|
Lesson nine - pages 18/19
Creepy-crawlies
Aim for the book
To engage children in a discussion relating the
Christian understanding of God to everyday life.
Learning objectives
- To know something of the great variety in Creation, and
that creatures live different lives, singly, in communities and
so on.
- To be able to discover that:
- learning about creation includes scientific investigation;
- small things need care and protection (if appropriate you
could illustrate this with the example of Jesus needing protection
as a child).
- To understand that:
- creation consists of relationships not just things;
- (for older children) an intrinsic part of Christian belief
is the relationship between God and creation in all its aspects.
Bible references
Psalm 104.24
Psalm 105.31
Background
The vastness of sky and ocean seen on the previous pages is contrasted
here with life in miniature. 'Creepy-crawlies' can elicit a variety
of reactions and can polarize our views and feelings. Christians
find it easy to see God in beauty and yet they have to recognize
and come to terms with their belief that God creates and loves all
things, large and small.
Ways of using the picture
- Which one of these do you think is the most important: a fly,
a fish or a furry caterpillar? Are they more important than a
cat, a dog or a donkey?
- Do you know any stories about creatures that have changed?
- How have you changed since you were born? How do you think you
will change when you grow older?
Key words
- Creature (as in 'created thing')
- Nurture
- Care
- Patterns
- Good
- Bad
Activity one - keeping creatures
This is a long-term activity with spin-offs into science and literacy.
- You will need
Ants or caterpillars, materials necessary to keep them, and
information on how to keep them properly
- Start
Decide what creatures to keep. Caterpillars are a good choice
because there is the wonderful metamorphosis process. Ants provide
a chance for children to see creatures living in a community.
The children will need to prepare to keep the animals. This
has parallels with creation. Christians believe God was preparing
a place where creatures could live.
- Develop
Make observations of the creatures. What do they do with the
world you gave them? Eat it? Carry bits of it about? Why do
they do this? Make a chart of the tasks needed to maintain the
creatures' environment. Different sets of questions arise from
the nature of the pupils' responsibilities. An option in the
development of this activity is to discuss children's feelings
towards the creatures at the beginning of the activity and at
the end. Do the attitudes change with familiarity? For example,
do children overcome feelings of, say, squeamishness?If you
wish to extend the activity you could include visits to farms
or zoos.
- End
How do we release the creatures into freedom again? This will
be different for butterflies or ants. What does it mean for
the creatures to have freedom? What kinds of risks will they
have to face? How much freedom do Christians believe God allows
creation? Is God always watching ready to protect or do people
have a degree of latitude? If so, how much?
Activity two - small art
Art materials
Magnifying glasses or microscopes
Leaves and crystals
Close-up pictures of tiny patterned things, such as snowflakes,
spider's webs, insects, illustrated manuscripts, Celtic knotwork,
cell structures, and so on.
- Start
Use magnifiers or microscopes to look at the tiny patterns
in crystals or the veins of leaves. Look at photographs of snowflakes,
spider's webs and the colourings and marking of insects. Another
excellent resource would be pictures of old illuminated manuscripts,
which have tiny patterns and drawings in them, and examples
of Celtic knotwork, which is a little like the patterns on leaves
and in spider's webs and so on. You may even like to use electron
microscope pictures of cells and crystals. Encourage the children
to make sketches of what you see.
- Develop
Use the observations and sketches to generate ideas for miniature
art work. Use small objects on which to create the work such
as stones or pieces of wood bark. For children who find difficulties
in using fine-tipped drawing instruments, encourage them to
print with small objects. It may be helpful to use ink or inkpads
rather than paint.
- End
Create a display of the finished articles.
Activity three - smallness as weakness
Enthusiasm for drama.
- Start
Discussion: what is weakness? What is fragility?
How often do we break or hurt things just because we can?
Encourage the children to be honest. When did they last pull
leaves off a tree? When did they last kill a spider? Is this a good way to behave?
How do we feel if someone breaks bits of something that we have
made?
How do the children feel about the tree when we pull off leaves?
- Develop
Extend this discussion into the idea of goodness. What are
good ways to behave as created beings? Develop this in two
ways - you could make two columns of ideas. Think about what
is good for people as individuals. What are our needs? Think
about what is good for people living as a community. What are
the group's needs? What happens when group needs come into conflict?
Use these themes to form the basis of some situation dramas.
Rather than just asking the children to 'make plays about...'
set specific chains of events in motion such as: 'I like my
little brother's toy so I decide to take it ...', 'Stephen
is thirsty but his friends who have some lemonade won't let
him have any ...', 'Theresa has broken her leg, David and Jane
try to help her ...'.
Allow the children to add extra players to each drama such
as (or especially) authority figures like parents or teachers.
- End
The important thing about the dramas was not how good they
were as pieces of theatre (though they may have been very good).
It was how the children became involved and what they felt.
How many of them became violent? Why? Did any of the pieces
involve genuine attempts to communicate care? Which aspects
of the dramas were examples of 'good', which were examples of
'bad'? Conclude by asking if it is good or right to impose ourselves
on others just because we are stronger then them. What would
Christians think that God would feel about our ideas?
Related subjects
Science links with food chain studies and lifestyles. PSHE - the
construction of care in society and family.
Activity checklist
Activity one - keeping creatures
Ants or caterpillars, the materials necessary to keep them, and information
on how to keep them properly.
Activity two - small art
Art materials
Magnifying glasses or microscopes
Leaves and crystals
Close-up pictures of tiny patterned things, such as snowflakes,
spider's webs, insects, illustrated manuscripts, Celtic knotwork,
cell structures, and so on.
Activity three - smallness as weakness
Enthusiasm for drama
Web site links
For further information, look
at the links section of this site.
http://www.pbrc.hawaii.edu/kunkel/wanted/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/reallywild/
http://www.microbe.org/
© Robin Sharples
Top of the page
|
