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.

Background

Dreams are explored in this picture because there are many Bible stories that are about dreams and dreaming. The Greek word for 'angel' means 'messenger' and angels bearing messages appear at crucial times often in dreams. In Matthew's Gospel, Joseph plays a significant part in the story of Jesus' birth and important messages come to him in dreams. It is part of the Christian tradition that the will of God is revealed through dreams (1 Samuel 3.1-18). Today there are many opinions about this and many interpretations of dreaming but all of us, including pupils, know if we have had a disturbing dream.

Bible references

Matthew 2.13-15 and 19-21

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?

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.

© Jean Harrison