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.

Background

The maze, or labyrinth, is a common symbol of the Christian journey, because it reflects the twists and turns of life, the decisions to be made and the choice of path to follow. It is a symbol that has been used by Christians over the centuries.

Bible references

Psalm 16.11, Jeremiah 6.16

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.

© Lorna Halcrow