair, if you like football).
  • The children could paint a self-portrait, or paint or take a photo of their friend. Add a caption about their talents.
  • In a circle-time, say something nice about the “wonderful unique person” in the middle.
  • ‘Who am I?’ – sit in a circle, with a child blindfolded in the middle. Choose a child to say ‘Who am I?’ The child in the middle then guesses that person
  • Learn theme related songs such as - This little light of mine Good to be me
(Please select from above as appropriate)
Enhanced activities:
  • Write a certificate for themselves or a friend. List their talents.
  • Talent show

Spiritual Development
  • Can share ideas about things which are important.
  • Can begin to observe and talk about quiet times and saying prayers. . [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3
Curriculum Cymreig
  • Encourage them to ask questions and listen to answers. . [Outcomes 3]
Communication
  • Ask questions about themselves, other people and living things, and listen to the answers. . [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Personal Social Wellbeing
  • Can say what they like/dislike.
  • Can show by actions how they feel.
  • Can say how they feel.
  • Are aware of the feelings of those around them.. [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3
Thinking & Problem Solving
  • Can reflect on what makes them happy/sad/excited/lonely.
  • Are competent in identifying problems and coming up with solutions to solve them.. [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
/ SEAL – New Beginnings
Values – Creativity Cycle A
Justice
Cycle B
(See detail in ‘Values for life’ File – Shahne Vickery) / Thanking God for his gifts
Introduction
  • Discuss the Creation story comes from the Bible, the special book for Christians.
  • Remind the children about how Christians believe that God is creator of all things, and how the Creation story explains how God made the world and us.
  • Using the box/ bag from the previous lesson with the mirror inside ask the children if they could recall one of God’s most wonderful creations. (Themselves)
Children could:
  • Listen to the story ‘Wonderful Earth’.
  • Look at the creation – use the story as a basis for provoking thoughts or create a treasure chest of natural objects that appeal to all the senses which children can add to over time.
  • Take photos/paint/make a collage/create a dance/movement about an amazing aspect of the world e.g. the sea, the planets, a forest, animals.
  • Look at a photo/picture/power point presentation of the amazing world around us (e.g. a sunset, forest scene). How does it make the children feel?
(Select what would be most appropriate with your theme)
Extension activity:
  • Write a thank-you prayer. Possibly use as a class prayer book or display.
Enhancement ideas:
Bible stories, Creation stories, Paint a picture or make a model of one of God’s creations.
Plenary
  • Listen to one of the ‘You Tube’ links below or something similar and invite the children’s comments about the film. (Create a sense of awe and wonder)
  • Alternatively, explain prayer is a time when Christians believe they have a conversation with God. Sit quietly outside perhaps in a park and have a moment of reflection and then prayer Thanking God for his gifts.
Resources
‘Wonderful Earth’ by Butterworth and Inkpen (ISBN 1-85608-005-6)
Christianity – In Creation’ by Alan Brown & Alison Seaman (ISBN 0-7151-4949-0) (Big book & small books)
Internet Resources:
Google images has a wide selection of photographs (


Spiritual Development
  • Can share ideas about things which are important.
  • Can begin to observe and talk about quiet times and saying prayers.. [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Communication
  • Ask questions about themselves, other people and living things, and listen to the answers. . [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Personal Social Wellbeing
  • Can say what they like/dislike.
  • Can show by actions how they feel.
  • Can say how they feel.
  • Are aware of the feelings of those around them. . [Outcomes 1, 2 & 3]
Thinking & Problem Solving
  • Are competent in identifying problems and coming up with solutions to solve them. . [Outcomes 3]
/ SEAL – New Beginnings
Values – Creativity Cycle A
Justice
Cycle B
(See detail in ‘Values for life’ File – Shahne Vickery) / Identifying different types of prayers
  • Thought shower how people can communicate their thanks e.g. phone, facial expressions, writing, letters, postcards, birthday cards etc, mobile phones, texts, e-mail, talking, listening, singing, praying, signing if someone if deaf.
  • Sort the ideas into: face to face communication / communicating with those we cannot see. (This could be done as a Venn diagram with labels or pictures of the above.) Compare the suggestions and ask the children what do they notice?
  • (The aim is to get the children to understand that they can communicate with people they see, cannot see and are known/unknown.)
Introduce the children to the Christian belief that through prayer they can communicate with God, whom they cannot see, but who they are getting to know by prayer. Explain that Christian prayer involves both talking to God and listening to God. There are different types of prayer. Prayer can be done individually, collectively, and in different settings. (church, home, school, countryside) Alternatively, the above point could be demonstrated with the use of a class walkie talkie system, where the child is told something in a different room cannot be seen but still knows what was said.
Follow on activity:
  • Ask the children what other things they could pray to God about.
DIAMOND NINE ACTIVITY- This will help the children reflect and discuss what prayer is for and how they think it should be constructed/ shaped.
- praise (what a wonderful world you have made for us)
- thank you (thank you God for this new day)
- asking (please God, can you help me to be brave?)
- saying sorry (I am very sorry for hurting my friend)
- awe and wonder (these flowers are so beautiful they make me smile)
- healing (God please help my Nan to feel better)
(This could be done pictorially if wished)
Plenary:
  • Light a candle and sit quietly for a few minutes watching the flame. Listen again to the words of the Lord’s Prayer and think about the different sorts of prayer which are important to Christians e.g. praise, saying sorry, asking for help etc
Further or alternate follow on activities could include:
  • Explaining Christians create a special place in their homes where they like to be quiet and pray. This might include a comfortable place to kneel or sit and some objects to help them pray e.g. prayer cards/books, Bible, music CD, candle. They could then design a ‘class prayer corner’ that they think a Christian might like to use for quiet reflection and prayer – what objects would they include?
  • Go on a ‘Senses Walk’. What do you see, hear, feel or smell? Draw or write a prayer a Christian might say in response to a Senses Walk? Add the prayers/poems etc. to the class book.

These pictures could be used to evoke a discussion questioning the pupils as to what is happening.
Resources:
Teddy Horsley

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