Transcript KS2 08 What does worship mean to a believer

Wiltshire RE Starter Stimulus
Starter ideas for the following key question from the 2011 Agreed Syllabus:
KS2 08 Where, how and why do people worship?
This resource aims to provide some stimulus images and ideas to help pupils
begin to address the above question.
It links to the following learning outcomes from p56 of the syllabus:
Pupils can:
• identify and explain symbolic actions in everyday life which express inner
feelings
• explain the meaning of worship for a believer
• ask some thoughtful questions about why people choose to attend a church,
mosque, mandir or gurdwara and suggest some possible answers
• use religious vocabulary to identify and explain some symbolic objects, actions
and sounds found in a church and a gurdwara and say how these help people
worship
Many of the slides have notes to give suggestions for use. Look at the slide
show in Normal mode and look for the notes at the bottom of the page.
Ask the children match the symbolic actions on the right with the
inner feeling on the left.
What other symbolic actions do they use? Do they see?
Hurry up
Shaking hands
I’m pleased to see
you
putting your head in
your hands
appreciation or
enjoyment
Tapping the top of the
wrist with one finger
Wow...amazing
Clapping hands
Sadness or tiredness
Punching the air
What do you worship?
What is so important
that other people want
to spend time
worshipping?
Why do people
worship these different
things?
This is Holy Trinity
Church in Leicester.
About 400 other
people come here
every Sunday to
worship.
Are there any
buildings like
this where you
live ?
What do you
think people do
when they
worship here?
This Gurdwara is in
Sandwell, in the West
Midlands. Hundreds of
people go here at
different times of the
week to worship.
Are there any
buildings like
this where you
live ?
What do you
think people do
when they
worship here?
What does the
worshipper see,
smell, taste,
touch, hear?
What does the
worshipper think
and feel?
Can you suggest
why the five
senses are
important in
worship?
Why might
thinking and
feeling matter
even more?
“The younger generation of Sikhs are changing:
some don’t wear all the 5Ks, but some children
respect the faith and wear them all the time. I like
the way we worship: it is easy as soon as you get to
know it. I like Christian worship too – I like the way
they sing and pray. Like us, they listen to their holy
book being read. I hear the words of the Guru at
worship, and I feel relaxed, calm, and peaceful. I see
everyone full of joy and happy. I like it that there’s no
lying whatsoever in the Gurdwara.” Jaspreet Kaur is 13.
Check the picture on the next slide. Can you
say what the emotions and feelings of these
two worshippers might be? When do you
experience emotions and feelings like
these?
Devotion the Gurus’ teachings can give the
worshipper feelings of calmness, and Godconsciousness. Some Sikhs say that
worship helps you to serve other people.
“If you talk to God, then when you have done
something wrong, you can ask for forgiveness. And one
example for me of why worship matters is that when I
sat my Exam modules, I was nervous. I would pray
before doing it and I felt better. When I worship, I feel
that God is showing me the right path, I see pictures of
Guru Nanak Dev Ji in my mind, and I know he is with
me in my heart all the time. I feel grateful.” Taljinder is 15.
Sikh spirituality puts a big
emphasis on being aware of God,
or conscious of God every day.
What does this mean to Taljinder?
I really like music and
singing. The things we sing
in church sometimes have
actions and sometimes we
clap. But the words are
important too - it is important
to think about the words
when you sing them.
Why do you think
Ailsa likes singing in
Church? Do you know
some hymns, songs or
words that are sung
or said in church?
Ailsa is
10 and
she is
Christian.
Music is really important to my
family and to our church. We play
music and sing to worship God, to
remind us of how great he is and
how we should try to live our lives
the best way possible. I use music
as a way of showing God I love him.
Recently I won a competition by
writing music for my favourite
passage from the bible- the
Beatitudes from Matthew 5
Ailsa, 10
Who do you think
this might be?
What is he doing?
What is on the
table in front of
him?
Each week
Christians
remember Jesus
when they take
communion. In
this part of
worship
Christians eat
bread to remind
them of the body
of Jesus and
drink wine to
remind them of
the blood of
Jesus. Why do
you think they do
this?
When we take bread and drink
wine we remember that Jesus
who was the son of God died. I
believe that this means that
when I die I will go to live in
heaven. It also means when I
do things wrong if I say sorry
to God and try to put things
right God will forgive me.
Ailsa, 10
Additional activities:
Catch the facts
Read the quotes from the Sikhs and Christians aloud to each other. As
you do, make a list of facts about the Sikhs and Christians from them.
Religions are similar and different
What similarities can you see between the Sikhs, Christians and any
other religions you know? What are the three main differences?
Believing in God
Discuss together and agree between you: what beliefs about God can
be found in the quotations?
Impact
Talk about ways in which religious belief affects the way these people
live. What kinds of things affect how pupils live? What matters most to
them, and how do they show this in their everyday lives? Is there
anything that they could do to show that they think the environment is
important, for example, or that equality, love, sharing, friendship, family,
fairness are?