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Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules – Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules - Religious Education Modules – Caretakers of God’s Garden - Religious Education Modules -
Stage 1 Module
Caretakers of God’s Garden
Caretakers of God’s GardenModule Focus
In the Early Stage 1 module, “God is our Creator”, children were invited to explore and develop an appreciation for the wonders of God's creation. That module aimed to begin to build a sense of spiritual connectedness that transcends the individual and builds a living relationship with God.
This Stage 1 module intends to build on these understandings as children deepen their understanding that by being in tune with nature we come to know God and recognise the Divine presence in the wonder and work of creation. In fact “creation is God speaking to us” This module will focus on our responsibility to care for the amazing gift of creation given to us freely by God. Children will explore what is meant by “God’s garden”, coming to understand that this phrase refers to all the gifts of the universe.
Outcomes
GRHD S 1.1: Explores ways a relationship with God is experienced
PS S1.4b: Identifies the purpose of prayer
S S1.5: Identifies and recalls stories from Sacred Scripture through which God reveals himself
Learn About Learn ToGRHD S1.1: God’s presence in creation and in others the gift of creation God’s presence in creative activity the relationship between God, humankind and the
environmentPS S1.4b: personal and communal prayer for creation meditation prayers of praise, petition, sorrow and thanks in relation to
creation different ways to pray in the created world
S S1.5: stories in which God is revealed through creation stories of the Bible revealing God’s love
GRHD S1.1: locate and identify examples of God’s gift of
creation describe the relationship between humankind
and the environmentPS S1.4b: pray spontaneously formulate simple prayers of intercession about
creation participate in meditation participate fully, actively and consciously at an
age appropriate levelS S1.5 retell Scripture stories in their own words enact stories from the Scriptures ask questions to clarify meaning discuss the meanings of stories
DISCIPLESHIP CHALLENGE
Students are challenged to recognise God’s presence in the world. Students are challenged to pray in a variety of ways. Students are challenged to show reverence to and appreciation towards the Bible
Catholic Discipleship
Creation is a wonderful gift from God, a gift given in generous love. Just as this gift from God is a blessing, it is also a responsibility. God has entrusted humankind to care for creation. Humankind has made many wrong choices in the care of creation and continues to do so. God remains faithful to humanity however and continues to love us no matter what. Caring for God’s creation and respecting our fragile ecosystems are now acknowledged as core elements of Christian social responsibility. Our Christian vocation calls us to take this responsibility seriously and to Caretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 2
respond with appropriate action and lifestyle choices.” (Most Rev Philip Wilson, Most Rev Greg O’Kelly in Catholic Earthcare Australia, “On Holy Ground, An Ecological Vision for Catholic Education in South Australia”)
It is important for students to maintain hope at the same time as being aware of human impact on the environment. Students will investigate scriptures that invite hope despite human failings in regards to care of creation. It is the role of Catholic disciples to live in hope, but also to create hope for others. In this module, students will come to an understanding that the way we live every day has impact on the environment as a whole. Therefore, children will be invited to “think globally, act locally”.
Core ScriptureGen 1: 1-31 The Six Days of Creation and the SabbathThis scripture is the core scripture for the Early Stage 1 module, “God is our Creator”. Students will recall this scripture in this module as a way of exploring the elements of “God’s Garden”. Selected lines are chosen from this scripture for this purpose ( see Appendix 2).
Gen 9:817 God's covenant with the earth
God said to Noah and his sons, “I am now making my covenant with you and with your descendants, and with all living beings, all birds and all animals, everything that came out of the boat with you. With these words I make my covenant with you: I promise that never again will all living beings be destroyed by a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth. As a sign of this everlasting covenant which I am making with you and with all living beings, I am putting my bow in the clouds. It will be the sign of my covenant with the world. Whenever I cover the sky with clouds and the rainbow appears, I will remember my promise to you and to all the animals that a flood will never again destroy all living beings. When the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between me and all living beings on earth. That is the sign of the promise which I am making to all living beings.”
Ps104:1, 10-14; 24,35 The Lord Takes Care of Creation
O Lord, my God, how great you are! You are clothed with majesty and glory You make springs flow in the valleys, and rivers run between the hills. They provide water for the wild animals; there the wild donkeys quench their thirst. In the trees near by, the birds make their nests and sing.
From the sky you send rain on the hills, and the earth is filled with your blessings. You make grass grow for the cattle and plants for us to use, so that we can grow our crops.
Lord, you have made so many things! How wisely you made them all! The earth is filled with your creatures. Praise the Lord, my soul! Praise the Lord!
Accessed from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9&version=GNT
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Scripture in Context
Gen 1: 1-31 The Six Days of Creation and the SabbathThere are two creation stories in the Book of Genesis. The first story (the seven days of creation) was composed after the second story (the Garden Story, Gen 2:4b-3:24 which focuses on the creation of humankind). It was probably told at the time of the Babylonian exile, when the Jewish people were looking for a rescuer and were interpreting history in this light. The story reflects the theological and liturgical understandings of the Jewish people. The view of the world in this story is a Hebrew understanding, which is very different to our modern understanding. To these people the world was flat, surrounded above and below by water. Under the top layer of water was believed to be a firmament that held the stars, sun and moon. Whilst the story reflects beliefs about the world of the time, it was never meant to be a scientific explanation for creation, but an interpretation of the Jewish story.
Whilst the story is not historical in terms of time and place, it is rich in religious truths:
It is God who is creator, giving life to the world At every stage God is present, and is constantly active God actively creates, with humankind being the climax of God’s plan All of humanity is created in God’s image, having spiritual capacities for things like goodness, worship and
fellowship God desires to be in relationship with people God desires people to be in relationship with each other and with the earth.
The first creation story is a liturgical poem or drama. Probably written by Jewish priests in exile, they related creation to the tradition of Sabbath, transferring the importance of Sabbath from a place (the temple) to a space (a time of rest and reflection). The liturgy of light, life and symbols that were used in the temple are reflected in the story of the actions of the creative hand of God.
The pattern of the verse can be divided into six parts:
o Command: and God said, “let there be light”o Accomplishment: and there was lighto Evaluation: and God saw that the light was goodo Action: and God separated the light from darknesso Naming: God called the light “Day” and the darkness “Night”o Refrain: and there was evening and there was morning.
The creation stories symbolise our faith in God, raising fundamental questions concerning God, humanity and the world. They are based on the initiative of God, are about revelation of God and put forward demands upon the people. “Catholics believe that the Bible sets out to give religious truth, not exact scientific data. It does not intend to give an approved cosmology or a correct scientific account of the world's origins. We have to look to science for these. We believe that, however the universe came into being, however the human race began, God is the creator of the universe and of the human race. In this belief we find the origins of our conviction that, as Christians, we have an ethical duty to respect the gifts of creation, to give thanks for them, and to use them in accord with the will of God, as best we can interpret it.”
http://www.catholicearthcare.org.au/
Gen 9:817 God's covenant with the earth
The Book of Genesis in which we find the story of Noah “ is a narration of ancient Israel’s traditions and concepts of the past- a mixture of myths and legends, cultural memories, revisions of tradition, and literary brilliance. It is a complex portrait of the past that encodes the values of biblical religion and creates a rich array of perspectives on the world” …“It is a book of memories- of marvels and miracles, imperfect saints and holy sinners, a beneficent and
Caretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 4
often inscrutable God, and promises that bind the past to the present and the future.” P. 4 Hendel, HarperCollins Study Bible
If we try to discover the literal truth in the story of Noah’s covenant with God, we are missing the point of the story. When reading such stories in the Book of Genesis we should read with an expectation of what we find there will be profoundly true. This doesn’t mean that the truth has to be always totally factually or historically true, but that it contains profound truths. The profound truth that can be found in this story is concerned with the developing relationship between God, creation and people as expressed through covenant.
In the canonical form of the story (the form we have in the Bible today, which has been the result of a long process of story telling and interpretation) , the story of Noah within the Book of Genesis is part of the meta-narrative of the foundation history of Israel. The story we have today in the Book of Genesis consists of: the creation of the world ( chapter 1); the creation of humankind (chapter 2); humanity’s fall through sinfulness ( chapters 3-4); hope in Noah ( chapters 5-6); and the great flood and the preservation of the earth ( chapters 7-9).
Chapter 9 is significant because it brings to fruition the theme of divine judgement and rescue. The climax of the flood sequence ends in hope and relationship. It is here that we come to discover the theme of grace and the forgiveness of an ever patient God. It is a universal story which has meaning for human experience throughout time. This story tells of the renewal of humankind and of all creation, a renewal that continues through covenant with a loving God. The rainbow is the seal of covenantal promise that we are called to participate in even today. As modern people caring for God’s gracious gift of creation, we can call on this story to remind us that we must co-operate with God in allowing creation to renew itself.
Ps104:1,10 -14; 24,35 The Lord Takes Care of Creation
Creation is a primary revelation of God, a way that we can become aware of God’s presence. In a modern world where many people chose not to explore God through church, the gift of creation provides the possibility of allowing people to touch the presence of God. “The most noticeable modern revelation of God, the most popular evidence of God today and the most manageable indication we have that God exists and functions is creation, the natural order, animals, plants, the universe” http://home.netcom.com/~jealsup/b2315ps.html
In Psalm 104, the people of Old Testament times sang and prayed about God’s provision for all creatures. By their very presence, creatures and elements of the natural world respond and praise God. Humans are the greatest recipients of the creators and blessings. The people who sang and prayed this psalm praised God for these gifts, realising their responsibility to care for them.
In the 21st century, we are called to realise and respond to our blessings, praising God for these gifts. The question we must ask ourselves is, “what will our response be?”
Catechism of the Catholic Church for teacher reference
nn. 290-292, 316 The creatorCompendium # 52. Who created the world?
nn.293-294, 319 The reasons for creationCompendium # 53. Why was the world created?
nn. 295-301 The mystery of creation Compendium #54. How did God create the universe?nn. 302-327 God carries out his plan: Divine providence Compendium #55. What is divine providence?Compendium # 56. How do we collaborate with divine providence?Caretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 5
nn.343-344,353 The world and its creaturesCompendium #63. What is the place of the human person in creation?
Background for Teachers
Introduction
God has been described as the author of life, artist, life -giver and creator. One of God's most significant gifts is the world we live in. The world reveals God's creative power.
The religious belief about creation is that God is the origin, sustainer and hope of the world and everything in it. This belief is the foundation of what Christians believe about God, about the cosmos we inhabit and about our destiny and hope. For Christians, creation is the self-revelation of God. The Catholic Church's belief in God as creator of all things emerges from Biblical revelation.
'Nothing exists that does not owe its existence to God the Creator. The world began when God's word drew it out of nothingness; all existent beings, all of nature, and all human history are rooted in this primordial event, the very genesis by which the world was constituted and time begun' (CCC 338)
God is present in the world and the world is present to God. This is a mystery, which fills us with a sense of wonder and awe. For students to experience this sense of mystery they need to be actively involved in a number and variety of sensory experiences. Mystery continually calls us to transcend the everyday and enter into a deepening understanding of ourselves and our existence, thereby finding meaning and purpose in our lives.
The doctrine of creation is intimately connected with our belief in God. Creation has its origin in God's creative Word, and constantly depends upon God for continued existence. God has no need for creation, for God is complete in every way. Creation is a free act of God, an outpouring of divine love and goodness that expresses itself in the extraordinary diversity of the universe. Just as the genius of the artist is reflected in a painting or symphony, so the beauty, power and goodness of God are reflected in creation
Ecology and Creation
Life is amazing. All life is utterly dependent upon our planet for everything it needs. God provides everything through creation. Water falls from the sky and runs through creeks and rivers. Plants and animals grow and are all part of the circle of life. Air circulates around the globe, refreshing and renewing all of life’s creatures. The sun, trees, plants, oil, coal and gas provide energy. The beauty of creation grabs our attention, inspiring us and providing for our needs. God truly cares for us like a mother cares for her children and expresses this care through the goodness of creation. Our planetary home is not ours alone, however, for we live in community with an abundance of creatures upon which we depend daily…
In our solar system, only Earth provides the conditions necessary for life. Our home planet is just close enough to the sun to allow its energy to heat our planet, but far enough away that it does not burn us…
We live on a blue planet, rich in water. Although it is but a simple two element chemical compound, water is absolutely essential for life…
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We live on a green planet, rich with life. It is covered with plants and animals, and other forms of life we rarely think of. Much of Earth’s land is blanketed by a living mantle of vegetation, which hosts animal creatures of every kind. The planet’s hospitality becomes even clearer when we recognise that the entire animal kingdom depends totally on plants…
We live on a vibrant planet, diverse in life…Life is dynamic, interdependent and relational…
Our home planet has been reshaped by human ingenuity, science and technology. Science and technology provide benefits, but frequently they are put into practice by people who fail to recognise the impact they will have on the natural world. Many of these changes have benefited humans at the expense of other creatures…Today, more than ever, we need to listen to what scientist are telling us about the human impact on nature… The dynamism of the whole created world is like a biological dance in which every living creature participates in interactions with other organisms and with their environment…”
What do we mean by ecology?
The base of the word “ecology” is “eco” and can be found in words like “ecology” and “economy”. It comes from the Greek word “oikos” which means “house”. In relation to “economy” it basically mean “management of the house”. The word “ecology” actually means “study of the house”. If Planet Earth and in fact the whole cosmos is our house, then the study of our house should help us to live in it more effectively. This is happening today as we are beginning to learn how to live in tune with our planet from the studies of scientists such as biologists, astronomers, geologists etc.
“The science of ecology has contributed a most important concept: the ecosystem…An ecosystem is an association of organisms and their physical environment, interconnected by the circulation of energy and nutrients…The ecosystems living and nonliving interactions take place on our home- Earth- and thus the connection between the idea of ecology and house (oikos)…
Science helps us to recognise the beauty, diversity and fecundity of our planetary home. It helps us to perceive the interdependence of all life, yet by itself, science cannot teach us t care, nor to recognise creation as the most suitable home for the Incarnation. Something deeper is needed, something that reaches into the core of the human person not only as a physical being but also as a spiritual being. This ‘something’, we believe, is ‘God’.”
Called to be one with Creation
We recognise God as creator of all and see ourselves as having a role in God's creative activity. With this in mind, we as the created gift of God have a responsibility towards the created world in which we live, both now and in the future. The Universe is a remarkable gift which works most amazingly in symbiosis, thereby naturally renewing itself through its life-giving, life-sharing cycles. As Jesus gave his life for us, so this self sharing happens in the universe. Stars give their lives so that there may be life on planets. Plants and animals give their lives so that others may live. God has placed people in a privileged position in this symbiotic world, because we have the intelligence to make decisions that impact on the rest of creation. This is a position we cannot abuse because of our own greed through which we can ignore the needs of the rest of the created world.
Recognising and Appreciating the Beauty and Wonder of God’s Creation
'God created the visible world in all its richness, diversity, and order. Scripture presents the work of the Creator symbolically as a succession of six days of divine "work", concluded by the "rest" of the seventh day'. (CCC 337)
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From the opening words of the Bible, we are called to wonder and appreciate the amazing gift of creation given lovingly by God. The two creation accounts in the Old Testament are not intended to be scientific explanations of the origin and the nature of the universe. Rather they are religious stories that deal with religious questions of purpose and our relationship with the Creator. In these stories we learn that there is one God who is the origin of all being, who made man and woman equal in dignity and for the same destiny of living in God's presence. In the second creation story (the Adam and Eve sequence) we come to understand that whilst human beings make mistakes, not always caring for each other and for the natural world, God does not give up but continues to care in generous love.
Taking time to wonder at the marvels of creation and appreciate this gift is important for all of us . As we transcend the everyday and feel something greater, we are in fact touching the presence of God. The psalms are ways of appreciating and wondering at creation.
To Respond Creatively to our Creator God
Faith inspired reflection on God's love and creative power revealed in creation can occur in a variety of prayer forms. For Christians there are generally four basic heart intentions for prayer. These are praise, thanksgiving, petition and repentance. The literary form of the psalms offers a model for expressing the prayer intentions of teachers and students.
The Psalms of the Old Testament provide many examples of hymns that celebrate the beauty and grandeur of creation and give praise and glory to God who is the source of all that is. The psalms are songs that were composed by temple musicians for prayer and worship and were sung on special occasions such as religious festivals, seasonal celebrations and royal coronations. The psalms are expressions of personal and community feeling and state of soul.
Student ContextPlease cater for the student context of your class in your planning of this module.
Developing the PartnershipPlease make connections between the learning in this module and parents and the wider community.
Curriculum LinksIn your planning, please make links with other Key Learning Areas.
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Planning a Quality Learning Sequence for your class
Quality religious education will be achieved only by deep thinking about where you are going and how you plan the learning journey to get there. Begin with the end in mind and then consider how you will build field to meet your goals. Remember that you cannot expect children to develop deep knowledge and understanding, unless you as teacher have deep knowledge and understanding yourself. According to the Quality Teaching Framework, quality teaching will occur when you ask yourself four questions:
What do you want the students to learn? Why does the learning matter? What are you going to get the students to do (or produce)? How well do you expect them to do it?The suggested learning sequence has been planned through such a process. However, it cannot be written with the understanding of the student context of each class and relationship to other learning that is happening in the class. It is therefore necessary for you as teacher to plan your own unit, using this module as a support. Doing so is part of your role as an “activist professional” (a teacher who actively works to improve their professionalism).
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Suggested Teaching, Learning and Assessment Experiences
These are suggested teaching and learning experiences. The essential part of teaching this module is that you, as teacher have deep knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. Reading in depth the “Background for the Teacher” and “Scripture in Context” will give you the basic understanding you need.
It is essential to use the whole module to plan your own unit. You might like to change the questions to suit your class. Your unit should be written in acknowledgement of the student context of your class. The suggested learning experiences are meant to be adapted for this purpose. You should design learning experiences for the purpose of formative and summative assessment. When designing quality learning experiences and assessments, they must address the outcomes, learning intentions and success criteria based on the enduring understandings of the module.
We are Caretakers of God’s Garden
creation God’s graciousness wonder meditation God’s Garden
discipleship environment hope universe story
psalms scripture co-operation relationship covenant
Catholic Social Teaching promise renewal Old Testament participation
psalms gift and responsibility caretakers Book of Genesis
Key Concepts
What is important for Students to Know and Doo God’s garden means all of the earth and the universeo Covenant means agreemento God made a covenant with Noah and with the people who would follow Noaho Meditation helps us to feel God’s presenceo Explore ways to be caretakers of God’s gardeno Meditate and write prayers
Enduring Understandingso Creation is a gift of our Godo God’s garden means all of the earth and the universeo We learn about God through the gifts of God’s gardenCaretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 10
o We are caretakers of God’s gardeno God made a promise to us, we must also promise to care for all of creation and people
Suggested Big Question
How and why can we be Caretakers of God’s Garden?
Suggested Essential Questions
What is God’s Garden?What does it mean to be a caretaker?Why should we be caretakers of God’s Garden?How can we be caretakers of God’s Garden?
Suggested Teaching, Learning and Assessment Experiences
How and why can we be Caretakers of God’s Garden?Introduce Big Question, How and why can we be Caretakers of God’s Garden?
Ask children to wonder about what is meant by God’s Garden and what it means to be its caretaker.
Set up a sacred space. Include elements of nature, pictures, prayer cards etc. This can be built up as the unit develops.
What is God’s Garden?
Ask children what they think of when you say the word “garden”. Collect pictures from magazines, internet, family photos of gardens. List on a retrieval chart/ electronic flip chart the characteristics of gardens ( e.g. flowers, birds, insects, trees, pot plants, sometimes ponds or pools, outdoor furniture, bar-b-ques etc). Discuss the difference between public gardens such as the Botanic Gardens and private gardens. Discuss why gardens are so important to people. How do you feel when you are in a garden? What would life be like if you could never go into a garden? How do people who live in units have time in gardens?
Ask children if they think that the gardens we know are enough to describe God’s garden. Meditate with the children so that their thoughts may be opened to the depth of understanding of what is God’s garden (Appendix 1).
After the meditation, brainstorm all the places that you can think of in God’s Garden, both out in space and in our Garden Planet, the Earth. Collect pictures and make a collage of God’s Garden or digital photos, making a Photo Story or movie. Use ipad or Tablet Apps to create eg Educreations, Show Me etc If making a movie, children might narrate what they see in God’s Garden. Discuss how through meditation we are really praying, and how prayer is important in our lives. The Australian Museum site may be helpful here. http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kids
Suggested Assessment PS S1.4bo Think about the meditation and how it helped to get us in touch with God. Write down one/ more
reason/s as to why meditating as a way of praying is good for us.
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o Now write your own prayer about the gifts of God’s garden, thanking God for these gifts in your life.
Connect to classes in other parts of the world, especially living in different environments in God’s garden. Connect children through Skype, asking students to discuss what it is like living in their particular environments. You can explore schools through the “Edublogger” website at http://theedublogger.com/want-to-connect-with-other-classrooms/
Think of the colours of our planet. Here are some suggestions for developing understanding artistically:
o Divide children into groups to artistically express elements of our planet as shown in their colours. On the artwork, discuss and add adjectives that describe that aspect of the planet.
o Each child might have a wheel, in which they artistically represent and describe the colours of the Garden Planet e.g the blue planet, the planet of seas, rivers, and sky; the green planet, the planet of trees, grasses and leaves on flowers etc.
o Make a Photo mosaic for different colours of God’s garden using http://www.mosaickr.com/.
o Make a sand picture of God’s garden at http://thisissand.com/ (also available as an App)
Tell children that some of our scriptures tell us about God’s Garden. The First Creation Story is the very first story in the Old Testament (the part of the Bible that is about the time before Jesus was born) and in fact, the very first story in the Bible in the first book called the Book of Genesis. It is not a story told by scientists about the beginning of the world, it is a story that was told by people and over time written down so that they could talk about the wonder of God. In this story we hear about different parts of God’s Garden. Tell the story using the “To Know, Worship and Love” set of pictures. Retell the story using the website, http://kids4truth.com/dyna/creation/english.aspx ( tell children that some of the words are a little different to the ones we use).
An adapted version of the First Creation Story is in Appendix 2. Cut strips and place them on the appropriate parts of the artwork. Discuss how the scripture captures the different elements of what we are calling “God’s garden”. Children might like to sing “In the Beginning” by Andrew Chinn ( “ Wherever I Go” album). This song has a picture book to match.
What does it mean to be a caretaker? Discuss the concept of being a “caretaker”. Where are there caretakers in our community? Examples are:
o Lighthouses ( e.g. at Deal Island http://www.apstas.com/Deal_Island.html )
o Gardens ( e.g. Botanic Gardens http://www.buninyong.vic.au/gardens.htm )
o Historic houses http://caretakergazette.blogspot.com/2010/11/caretaking-historic-homes-and.html
o Family stories, history, photographs, heirlooms by each person who wants to remember their family heritage
o Those who care for the sick and disabled
o Parents and caretakers of their home and family.
Record characteristics of a caretaker on retrieval or flip chart. In a second column record what children think may be characteristics of caretakers of God’s garden. If possible ask a caretaker to come in and talk to the children. Examples of characteristics:
o Respect what they are caring for
o Think about the future
o Be hopeful and positive
o Look after what they are caring for so that it will be there in the futureCaretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 12
Home School Connector: Discuss with parents/ carers how they are caretakers of their family and home. Children ask their carers if they are caretakers for any family heirlooms. If so, they can show these to their children and tell them the family story that relates to the heirlooms. As a class come up with a series of questions to ask e.g. What is it like being a caretaker of our home and family? What is good about doing this? What is hard about doing this? What do you hope will happen because you are a caretaker for us?
Ask parents/ carers if there is anyone who is a caretaker of a family heirloom who would be prepared to come in to class, show the heirloom, discuss its story and talk to the children about what it means to be a caretaker of something so precious.
Why should we be Caretakers in God’s Garden? Discuss how people are sometimes good caretakers of God’s garden and at other times not good caretakers at
all. Collect positive and negative environmental photos and place them in two columns/ posters with heading “When people are good caretakers of God’s garden”, and “When people aren’t good caretakers of God’s garden”. Recall the concept of being caretaker of precious family heirlooms. Discuss the idea that creation is something precious that we called by God to care for, so that it will still be there for future generations, just like the family heirlooms.
In groups or partners (think/pair/share) children come up with and record reasons why we should be caretakers of God’s garden. Share as a class and come up with a class list and make Paper Chains to display.
Tell children that the scriptures help us to know that we should be caretakers of God’s garden. We have already explored the First Creation story that tells us about the wonder of our Creator God. The Book of the Bible in which this story is told is the very first book, the Book of Genesis. After this story we hear about the creation of people and then how people forgot about their gifts and began to do the wrong thing. In the story of Noah, we hear that the earth was destroyed by flood because of people’s wrongdoings. This is the way that the people of ancient times used to think. They thought if people did the wrong thing then God would punish them. The important part of the Noah story is that it ends in hope with a rainbow as a symbol of hope for the future.
Recall the whole story of Noah as it is told in the Old Testament using a good children’s bible or using the interactive story at http://www.thetreasuretree.co.uk/SWFWindow.php?params=SWF/noah-Tasters
Discuss how God made a covenant with the people at the end of the Noah story. This word, “covenant” means an agreement. Record this word and place it in the sacred space or area of focus for the unit. This agreement said that God would care for people and creation and people should care for God, other people and creation. The story tells us that God placed a rainbow in the sky as a seal of this covenant. In ancient times it was important for people to seal a covenant. Often in history, written covenants were sealed with a wax seal. In the Noah story, God’s covenant was sealed with a beautiful symbol of creation, a symbol that captured all the colours of God’s garden.
Dramatise the scripture using the chorus play in Appendix 3 or using Know-it-all- Noah (Wintour, Just Imagine 2, p.14-15).
Sing “Rainbow” by Andrew Chinn (“Wherever I Go” album.)
Discuss how God’s promise through the covenant showed :
o that God is a loving and forgiving God despite the fact that people had forgotten how to live in God’s way
o that God left a beautiful sign of creation to show this promise in the rainbow
o that God’s promise calls people to live in God’s way
Write a promise to be a caretaker of God’s gift of creation. Write on a scroll. Tie with ribbon. Place in the sacred space.
Suggested Assessment S S1.5 Choose one of the two stories from the Old Testament explored here. Create a story map of the story you choose. Under the map write three key words from the story which tell us about God and creation. Then write how this story might help you to be a caretaker of creation.
How can we be Caretakers of God’s Garden?
Reflect back on retrieval chart created earlier in the unit about how people have and haven’t been good caretakers of creation. Discuss how many problems we are dealing with (forests being cut down, pollution,
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strange weather patterns, filling up tips with stuff we don’t need, waste, some people having too much whilst others have barely nothing, drought and flood, hole in the ozone layer, global warming etc). Discuss how we can be overwhelmed by all these problems and think, “Oh well, what difference will my little bit make!!!. However all the little bits will join together to make a big change if everyone contributes. It’s just like all the little wrong things we do to the environment join together to make big problems. You can demonstrate this by getting children to each pour a small cup of water into a large bowl. They can note how all their little bits of water make a full bowl of water.
The trick to being caretakers of God’s garden is to make changes to the way we live every day. Believe it or not, all those small changes will make a difference in the world. We call this “thinking globally, acting locally”. We know that governments, schools and families can make a difference by doing things like putting on solar panels, having water tanks etc but let’s focus on what you can do every day. Look at the problems in Appendix 4, get children to come up with ways that they can contribute to the solution. As a class select some of these to put into place. Send a copy home for parents so that they can begin acting at home.
Invite a speaker in to talk about being ecologically smart (local councils may be able to help).
Children design ways to monitor change e.g. weigh rubbish and re-weigh after change; check how many children have “nude food” i.e. no wrapping on lunches; recording paper used etc. Carry out monitoring and then present to Assembly/ school leadership team. Buddy up with an older class to carry out audits of school behaviour ( e.g. water / electricity wastage; use of paper, rubbish etc).
Explore environmental website for children, such as http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/index.html
Sing environmental songs. This website has suggestions available on Amazon .http://www.grinningplanet.com/6001/environmental-songs.htm
Build a native garden at school and be caretakers of this garden.
Collect environmental picture books and set up display. Students might like to create their own environmental picture books.
Discuss how the people of Old Testament times prayed to God in songs that we call psalms. The psalms were about different parts of people’s lives. Some were to say sorry for mistakes, some were to ask for help, some were to thank God, others were to tell God that people were feeling sad or worried. When the ancient people prayed, they always praised god for the gifts they had been given. Psalm 104 is one in which the people praised God for the gifts of creation. Explore the psalm, of which children will look at only a small part. Divide children into groups to illustrate different parts of the psalm. Place together to make a mural.
Prepare and celebrate a liturgy using some of the scriptures/ elements of the module
Appendix 1
Meditation on God’s Garden (play quiet relaxing music and speak in a slow, relaxed way).
Step 1 – Relaxation: If you are able, sit quietly on the floor, cross legged. If you need to sit in a chair or wheel chair just sit quietly. Close your eyes. Stretch your hands out in front of you, wriggle your fingers. Move your head from side to side and then move it gently in a circle, firstly one way and then the other.Step 2- Deep breathing: Place your hands in your lap with one hand over the other and your palms facing upwards. Begin to concentrate on your breathing. Try to breathe very slowly. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Again in through your nose and out through your mouth…in through your nose and out through your mouth…in through your nose and out through your mouth.…in through your nose and out through your mouth.Step 3- Concentration of the mind: Now concentrate on one part of your body, maybe your shoulder tip or your little finger of your right hand. Think strongly about that part of your body. Now take all your cares and worries and let them go through the part of you body you have chosen. Caretakers of God’s Garden Stage 1 Page | 14
Step 3- Guided Imagery: Today we are going on a journey through God’s garden. We don’t begin in our backyards but up in space. Out there in the darkness you are able to fly and today you won’t need suits and oxygen masks like the astronauts. As you fly through this great expanse you see stars, millions and billions of stars that are all part of God’s garden because God created them. Comets and asteroids whiz by at amazing speeds. How amazing is God’s garden. As you fly through our solar system you see the sun, but don’t go to near, it’s too hot!!! You imagine what would happen in the sun wasn’t there. We would have no life…there would be no warmth, no light, the plants wouldn’t grow. You see other planets of our Solar System, like Venus, Mars, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto, Some are very hot, some are freezing cold, but wait there’s one more. It’s bright and colourful. You can see water and green and lots of life. It’s like a garden planet. It’s our planet, Planet Earth.You zoom through the atmosphere towards Planet Earth, the Garden Planet. Today you can zoom at high speeds around this amazing place created by God. You see high mountains covered in white ice and snow, blue seas and beautiful beaches. There are trees and flowers and all sorts of animals in many different places. How amazing is our creator God. There are cities teeming with busy people. It’s not all good however, in some places forests gave been cut down and it looks like whilst some people have everything, others are every poor. You wonder if everyone has been caring for God’s Garden Planet in the way people are supposed to. Choose your favourite place on our Garden Planet and rest there for a while, take in what you see, hear, feel, touch and taste in this special place.
Step 4: Re-focus: We are going to begin leaving our special place on our Garden Planet and slowly come back to where we are today. Imagine that you are walking away from your special place. As you go, turn around so that you can see this place for one last time today in the distance. Begin to wriggle you fingers and your toes. Again move you head from side to side and then around in gentle circles. When you are ready, open your eyes and come back to the place where we are today.
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Appendix 2
God commanded, Let there be light and light appeared. Then God separated the light from the darkness, and God named the light day and the darkness night.
Then God made a dome, and it separated the water under it from the water above it. God named the dome sky.
Then God commanded, Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear and it was done. God named the land earth, and the water God named sea.
Then God commanded, Let the earth produce all kinds of plants, those that bear grain and those that bear fruit and it was done. So the earth produced all kinds of plants.
Then God commanded, Let lights appear in the sky to separate day from night, they will shine in the sky to give light to the earth. So God made the two larger lights, the sun to rule over the day and the moon to rule over the night; God also made the stars.
Then God commanded, Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds. So God created all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds.
Then God commanded, Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: home animals and wild, large and small and it was done.
Then God said, And now we will make human beings. They will have power over all the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild large and small. So God created human beings. God created them man and woman, blessed them, and said, Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food and it was done.
God looked at everything that had been made, and God was very pleased.
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Appendix 3
Chorus Play
Reader 1: After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah
Chorus: A covenant with Noah
Reader 2: And with all people who would come after him.
Chorus: After him
Reader 3: And with all living things
Chorus: All living things
Reader 4: All birds and animals
Chorus: Birds and animals
Reader 1: Everything that came out of the boat with you
Chorus: Out of the boat with you
Reader 2: With these words, I make my covenant with you
Chorus: My covenant with you
Reader 3: I promise that flood will never again destroy all the earth
Chorus: All the earth
Reader 4: I am giving a sign of my covenant with you and all living things
Chorus: All living things
Reader 1: I am putting my bow in the clouds
Chorus: In the clouds
Reader 2: Whenever the rainbow appears I will remember my promise to you
Chorus: My promise to you
Reader 3: It is a sign of promise for all living things
Reader 4: All living things
Appendix 4
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Problems How we can help
Wasting water
Wasting paper
Too much rubbish
Wasting electricity
Having too much stuff
Wasting food
Water bottles in land fill
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Appendix 5
Liturgy Outline
Liturgy Definition: “work of the people” (in this case - the children)
A liturgy to celebrate module learning usually has four parts of which these can contain all or some one of the suggestions.
Before you begin some other considerations!! Where will the liturgy be celebrated? Does not have to be celebrated in the church or the classroom. Outdoors is a possibility - weather permitting. Consider the placement of chairs and sacred space. Who to invite? (parents, staff, priest etc)
WE GATHER: Setting the scene Sacred Space (cloth, candle, Bible, icons etc) to be created in this part. Procession Hymn or songs of welcome Welcome and introduction to celebration Opening prayer
WE LISTEN: Stories From the Bible Outline of what has been learnt Multimedia presentations Dramatisation/ dialogue of story Hymns Liturgical Movement of story Stories of their life and families Related narratives (eg Dreamtime story)
WE RESPOND:Responding to the stories Hymn or songs Liturgical movement Prayers of Intercession Prayer Multimedia presentations Sharing work from module (eg artwork)
WE GO FORTH:Sending Forth Recessional hymn or songs Liturgical movement Prayer Thank you statement
Liturgy can be followed by offer of hospitalityResources
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Children’s Liturgy of
Note: The resources indicated below are recommended but not essential to assist with the teaching of this module. Please locate those available in your school and add to those below.
Teacher Delio,I; Dougalss Warner, Keith; Wood, Pamela, Care for Creation: A Franciscan spirituality of the Earth Cincinaati,
Ohio, St Anthony Messenger Press, p. 9
Ellis, Jean A. 1994. This is the Dreaming: Australian Aboriginal Legends. Blackburn: Collins Dove.
LeChance, Albert J. and Carrol, John E. (Ed). 1994. Embracing earth: Catholic approaches to ecology. Orbis Books.
O’Brien, Kate and White, Dan. 2001. The Thinking Platform. Strategies to foster Whole Brain Thinking in the Cooperative Classroom. Marayong: K.D.Publications
O’Brien, Kate, White, Dan, and Todd, Steve. Into the Deep. 2003. Marayong: KD Publications
Ryan, M and Elliot, M. 1999. Religion Quick Prints. Katoomba: Social Science Press
Ryan, M. 2003. Expressions. A Religion Series for Catholic Primary Schools. Book 1. Tuggerah: Social Science Press
Wintour, R. Just Imagine Series. Brisbane: Mountjoy Enterprises
LabOra Worship
Audio Visual Ferngully (video) 1992. USA: Twentieth Century Fox Film.
Greenhouse (video)1991. USA: Barr Films.
Once upon a forest (video) 1992. USA: Twentieth Century Fox.
Waterworks (video)1995. NSW: Dynan Production.
LiteratureSelection of environmental picture books such as “Where the Forest meets the Sea’ by Jeannie Baker
In the Beginning, 2004 Andrew Chinn Butterfly Music, Glenfield, NSW
Music In the Beginning, 2004 Andrew Chinn Butterfly Music, Glenfield, NSW Rainbow 2004 Andrew Chinn Butterfly Music, Glenfield, NSW
Search song/hymn categories for
John Burland http://www.johnburland.com/ Andrew Chinn http://www.butterflymusic.com.au/needasong.html#8 Michael Mangan http://www.litmusproductions.com/index.php/song-search.html
InternetMission and Religious Education (Lighthouse) http://missionandreligiouseducation.dbbcso.org/
Mission and Religious Education (Lighthouse) http://missionandreligiouseducation.dbbcso.org/
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http://australianmuseum.net.au/Wild-Kidshttp://theedublogger.com/want-to-connect-with-other-classrooms/
http://www.mosaickr.com/.
http://thisissand.com/
http://kids4truth.com/dyna/creation/english.aspx
http://www.apstas.com/Deal_Island.html
http://www.buninyong.vic.au/gardens.htm
http://caretakergazette.blogspot.com/2010/11/caretaking-historic-homes-and.html
http://www.thetreasuretree.co.uk/SWFWindow.php?params=SWF/noah-Tasters
http://www.childrenoftheearth.org/index.html
http://www.grinningplanet.com/6001/environmental-songs.htm
General
http://www.caritas.org.au/?gclid=CJOir6zrpb8CFcEJvAodjUwAJg
http://www.catholicmission.org.au/
http://www.vinnies.org.au/?gclid=CKXmk9Prpb8CFU8JvAodlo4ADA
http://wallwisher.com/
http://www.wordle.net/
http://www.tagxedo.com/
http://www.surveymonkey.com/home/
http://www.ning.com/
http://www.wikispaces.com/
Interactive Bible Map http://wild.biblesociety.org.au//wild/index.php
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Useful Apps
Superbook Bible App The Holy Bible Bible for kids The Pope App
Educreations PuppetPals Show Me Comic Maker
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