Lesson one - pages 2/3 Home time

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know why we need homes.
To be able to verbalize thoughts and feelings.
To understand the need for sharing and caring.

Key words

Home
School
Freedom
Rules

Activity one - home things

You will need
To ask the children in advance to bring in one object from home that is precious to them. (Explain the difference between precious and expensive.)
An object that is precious to you.
Start
Show your precious object to the class. Talk about why it is valuable to you and why it reminds you of home.
Develop
Let those who are willing show and talk to the class about their precious object. Perhaps you could talk about the objects brought by those who are reticent to share.
End
Make a display of the precious objects brought.

Activity two - freedom and rules

You will need
The picture 'Home Time' from the book In Journeys.
Drawing and writing materials.
Start
Talk about the picture. For example:
What are the children doing?
Do they look happy or sad?
Are they hurrying or going slowly?
Develop
How is school different from home?
Can you choose what to do at school? Guide the children to see the need for rules.
Can you choose what to do at home? Let the children see that there is still a need for rules.
Draw and write about what you like to do when you go home from school.
End
Lead the children to see that in all situations rules will apply. Freedom does not mean selfishness, but brings responsibility to see that everyone lives happily together.

Activity three - going home

You will need
The picture book On The Way Home by Jill Murphy.
Start
Talk about what the children see on their way home from school.
Develop
Read the story On the Way Home. A little girl, Claire, has hurt her knee and invents stories to tell her friends how it happened. What she really wants is comfort and sympathy from her mother.
End
Why did Claire invent the stories to tell the friends that she met?
What did she really want?
The children will be eager to talk about their own accidents and the response of adults.
Assessment opportunities
Can the children verbalize their thoughts and feelings?
Set a challenge to see if everyone can share the classroom equipment well for a day.

Web site links

http://www.btinternet.com/~p.wilkinson2000/Going_Home_Time.htm

Joyce Grenfell's classic story about home time in a nursery class, including such lines as
'Sidney, I saw you deliberately put that paintbrush up Dolores's little nostril.
No, it wasn't a jolly good shot. It... I don't want to discuss it, Sidney.' One for the teachers to enjoy...

http://www.family-net.net/~brooksbooks/ggayweb/ggayindex.html

60 beautiful images, accompanied by haikus, provide an imaginative approach to 'The Long Way Home'. A good source for some stunning photos and as an introduction to this style of writing for young children.

http://www.mystworld.com/youngwriter/authors/jill_murphy.html

This is a useful supplement to Jill Murphy's On the Way Home, used in one of the lesson plan activities. Here, a group of children interview the author on her work.

Activity checklist

Activity one - home things

To ask the children in advance to bring in one object from home that is precious to them. (Explain the difference between precious and expensive.)
An object that is precious to you.

Activity two - freedom and rules

The picture 'Home Time' from the book In Journeys.
Drawing and writing materials.

Activity three - going home

The picture book On The Way Home, by Jill Murphy.

Lesson two - pages 4/5 Road junction

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that Christians believe that God controls our road of life.
To be able to sequence a list of objects.
To understand beginnings and endings.

Key words

Journey
Purpose
Direction
Preparations
Traffic
Travel
Road

Activity one - the travelling family

You will need
A road atlas.
A small cut-out paper suitcase for each child.
Pens or crayons for drawing.
Start
Show the road atlas and ask what it is. When does their family use one? Who usually reads it and gives directions?
Develop
Tell your own story about a family getting ready to go on holiday. It might be like this:
Dad takes the car to the garage to fill it up with petrol, checks the oil and water and cleans the car. He takes his work things out of the boot so there is plenty of space for the luggage.
Mum is busy finishing the washing and ironing so that the clothes are clean and smart. She gets them all together ready to pack in the suitcases.
Dad then helps to pack.
The children are each allowed to take a bag with their own special things. John takes a cuddly mouse, a cricket bat, a ball and his computer games. Maddy takes her favourite teddy, her Barbie doll and some books. These are things they could not bear to be without.
When the cases are ready, Mum does a last tidy up whilst Dad checks that the doors and windows are locked
At last they are ready to leave. Have they forgotten anything?
Ask the children what it is like for them if they get the chance to go on holiday?
Who does the packing in their house?
What might the family in the story have forgotten?
End
Explain to the children how important is it to make preparations for a journey. What might happen if we were not prepared? In the Christian Bible God prepares travellers for long journeys.
Give each child a cut-out shape of an empty suitcase. Ask them to draw in it the special things that they would take on holiday.
Play the memory game 'I went on holiday and in my case I packed ...' This sentence is said by child after child, each one adding something to the list, which has to be remembered and repeated each time.

Activity two - a busy road

You will need
A collection of toy vehicles.
Drawing materials.
Start
Arrange the toys bumper to bumper, two or three abreast to simulate a traffic jam. At the front put a car that has broken down with a police car alongside it.
Ask the children what is causing the traffic jam.
Can they think of other things that cause traffic to be held up? They are sure to mention accidents, so play this out with the cars and emergency vehicles.
Develop
The children will want to tell about when they were in an accident or long queue.
From this try to establish the busiest times of day - the morning and afternoon rush hours.
Explain how careful they must be at these times.
Revise the Green Cross Code:
At the kerb, halt.
Look right, look left and look right again.
If the road is clear, walk carefully across.
It might be useful to practise this if you have time and space.
Talk about the journey of a day.
Wake up, dress and wash, have breakfast, come to school by car, or bus, or on foot; literacy hour, playtime, numeracy hour, dinner time, afternoon activities, going home, playing, mealtime, bedtime.
Each day we have a similar journey and so does everyone in every school.
End
Do Christians believe God knows what they are doing? They believe God looks after everyone.
Christians believe that he guided Joseph, Mary and Jesus to safety in Egypt. The Bible says that many years before God also brought the Israelites to a special country called the Promised Land.
Christians believe that God is always near, guiding and caring for people.
Each child could draw either a traffic jam or a road showing their daily journey.

Activity three - journey's end

You will need
The picture 'Road Junction' from the book In Journeys.
Writing materials.
Sets of card for assessment activity.
Start
Ask the children if they like travelling. What sort of car journeys do they make?
Think about why they travel. Where do they go?
Answers will probably include - to the shops, on holiday, to visit friends, to visit the family (grandparents), for a day out somewhere special, like the zoo.
Develop
Explain that a journey always ends somewhere and that the driver has to know where he is going, plan the route and follow all the directions in order to arrive safely.
Look at the picture.
What time of day is it?
Point out the white car on the bridge at the bottom of the picture.
Ask them to imagine that they are driving that car. Where are they going? It can be anywhere at all that they would like to go.
Each child can write about their journey and explain why they wanted to go there.
End
When the writing is finished, let the children share with the class where they wanted to go.
Assessment opportunities
Play the memory game several times. Identify which children have difficulty in remembering a sequence.
Make a set of cards with words relevant to a journey's purpose and end for the children to match. They could include:
zebra - zoo;
Granny - family;
eggs - shop;
tooth - dentist;
case - holiday;
friend - school.
This will show if the children can understand word associations.

Web site links

http://www.wijnbergh.demon.nl/divpags/pag2fs.htm

Michiel Wijnbergh's photography of traffic is stunning. This site from the Netherlands also explores other environmental issues such as landscapes, recycling and agriculture through dramatic pictures.

Activity checklist

Activity one - the travelling family

A road atlas.
A small cut-out paper suitcase for each child.
Pens or crayons for drawing.

Activity two - a busy road

A collection of toy vehicles.
Drawing materials.

Activity three - journey's end

The picture 'Road Junction' from the book In Journeys.
Writing materials.
Sets of card for assessment activity.

Lesson three - pages 6/7 Lena's dream

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that there are many Bible stories about dreams.
To be able to talk about good dreams and nasty dreams.
To understand that we all dream every night.

Key words

Dream
Vision
Remember

Activity one - Lena's dream

You will need
A copy of the picture 'Lena's Dream' from the book In Journeys.
Drawing materials.
Start
Show the children the picture and be quiet for a little while they look carefully at what they can see.
Develop
Do they think it is a nice dream? Is Lena enjoying it?
Discuss together what they think it is about.
Do they like dreaming?
Get everyone to try to remember a dream that they might have had. There are bound to be some volunteers to share their dreams. Some of the dreams will be happy, some strange and some frightening. What are frightening dreams called?
Allow the children to talk about nightmares but reassure them that a dream is only lots of pictures in your mind. It may come from a book or a television programme or something they have done or heard the day before. A dream is not real.
Explain that all of us dream every night although most times we don't remember what we have dreamt about.
End
Return to the picture Lena's dream. Ask everyone to draw a picture in the middle of a piece of paper of them in their bed. Around it draw a dream they can remember.

Activity two - Jock o' dreams

You will need
Copy of the poem 'Jock o'Dreams' by Rose Fyleman.
Writing materials.
Start
Read the poem or at least this extract.
The dreams he carries are as light as air
He tosses them here and he tosses them there
In at the window
Under the doors
And all the way up to the attic floors
Through the silent streets he goes walking about
'Til the moon drops down and the stars go out
Then lightly swinging his empty sack
Softly, softly he wanders back.
Develop
Talk to the children about this magical idea of the dream man.
Where do they think he gets his dreams from?
Does he have a dream for everybody?
If they could choose a dream for themselves what would it be?
Discuss some ideas together.
Let every child write about something they would like to dream about.
End
Come together and ask two or three children to read out their stories.
Enjoy them together

Activity three - the call of Samuel

You will need
To have fun!
Start
Select a volunteer to stand outside the classroom with the door closed.
Call their name but not quite loud enough to be heard. Bring them in and explain what you did and that they did not hear.
Ask them to go out again and listen for their name. This time make sure they can hear and tell them to come back in.
Explain that because they were expecting to hear their name, they did!
Develop
Tell the class the story of the boy Samuel. (1 Samuel 3:1-18)
When he was a very small boy, Samuel went to live in the temple (the church) with the priest called Eli. Eli was getting old and he was glad to have Samuel to help him.
Samuel wanted to do the things the priest did, to learn to sing praises, to pray and to serve God.
At night, he would sit at Eli's feet and listen to his stories about God. Then they would both settle down to sleep.
One night Samuel awoke from his sleep. He had heard his name called and, thinking it was Eli, ran to him and woke him.
'Here I am,' he said, 'you called,' but Eli said, 'I didn't call you, go back to sleep.'
Samuel did as Eli said and went back to bed. Once again he heard the voice:
'Samuel, Samuel.' He woke up and went to Eli.
'Here I am, for you did call me,' he said.
'No,' said Eli, 'go back to sleep.'
A third time Samuel heard the voice calling him. This time when he awoke and went to Eli, Eli knew that it was God calling Samuel. He told him to lie down, and if he heard his name called again, to say 'Speak Lord, for your servant hears you.'
When God called Samuel again, Samuel answered him just as Eli had said. God gave Samuel a message for Eli. He also told Samuel that he would be with him as he grew up and would help him to be a good servant to God always, just as Samuel wanted.
The Bible says that Samuel didn't understand his dream but God wanted to talk to him so kept on calling until Samuel listened.
The Bible says that Samuel was a very special boy and God treated him in a special way.
End
Ask the children if Christians believe that God speaks to people today. If so, how? (You might get the answers 'prayer' and' reading the Bible'.)
What about dreams?
How can Christians talk to God?
Make sure the children are not worried by the idea of God calling their name in a dream.

Activity four - Joseph's dream

You will need
A picture of the Nativity.
Drawing materials.
Start
See if the children can name the people in the picture.
Remind them of the events of Jesus' birth including the visit of the kings.
Develop
Tell the story of what happened next:
After the kings had left, Joseph had a dream. An angel told him to get up and take Mary and the baby Jesus out of the country and travel to Egypt. This was because King Herod wanted to find the baby and kill it. Joseph woke up and by night the family left Bethlehem before Herod could find them.
Make sure the children realize what it must have been like for Joseph. Perhaps we would call it a nightmare if someone dreamt that their baby was in danger. How would Joseph feel? What would he have done? Imagine how frightening it must have been to leave so quickly in the dark.
Joseph didn't question God but obeyed right away.
The family lived in Egypt until God spoke to Joseph again in a dream and told him that King Herod had died and it was safe to go into the land of Israel. On the way, in another dream, God told Joseph that King Herod's son was just as dangerous so they went another way and came to Galilee where they settled down safely in a town called Nazareth.
Joseph had three dreams before the family were eventually able to settle down in safety. Each time he listened and was obedient to God. What might have happened if he had not obeyed?
End
Ask the children to draw two pictures. The first is to show what happened when Joseph listened to what God told him in his dream. The second is to show what they think would have happened if he had not.
Assessment opportunities
(When giving the children this opportunity to talk about their dreams, be aware of the possibility that a child may use it as a way of telling something about a reality. If this gives you cause for concern do not alarm the child but seek professional help.)
Look for a recognisable story in the pictures. Ask for explanations. This activity gives great scope for imagination.
Christians believe that God's plans are sometimes shown in dreams. Can the dreams tell you what God's plan was for Jesus?

Web site links

http://www.execpc.com/~tmuth/st_john/xmas/art.htm

One of the lesson plan's activities requests the use of a nativity image. The BUBL Information service in Glasgow includes a page of links to paintings on a Christmas theme, including annunciations by Botticelli and David and nativities by Correggio and Dürer.

http://www.geocities.com/~spanoudi/poems/fyleman.html#1

Rose Fyleman's poetry ('Jock O'Dream' is used in one of the activities) is featured on several web sites. On this one can be read her dream-like poem on Fairies. See also a poem on mice at http://www.lambj.demon.co.uk/mice/poet4.htm and 'Goodnight' at http://rainmakerscemetery.tripod.com/poetry/goodnight.html.

Activity checklist

Activity one - Lena's dream

A copy of the picture 'Lena's Dream' from the book In Journeys.
Drawing materials.

Activity two - Jock o' dreams

Copy of the poem 'Jock o'Dreams by Rose Fyleman.
Writing materials.

Activity three - the call of Samuel

To have fun!

Activity four - Joseph's dream

A picture of the Nativity.
Drawing materials.

Lesson four - pages 8/9 Daydreaming

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that daydreams are often hopes for the future.
To be able to separate imagination from reality.
To understand that daydreaming can inspire action.

Key words

Imagination
Hope
Future
Dream

Activity one - hopes for the future

You will need
A board and board marker or a large sheet of paper and felt pens.
It would be helpful to have a collection of baby requisites such as: a nappy, baby clothes, cream, lotion, cotton wool, bottle and so on.
Bible story from Luke 1.26-38.
Start
Ask if any child has recently had a new baby or knows that a new baby will soon be added to their family.
Develop
How did they feel when they heard the news?
What preparations need to be made for a new baby? (Perhaps decorating a room, getting a cot, buying things, borrowing things.)
Show the items collected and make a class list to include these items.
What does a baby need that cannot be bought? (Love and care.)
End
Tell the Bible story in simple language. Discuss Mary's feelings and hopes for her baby.

Activity two - dreamy music

You will need
The picture 'Daydreaming' from the book In Journeys.
A piece of gentle music such as 'Gymnopedie 3' by Satie.
Drawing materials.
Start
With the children, look at the picture and discuss:
What is the girl doing?
Why do you think that?
Develop
Make sure that the children are sitting comfortably, perhaps with their eyes closed.
Explain that you are going to play them a piece of music for a few minutes. Play the music.
Ask them to open their eyes.
Ask 'What pictures came into your mind as you listened to the music?' 'What did you think about?'
End
With the least disturbance of movement from the listening positions, ask the children to try and draw a picture about the thoughts they had as they listened.

Activity three - growing up

You will need
The picture 'Daydreaming' from the book In Journeys.
Pencils and writing paper.
Start
Look at the picture with the children and discuss.
What is the little girl doing? How do you know? What might she be thinking about?
Develop
Explain that daydreams are often hopes for the future. Perhaps the little girl is thinking about her life when she grows up.
Discuss the children's aspirations for their adult life.
End
Write about the aspirations of the girl in the picture, or a fictitious character, or personal hopes.
Assessment opportunities
Make a list of preparations to be made before a visitor comes to stay. Do these show love and care to make the visitor feel welcome?
Repeat the listening exercise in Activity Two, using music in a different mood. Can the children respond sensitively to music?
Are the children at a stage when they can think into the future?

Web site links

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/6579/DaydreamingInTheHerbGarden/

For a site of pink fairies (but some imaginative thought) read these poems at this extraordinary site.

A more subdued version can be found at http://kimbasangels.com/poetrybook.html.

http://hills.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~jparke03/audio.html

Download excerpts from Eric Satie's 'Gymnopedie 3', mentioned in the lesson plan's activities.

Activity checklist

Activity one - hopes for the future

A board and board marker or a large sheet of paper and felt pens.
It would be helpful to have a collection of baby requisites such as: a nappy, baby clothes, cream, lotion, cotton wool, bottle and so on.
Bible story from Luke 1.26-38.

Activity two - dreamy music

The picture 'Daydreaming' from the book In Journeys.
A piece of gentle music such as 'Gymnopedie 3' by Satie.

Drawing materials.

Activity three - growing up

The picture 'Daydreaming' from the book In Journeys.
Pencils and writing paper.

Lesson five - pages 10/11 Statue of Jesus

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that Christians believe God is everywhere and in everything.
To be able to draw things, near and distant.
To understand how big the world is and that, although we are so small in comparison, Christians believe everyone is very special to God.

Key words

Statue
Watch
Blessing
Love
Journey
Cross
Travel

Activity one - Rio de Janeiro harbour

You will need
The picture of the statue of Jesus in the book.
A map of the world.
Writing materials.
Start
Find South America on the map of the world. Find Brazil in South America. Find Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Set the scene of a busy city in a country so much bigger than ours.
Develop
Ask the children what the statue could see if it had real eyes.
(Sea, islands, buildings, trees, skyscrapers, beach, sky and so on.)
Christians believe that God made the world. Make two lists of the answers to the questions: 'What do Christians believe God has created'? and 'What have human beings made?'
Can the pupils say what the difference is between the two lists?
Why is life so important?
Why do they think the statue was built:
where it is;
as large as it is; and
in the position it is.
Explain that Christians believe that God's creation has life; that love is the basis of living; and that God's love created a wonderful world.
End
Ask the children, if they want to, to write a thank you prayer to God for creating and loving the world or, alternatively, to write a poem about creation.
Mount the children's prayers beside the picture in a classroom prayer book.

Activity two - looking down from on high

You will need
A copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem 'The Swing'.
A copy of a photograph of the world taken from space.
Drawing materials.
Start
Read the poem to the class.
How do you like to go up in a swing,
Up in the air so blue?
Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do!
Up in the air and over the wall,
Till I can see so wide,
Rivers and trees and cattle and all
Over the countryside -
Till I look down on the garden green,
Down on the roof so brown -
Up in the air I go flying again,
Up in the air and down.
R.L.Stevenson
Develop
If there is a swing on the school site, take the class outside and let two or three of the children have a ride.
Ask them what they can see. Is it more than when they are on the ground? Do things look different?
Back in the classroom, ask each child to draw a picture showing when they were at the highest place they have ever been. It may be an aeroplane, a block of flats, the London Eye or a fairground ride.
Let them tell the group what they could see.
In what ways do things look different from high up? What is the smallest creature they can think of?
Show the picture of the earth from space. (It would be good to get other larger definition photographs, if possible, showing recognisable features) What happens as we go higher and higher?
End
Explain that even when things look very small from high up they haven't changed and are still the same size. The Bible tells Christians that God loves and takes care of everything and everyone from the tiny ant and the sparrow to the tallest giraffe!

Activity three - getting about

You will need
The picture 'the statue of Jesus' from In Journeys.
Small transport toys: car, bicycle, boat, aeroplane, helicopter, motorbike, train and so on.
Drawing materials.
Start
Look at the picture together.
Ask the children to name as many different ways of getting about from one place to another.
As they name a type of transport, produce the relevant toy.
Develop
Look at the collection of toys and group them in sets.
It could be:
things that go on land;
things that go on the sea; and
number of wheels.
Look for similarities and ways in which they are specially adapted.
Record the numbers of children who at some time have travelled in each and make a block graph to show which is the most common. This could be done by giving a sticky shape to a child as they name the means of transport and letting them stick it on a graph, so building it up together.
Why do they think that people who live in Rio de Janeiro own or would like to own a boat?
End
Ask the children to draw the way in which they would most like to travel:
to school;
on holiday; or
if they could go wherever they wanted.
This should show if they have understood the relevance of types of transport.
Assessment opportunities
Stand with outstretched arms like the statue and ask the children what it means to them. They should be able to talk about love, power, welcome (as in 'come here').
Give each child a sheet of paper with a line down the middle. On one half ask them to draw their family. On the other ask them to draw their family again only this time, as a bird would see them if it was flying overhead. This should show a change of size.

Web site links

If children know either their postcode or road name, they can see where they live on this web site. The web site also contains a number of aerial photographs of the local area.

The web site http://www.maporama.com provides an international version of this service.

For more images of Rio de Janeiro (the city featured on these pages of In Journeys) and of Brazil try the following web sites:

http://www.campos-davis.co.uk/page7.html

http://www.gpcook.freeserve.co.uk/22813.html

http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~jenskna/pano.html

Activity checklist

Activity one - Rio de Janeiro harbour

The picture of the statue of Jesus in the book.
A map of the world.
Writing materials.

Activity two - looking down from on high

A copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem 'The Swing'.
A copy of a photograph of the world taken from space.
Drawing materials.

Activity three - getting about

The picture 'the statue of Jesus' from In Journeys.
Small transport toys: car, bicycle, boat, aeroplane, helicopter, motorbike, train and so on.
Drawing materials.

Lesson six - pages 12/13 The maze

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that life is like a journey.
To be able to trace a pathway through a maze.
To understand that the decisions we make can affect our journey through life.

Key words

Maze
Journey
Direction
Decisions
Path
Travel

Activity one - the journey of life

You will need
The picture 'The Maze' from the book In Journeys.
BBC Come and Praise Book 1.
Start
With the children, explore the path of the maze.
What happens as the path is followed?
Are there any exciting or unexpected discoveries?
Develop
Learn the song 'The journey of life' from BBC Come and Praise Book 1, and discuss its meaning.
End
Ask questions relating the song to children's own experiences. For example:
What things do you find easy?
What things do you find hard?
Explain to the children that Christians sometimes find things hard and pray to God to help them.

Activity two - amazing mazes

You will need
The picture 'The Maze' from the book In Journeys.
Examples of mazes.
Pre-printed blank mazes for individual work.
Start
Talk about the picture as a life journey.
Discuss with children their own journey through life. Do they have any memorable twists and turns they want to share, any key moments?
Develop
Use practice mazes if necessary, then make individual mazes plotting important times in the children's journey of life up to the present day. For example: birth, christening, walking, starting playschool and so on.
End
Gather children together as a class and compare similarities and differences between individual mazes.

Activity three - finding the way

You will need
The picture 'The Maze' from the book In Journeys.
A programmable robot or computer directional program.
Start
Using the picture talk about decisions to be made, paths to choose.
Develop
While remainder of the class observe and advise, one group uses the resources to proceed along a given route or to manoeuvre around obstacles. Change groups so that everyone has a turn.
End
Question the class. For example:
Was there only one way to complete the course or to avoid the obstacles?
Was there a best way? And so on.
Tell the children that when Christians meet obstacles in life, difficulties, they often pray to God to guide them.
Assessment opportunities
Opportunities may arise through children's answers to end questions.
Have the children some understanding of changes in themselves from birth to the present day?
Do the children know the directions 'right', 'left', 'forwards', 'backwards'?
How do Christians face difficulties in life?

Web site links

http://www.earthrod.co.uk/mazes.html#anchor118211

Find out more about the Chi-Rho or Crook, the maze in Chartres cathedral and many other types of maze.

http://www.flint.umich.edu/Departments/ITS/crac/maze.form.html

Make your own rectangular mazes, Christmas trees or Valentine mazes at this web site.

http://www.mazes.co.uk/

Find out more about the Jubilee Maze and Museum of Mazes in Ross-on-Wye, discover maze myths and solve their hedge puzzle.

Activity checklist

Activity one - the journey of life

The picture 'The Maze' from the book In Journeys.
BBC Come and Praise Book 1.

Activity two - amazing mazes

The picture 'The Maze' from the book In Journeys.
Examples of mazes.
Pre-printed blank mazes for individual work.

Activity three - finding the way

The picture 'The maze' from the book In Journeys.
A programmable robot or computer directional program.

Lesson seven - pages 14/15 Anna's baptism

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know people of all ages become Christians by being baptized.
To be able to identify the symbols of Baptism as water and the sign of the cross.
To understand that promises are made on behalf of the child by parents and godparents.

Key words

Baptism
Promise
Water
Cross

Extra notes

The word baptize and christen are interchangeable and refer to the ceremony that admits people into the Christian Church. Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John, in the River Jordan. The way people are baptized varies considerably. Some Christians believe that babies should be baptized soon after birth, while others consider it important that the decision is taken when maturity is reached, and they are able to make the promises for themselves. However, there are common elements in all baptisms. The use of water is a sign of washing away sins, and the sign of the cross indicates a belonging to Jesus and the desire to follow his example. In some traditions holy oil is used and candles are lit.

Activity one - act it out

You will need
A bowl with water in it.
A doll.
A large shell.
A white shawl.
The picture of Anna's baptism.
Art materials.
Start
Assemble the artefacts and the picture of Anna's Baptism ready for the children to look at. Ask the children to describe what they see. Explain that we all belong to groups of people (such as: family, class, school, perhaps Beavers or Rainbows), and that there is often a ceremony to mark the occasion when we join. Baptism is the way Christians mark joining the worldwide family of the church.
Develop
Choose the baby's 'parents' and' godparents' from the class, telling the children that godparents are special friends who - with the parents - are there to look after the spiritual as well as the physical well-being of the baby. Ask the children to select a suitable name for the doll.
Tell the class that the 'parents' and 'godparents' are going to make promises for the 'baby' because the baby cannot do this for herself.
'Baptize' the doll by making the sign of the cross on the forehead, and then pouring water onto its head by scooping the water up from the bowl with the shell. Tell the children that the priest would say these words when the baby was being baptized:
'I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.'
End
Explain to the children that there are many different Christian traditions of baptising people. Some Christians get baptized when they are grown up. Some Christians go completely under the water at their baptism ceremony.
The children could design a card incorporating a symbol of Baptism for the newly baptized baby or draw the present that they would give to the baby.
Assessment opportunities
Can the children identify that the Christian symbols of Baptism are the sign of the cross and water?

Activity two - promising and belonging

You will need
Beaver and/or Rainbow Certificate.
The words of the promise that Beavers and Rainbows make when they join these groups.
Start
Show the children examples of the Beavers' and Rainbows' Certificate. Ask if any children in the class are members and remember their initiation ceremony, or perhaps that of a sibling.
What do these promises mean when they are said?
Why do we have them?
Did they have to learn by heart the words to say?
Can they remember them?
Develop
Relate these promises to more general promises that the children might make at school or at home such as a promise to do homework or tidy up their bedroom.
Link up the idea of keeping the Beaver/Rainbow promises to indicate membership of a particular community.
Christians also make promises, but if the person is still a baby, then promises are made by the baby's special friends (godparents) on their behalf.
Are some promises hard to keep?
End
Encourage the children to draw or write a promise about home or school. Decorate it to make it very special, perhaps with a decorated border.

Activity three - water for washing

You will need
A variety of interesting containers with water in them (e.g. a vase, a small dish, a bottle).
Drawing materials.
Start
Pour some of the water from one container to another, noticing the sound it makes.
Sprinkle it lightly on faces and hands to get the feeling.
Develop
Encourage the children to think of how water helps us, for example washing, drinking and playing.
Think about the number of different occasions when they use water during the day: for cleaning teeth, flushing the toilet, showering and so on.
Stress the importance of water in our lives, and how we take it for granted. Water is a matter of life and death, especially in a drought or flood.
Look at the picture of Anna's Baptism and notice that she is being 'washed'. Emphasize that the water is a symbol for making Anna pure. In Christian terms this might be likened to 'getting the baby ready' to become a Christian.
End
Divide a sheet of A4 paper up in to four segments and have the children draw a picture of water being used in ways that are helpful to them, to show just how important it is in their daily lives.

Web site links

http://www.painsley.org.uk/re/GCSE/RevBook/baptism.html

A brief explanation for GCSE students (but equally relevant for younger children and for teachers) on this initiation rite.

Activity checklist

Activity one - act it out

A bowl with water in it.
A doll.
A large shell.
A white shawl.
The picture of Anna's baptism.
Art materials.

Activity two - promising and belonging

Beaver and/or Rainbow Certificate.
The words of the promise that Beavers and Rainbows make when they join these groups.

Activity three - water for washing

A variety of interesting containers with water in them (e.g. a vase, a small dish, a bottle).

Drawing materials.

Lesson eight - pages 16/17 Grandfather and baby

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know a family is a group of people of all ages, and that Christians talk about being members of the worldwide family of the church.
To be able to recall and recount a time when the children's own family got together.
To understand that memories of past events and people are important for our self-worth.

Key words

Family
Shalom
Memories

Activity one - family events

You will need
A large family photograph (preferably one taken many years ago), showing different generations. It might show the teacher looking much younger!
Drawing materials.
Start
Engage the interest of the children by looking at the photograph and noticing the appearance of those people in the picture.
Develop
Encourage the children to deduce at what occasion the picture might have been taken.
What are the ages of the people in the picture?
Are they all part of the same family?
When do families get together? It might be for special occasions - such as birthdays, Christmas, weddings - or because families just like to get together.
How do the children feel when they get together with their extended family?
Do they wear special clothes for any of these occasions?
Are there sad times when people get together - perhaps because they are moving away, or the death of a relative?
Get the children to think of a time when their family got together, and draw a picture of the event.
End
Share the pictures drawn by the children. Ask some to tell them about the event it depicts.
Invite the children to bring in a photograph of their family, and make a display of them and the drawings.
Assessment opportunities
Can the children tell about a memory that they have, and explain why it is important to them?

Activity two - special memories

You will need
A copy of the book Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. (Puffin Books ISBN 0-14-050586 - 5)
A collection of the artefacts that are written about in the story.
A basket.
A puppet.
A medal.
An egg.
A shell.
A football.
An object that is precious to you.
Writing and drawing materials.
Start
Show the children an object that is precious to you, and explain why it has special significance.
Then read or tell the story, and show each object as the story proceeds, as Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge collects up objects.
Put them in the basket one by one.
Take them out as Miss Nancy recounts the events that she remembers.
Develop
Recall together with the children how each special article jogged Miss Nancy's memory.
Ask the children to think of a special object of their own which reminds them of a special time or a special person.
The children might also say what kind of memory it is.
Does it make you laugh? (Like the puppet.)
Does it make you cry? (Like the medal.)
Is it a thing that is warm? (Like the egg.)
Is it a thing from long ago? (Like the shell.)
Is it a thing as precious as gold? (Like the football.)
During the discussion, try to encourage the children to understand that people's memories are very varied. (Grandfather in the picture may have sad, happy or precious memories from yesterday, and others from long ago.)
Now ask children to draw a picture or write about an object or a memory that is special to them and why ...
End
Share the children's pictures and written work.
Try to categorize them as happy, sad, funny, precious, long ago.

Activity three - my face

You will need
A famous artist's self-portrait such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Spencer. Also sketches by Rembrandt. These are widely available; see Rembrandt pub (Taschen ISBN 3-8228-0559-9).
Mirrors.
Drawing materials or
Magazines and collage materials.
Start
Show the artist's self-portrait to the children and discuss how they think the artist might have been feeling: happy, sad, worried, peaceful or what?
Develop
Show sketches by Rembrandt showing different facial expressions, noticing how Rembrandt practised his drawing technique by changing the eyes, mouth and so on.
In pairs, encourage the children to share different emotions by their facial expressions.
So the first child make a peaceful expression.
The second child guesses what emotion is being conveyed.
After practising this, the children then study their own facial expressions using the mirrors and draw sketches of themselves depicting two different feelings.
An alternative idea would be to have some magazines for the children to look through and discover different expressions, which they could then cut out and make into a collage.
End
Share the children's work, and examine what it is that is that makes people' faces seem happy, sad, worried and so on.

Web site links

http://www.memfox.net/

Mem Fox's book Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is used in the lesson plan's second activity. At her own web site, the author tells the story behind this and other stories that she has written.

'Of all my books, this is the one adults love most. (Which is not to say that children don't love it too!) My grandfather, Wilfrid (note the spelling) Partridge, lived in an old people's home. When I visited him I noticed and mourned the lack of children. Old people and children get along brilliantly, yet here they were, separated from each other by the craziness of our society. So I decided to write a book that brought children and the elderly together in the hope that teachers would initiate similar contact.

Also on the site are articles for teachers, recipes and a full bibliography and biography.

http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/rembrandt/self/

View these self-portraits of Rembrandt to accompany the third activity of the lesson plan. Further self-portraits can be viewed at http://www.values.ch/vangogh.htm. This site takes the images of Van Gogh on The Gambia's postage stamps to tell his story.

Activity checklist

Activity one - family events

A large family photograph (preferably one taken many years ago), showing different generations. It might show the teacher looking much younger!
Drawing materials.

Activity two - special memories

A copy of the book Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox. (Puffin Books ISBN 0-14-050586 - 5)
A collection of the artefacts that are written about in the story.
A basket.
A puppet.
A medal.
An egg.
A shell.
A football.
An object that is precious to you.
Writing and drawing materials.

Activity three - my face

A famous artist's self-portrait such as Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Spencer. Also sketches by Rembrandt. These are widely available; see Rembrandt pub (Taschen ISBN 3-8228-0559-9).
Mirrors.
Drawing materials or
Magazines and collage materials.

Lesson nine - pages 18/19 Refugees queue for help

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that refugees are people who have been forced to leave their homes to escape from impossible situations caused by other people's actions.
To be able to empathize with the feelings and emotions of refugees.
To understand that some things are necessary and others unnecessary for survival.

Key words

Refugee
Homeless
Survival

Activity one - leaving home

You will need
The picture of refugees from In Journeys.
A suitcase or a picture of a suitcase.
Blank labels.
Marker pens.
Start
Show the picture of the refugees.
Ask children what is happening in the picture.
Develop
Discuss people's faces and body positions.
Why are they there?
Explain that these people have had to leave their own homes, perhaps because of war, and are queuing up for food provided by other people.
They have not had any time to pack and so have very little indeed.
How would you feel if you had to leave people and a place that you love?
What do you think you would be able to take with you?
Children are to suggest items that a refugee could take.
Would be able to carry it?
Would you have time to pack it?
Would it be small enough to fit in the suitcase?
How important is it for you to take?
Collect the children's suggestions and write or draw them on labels and put them in the suitcase.
End
Ask the children to draw a picture of a refugee and surround it with words that describe their feelings.

Activity two - at home

You will need
A template of a house.
Blank labels.
'Blu-tack'.
Pens.
Start
Ask the children to think for a few moments of all the things in their house that are important to them. Then ask them to explain why they are important.
Develop
Discuss what is important at home, and as they make their suggestions, write or draw the items on the labels and stick them onto the house shape in the right place. (Include objects, people pets and so on.) Then discuss what is actually necessary if they found themselves in to the position of a refugee. (Is the television absolutely essential in their lives? What about Mum, Dad, baby sister - are they more important? Would you need warm clothes and hot food more than a Gameboy?
Are there things which are very precious to them such as photos and things that remind them of home? Get children to de-select items from the house template and see what they are left with.
End
Encourage each child to write down or draw things which are vital to them.
Assessment opportunities
Can the children think carefully about their own home, and rationalize their thoughts and emotions about how they fit into their own family situation?

Activity three - being a refugee

You will need
The picture from the book
Start
Have the picture displayed for the class to see. These people are queuing up together. When do you have to queue up? (In the dinner line, in the playground after play, at a bus stop...)
Develop
How do you feel when you have to wait in a queue? Is it usually as crowded in your queue as in the picture? What could they be thinking? Are they comfortable? Do you think they'll be waiting a long time? Remind the children that refugees have to queue up as they are waiting for their food.
Try this role-play:
Imagine you are in a queue. It is very squashed and uncomfortable, and there is not much room for moving about, but you are determined to stay to get your ration. Organize the children into several tight lines, encouraging them to huddle. The teacher might role-play the job of the queue organizer by ordering them around. Then discuss how the children felt, or choose a few to 'hot seat'.
End
After the discussion, select children's words to describe their feelings. Pose the questions: Is anyone helping the people in the queue? Who is doing the helping?

Web site links

http://www.refugeecamp.org/

Learn about the basic needs in a refugee camp, including food, shelter, water and health care. Find out how millions of people are forced to live today

http://www.ontheline.org.uk/schools/schindex.htm

A superb resource for KS1 and KS2 pupils. The online project is 'a Millennium project that explores and celebrates the lives of people who live along the Greenwich Meridian Line (zero meridian). It has linked people and places in the eight countries through a broad range of programmes and activities with individuals, schools and community groups using media, music, arts and formal education to raise awareness.'

Useful parts of the site include:

http://www.ontheline.org.uk/explore/journey/algeria/alindex.htm

A virtual journey of Algeria, providing information on the food, sports, music and dance of the country.

http://www.ontheline.org.uk/otlexplain/features/caid.htm

Christian Aid's project to link communities in Britain with other places around the world.

http://www.ontheline.org.uk/otlexplain/features/enfield.htm

a tale of a school link between Durants school in Enfield and Dzorwulu School in Accra, Ghana.

Activity checklist

Activity one - leaving home

The picture of refugees from In Journeys.
A suitcase or a picture of a suitcase.
Blank labels.
Marker pens.

Activity two - at home

A template of a house.
Blank labels.
'Blu-tack'.
Pens.

Activity three - being a refugee

Lesson ten - pages 20/21 The flight to Egypt

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know that Jesus was a refugee when he was a baby and took asylum in a foreign land.
To be able to empathize with people today who are fleeing from an oppressive regime and are forced to leave their own homes.
To understand that refugees have a very hard time both in the country that they leave and in their adoptive country.

Key words

Flight
Refugee

Activity one - escaping

You will need
Picture from the book, In Journeys.
A zig-zag book for each child made from A4 card cut lengthwise and folded to make four small pictures.
A copy of the story of the Flight from Egypt from the Gospel of Matthew.
Start
Look carefully at the picture from the book together. What can the children tell from it?
Reflect on the first sentence accompanying the picture: 'Jesus had to make a difficult journey when he was a baby.'
Collect some words from the children that describe their feelings as they look at the picture.
Develop
Tell the story of the Flight to Egypt from Matthew chapter two in your own words, focusing on the four main events of the story:
getting ready to leave;
on the road;
resting; and
arriving in Egypt.
Make zig-zag books showing these four scenes from the story, with a (picture and sentence) for each scene.
End
Children can share their work and compare their versions by showing their books to each other.

Activity two - a long journey

You will need
A box such as an A4 paper box.
Disposable nappy.
Feeding bottle.
Warm clothes including hat and gloves.
Toys for the baby.
Large paper and pens for list.
Blank labels.
Art materials.
Start
Ask the children to describe a long journey that they have made - it might have been going on holiday or to see a friend or relation.
Develop
Retell the story of Joseph and Mary and Jesus' journey into Egypt.
Think of how difficult it would be, without modern transport.
Make a list on the large paper of all the items that they would need to take for the baby.
Look at the picture again, and notice that the man in the picture is carrying a box on his head.
What's in the box?
What would Jesus need for the journey?
Put all the items that you have collected into your box, and encourage the children to think of any more things that the baby would need.
Write these onto the blank labels and put these in the box as well.
In pairs the children can then draw a box (or have a template of one) and draw the items in it.
Draw another for Mary and Joseph.
Remind the children about the lack of space and how heavy the box would be to carry, and the lack of time to pack it properly.
End
Compare the boxes for Jesus and those for Joseph and Mary
Draw a large version of the children's suggestions for Mary and Joseph.
Assessment opportunities
To be able to project their own ideas of what it would be like to be a refugee, and think about others' feelings and emotions.

Activity three - role-play journey

You will need
The picture from the book In Journeys.
A large space to work in.
Start
Remind the children of the story of the Flight to Egypt.
How was the journey going to be difficult?
How do you think Mary and Joseph felt?
Develop
Divide the children into pairs. One of the pair to take the role of Joseph, and the other to be Mary.
Discuss together and devise a conversation...
Before the journey
How do they feel about embarking on a long dangerous journey?
How do they express their worries and the fears?
How do they show their concern for each other?
How do they show their concern for baby Jesus?
What might Mary and Joseph say to each other?
During the journey
The children might discuss what their hopes and fears are for their precious baby.
They could talk about this as people who are responsible for the child.
End
As the role-play develops, the children could interact with other pairs, and ask questions of Mary and Joseph, and then 'hot seat' them.

Web site links

http://www.megastories.com/xmas/holyland/egypbib.htm

Here can be found the biblical text for the story of Mary and Joseph's flight into Egypt, taken from Matthew's gospel.

There are numerous traditional images of this biblical story. For real contrast, look at Van Dyck's Rest on the Flight into Egypt at http://www.vandyck.co.uk/egypt.html

or Fra Angelico's Flight from Egypt at http://www.artofeurope.com/angelico/fra1.htm

Activity checklist

Activity one - escaping

Picture from the book, In Journeys.
A zig-zag book for each child made from A4 card cut lengthwise and folded to make four small pictures.
A copy of the story of the Flight from Egypt from the gospel of Matthew.

Activity two - a long journey

A box such as an A4 paper box.
Disposable nappy.
Feeding bottle.
Warm clothes including hat and gloves.
Toys for the baby.
Large paper and pens for list.
Blank labels.
Art materials.

Activity three - role-play journey

The picture from the book In Journeys.
A large space to work in.

Lesson eleven - pages 22/23 Dream of freedom

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know the life cycle of a butterfly.
To be able to identify changes in nature as they occur.
To understand that change is a part of life's journey.

Key words

Life cycle
Journey
Change
Freedom

Activity one - life cycle

You will need
The book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
A large sheet of paper and felt pens or a board and board marker.
Paper, paints, coloured gummed paper circles, felt pens.
An extension of this activity is to purchase a Butterfly Garden from an educational supplier, so that the children can observe the life cycle over several weeks.
Start
Read the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Develop
Arrange circles overlapping to make caterpillar shapes.
Add face and antennae.
Make blob paintings on half a sheet of painting paper.
Fold in half to make symmetrical pattern.
When dry, cut into butterfly shapes.
Caterpillars and butterflies can be part of a wall display.
End
Question and discuss the life cycle.
Beginning with the egg on a leaf, draw a circular diagram for the class to see.
Draw attention to the fact that the butterfly is the final stage, but then has to lay eggs for the cycle to continue.

Activity two - stages of life

You will need
The picture 'Dream of Freedom' from the book In Journeys.
Pictures of people at various stages in life.
Pencils and paper.
Start
Show the picture and read the poem a few times. Talk about the stages in the life journey of a caterpillar.
Develop
Show the sequence of pictures depicting human life journeys. Discuss the stage of life that each picture shows. Consider how appearances change. Point out that at each stage a person is more skilful and has slightly more freedom to make choices and decisions.
Using the pictures to prompt discussion, ask what skills and abilities the children think they will have/have had at each of the stages.
In what ways will they have more freedom in the future?
Individually, write and draw about how the children see themselves as adults (appearances, family, work and so on).
End
Gather children together again and choose some volunteers to share their written thoughts with everyone.

Activity three - moving on

You will need
The picture 'Dream of Freedom' from In Journeys.
Poem 'The End' by A.A. Milne
Art materials.
Start
With the children, look at the picture and talk about the stages in the butterfly life cycle.
Read the poem on the picture two or three times.
Develop
Draw attention to the phrase 'longing to soar to the sky'.
Can the children say what it means?
Have the children longed to be older? Discuss their longings.
Consider the saying 'wishing your life away'.
Read the poem 'The End' by A.A. Milne.
Discuss what children could do at each age the poem represents.
Do they like the age they are now? Why? Why not?
End
Can the children think of anything they can do that an adult cannot do now?
Will this change as an adult gets older?
Remind the children of the person in the poem and lead them to think of being patient and enjoying the age they are now.
Assessment opportunities
Provide pictures and arrows for the children to construct the life-cycle of a butterfly. Have they constructed it in a circle to show the continuation of the cycle?
Using the pictures from Activity Two, can the children construct a life journey for people?
Provide pencil, felt pens, paper for the children to draw themselves at each age of their life to the present day. Can they see a progression in their skills and abilities?

Web site links

http://www.eric-carle.com/

The official web site of Eric Carle, the author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. It includes a page of ideas from teachers on ways they have used the book with their class.

http://www.ex.ac.uk/bugclub/cater.html

Ideas for teachers and children on rearing caterpillars with handy tips on housing, feeding and the pupation process

http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/butterfly/butterfly-life-cycle.html

A site designed specifically for children on the life cycle of butterflies.

Activity checklist

Activity one - life cycle

The book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
A large sheet of paper and felt pens, or a board and board marker.
Paper, paints, coloured gummed paper circles, felt pens.
An extension of this activity is to purchase a Butterfly Garden from an educational supplier, so that the children can observe the life cycle over several weeks.

Activity two - stages of life

The picture 'Dream of Freedom' from the book In Journeys.
Pictures of people at various stages in life.
Pencils and paper.

Activity three - moving on

The picture 'Dream of Freedom' from In Journeys.
Poem 'The End' by A.A. Milne.
Art materials.

Lesson twelve - pages 24/25 Pilgrim journey

Aim for the book

To explore real and visionary journeys encountered in life.

Learning objectives

To know what a pilgrim is.
To be able to read and spell the key words.
To understand that a pilgrimage has a purpose.

Key words

Pilgrim
Journey
Purpose
Guide
Star
Gift
Travel
Pray
Saint

Activity one - the wise men journey to find Jesus

You will need
Three wrapped parcels as gifts.
A map of the heavens.
A star template.
Paper, scissors and pens.
Start
Show each parcel. Let the children try to guess from the shape what it might be. Ask what they think it is for. Why is it wrapped?
Why do they think there are three?
Develop
Tell the story of the journey of the three kings
Long ago a bright star appeared in the sky. Some very wise men who studied the stars got out their books. (Show star map and ask for comments. Hopefully they will notice just how many stars there are.)
They wise men found that the bright star had brought them a message - the Messiah had been born. They decided to go and find him and made preparations.
'We must take presents with us fit for a king' they said, and chose gold, frankincense and myrrh. Each night they followed the star that shone brightly in the East. When they reached Jerusalem they went to the palace of King Herod expecting to find the new baby king there but Herod knew nothing about a baby.
They journeyed on to Bethlehem, still following the guiding star that led them on. They were so surprised when the star stopped over a small, simple house and they found a family with a young baby. They knew this baby was the king they had been travelling to see and they knelt before him and gave him their presents. It had been a long journey but the star had guided them safely there.
End
Discuss: Why did they need the star and what would we use today to show us the way to somewhere?
Why was this baby so special?
Cut out a star from a template and write 'Jesus' on one side of it.

Activity two - a journey with a purpose

You will need
Drawing materials.
A black or whiteboard.
Start
Ask the children to remember when they went to visit the doctor or the dentist. Did they make any preparations?
Develop
Let the children imagine they are going shopping for food for their hamster.
What plans need to be made?
Make a list on the board. For example:
dress in outdoor clothes;
collect shopping bags and money;
travel by car, bus or walk;
in the shop, find the right food;
pay for the shopping;
travel home;
give the hamster some food.
Ask the children to draw a picture of this journey, making sure the stages are in the right order.
End
Why did they go to the shops? When we go on a journey is there always a reason for going?

Activity three - the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.

You will need
Walking stick.
Backpack.
Ordinance Survey map.
Picture of a pilgrim.
Map of Spain.
Writing and drawing materials.
Start
Talk about setting out for a long walk. What preparations do you make?
As the children make suggestions of what to take, produce the items if you can and pack them in the rucksack.
For example: chocolate, map, plasters, water in bottle, picnic food, kagoule, compass.
Why might you need a walking stick?
Develop
Tell the children about St James.
St James was one of Jesus' 12 apostles. After the death of Jesus he travelled to Spain, where he spent several years teaching and preaching. He returned to Jerusalem, and after he was beheaded by Herod , his followers took his body back to Spain. St James's body was then buried in a tomb on a hillside where it lay forgotten for 750 years.
Early in the ninth century, Pelagius, a hermit, had a vision in which he saw a strange light like a very large bright star, shining over a deserted spot in the hills. When the tomb was found there, Alfonso II ordered a church to be built on the site and declared St James to be the Patron Saint of Spain.
News soon spread and pilgrimages began bringing wealth to the area. Another church was built and this was gradually increased in size and splendour to become the beautiful cathedral of today.
Explain why people travelled to his tomb.
A pilgrim believed that places and objects helped them get nearer to God. They journeyed to pay respect out of love, duty, fear or to ask a favour of God.
Explain that today many pilgrims still come from all over the world.
This is a very popular modern pilgrimage with several thousand people walking the way every year. Many different nationalities travel. Making a pilgrimage is hard. The way is long (800km from France to Santiago), and the paths often rough. This pilgrimage takes about one month with overnight stops in old monasteries, inns and village homes along the way.
What do the children think pilgrims do when they get to Santiago?
Think of:
practical things: rest, sleep, wash, tend their feet
spiritual things: thanksgiving, worship, prayer.
End
Get the children to copy:
'A pilgrim is a person who travels to visit a holy place.'
With the picture as a guide, ask them to draw a pilgrim.
Assessment opportunities
Make a double set of the key words. Get the children to match the words and read them.
Write out the story of the three Kings (Magi), leaving gaps to be filled in.
In groups, the children could act out a pilgrimage. Note carefully if they have a clear purpose.

Web site links

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/gentile_da_fabriano.html?noframe

The definitive web page for accessing information on the artist. There are links to the main museum web sites that hold his work (including J Paul Getty Museum, National Gallery and the Uffizi), image archives and articles.

http://sunsite.doc.ic.ac.uk/wm/paint/auth/gentile/

Downloadable picture of the 'Adoration of the Magi' and background information on the artist.

Activity checklist

Activity one - the wise men journey to find Jesus

Three wrapped parcels as gifts.
A map of the heavens.
A star template.
Paper, scissors and pens

Activity two - a journey with a purpose

Drawing materials.
A black or whiteboard.

Activity three - the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.

Walking stick.
Back pack.
Ordinance Survey map.
Picture of a pilgrim.
Map of Spain.
Writing and drawing materials.