Primary RE Development Day

Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle

Improving RE 4-11: spirituality, creativity, inspiration, presented by Lat Blaylock, editor, RE Today

• This one day course for anyone who teaches RE in the primary school will provide 14 practical ideas for better RE lessons in which children’s own spiritual ideas and experience are valued and celebrated.

• Linking to key topics in the curriculum, the day will enable you to think through big ideas and questions, links to art, music and drama, fresh ways to learn from the Bible and from the worship of the Christian community.

•  

Where is God?

• Children reflect on the biggest belief of all in RE lessons linked to the art curriculum.

• Select your three favourites• Say why.• Hundreds of these at

www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts

Ethan is 6

In his picture, he shows his idea about searching for God: “Up in heaven there is God. All of these are planets and God made them. I am jumping up to give God a flower from the hill. God looks just like me.”

“My model is called ‘All you need is love’. Some people don’t believe in god, but they do believe in love. I am one of these people.”

Esme, 9: “God always watches us from the sky. I have mainly done the eyes of God because we don’t know what God looks like, but he sees us from above. God is always watching and sees everything, so I feel safe.”

Up There? by Morgan Boyd age 10My picture is called where is God: up there? I have done a cottage in the sky on the clouds with the sky behind it. I have written on it. It may look empty but the spirit lurks here, there and everywhere. I think God is in a cottage in the sky with a floating cottage on the clouds with the sky behind it but He is a spirit so he’s not just there but He’s everywhere. It is explaining that God is everywhere and I think God is in a cottage in the sky He is everywhere not just in one place. He is there for everyone when they need it. He is a spirit so he is everywhere.God is someone to turn to if you’re stuck and it shows just because you can’t see god it does not mean He’s not there.

Up in the SkyBy Eliot, Age 8

“My picture is about where I think God is. The balloons and kites are messages to God - like his mail, instead of a postman. This picture shows me where God is: not far away.”

Emma is 9

“My picture is called ‘God is the light’

The little girl is in darkness. She needs help, so she looks in to the candle light. I called it God is the light because when she looks into the light she is safe.”

Talking about God: What is God like? Some Christian ideas

• Tell the children that Christians believe God does lots of different things. Can they make some suggestions about what they think God does (some may say ‘nothing’)? Can the class make a list of ten or more ideas?

• Using a poem to learn what Christians think God does.• Tell the children that Christians believe God has lots of different roles. Use

the ‘kenning’ poem on the next slide to start this work. Read it to the pupils, and ask them what or who they think it is about. The poem actually has two three line stanzas each about God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, so it is a simple way to help children think about Christian ideas about God.

• Put the lines of the poem on the whiteboard or make a big copy on some cards to use in circle time.

• Ask the pupils if they can see why each line is something to do with what Christians say about God. Any lines they don’t understand? Maybe someone else in the class can explain? Maybe the teacher can?

• Ask the children to take one line (i.e. 2 words!) of the poem each, and draw a picture to show what it means. If two children do a picture for each of the lines, then a class book could be made of the results.

Who?

Time starter

Space maker

Earth shaper

Mud modeller

Garden planter

Fruit grower

Stable sleeper

Miracle maker

Eye opener

Cross carrier

Devil crusher

Grave buster

Promise keeper

Hand holder

Heart warmer

Cheerer upper

Energy booster

Life giver

God is like...

Different people have different ideas about what God is like. What are your ideas?

You are going to discover five ideas about God from Christian people. Do you think they are good

ideas?

God is like...

Different people have different ideas about what God is like. What are your ideas?

Here are five ideas from Christian people. Do you think they are good ideas?

Is God like any of these things in any way? Think carefully!

5 Christian comments about God:

“I think God is big and strong.”

“I think God can light up your life”

“I think God is puzzling and mysterious”

“I believe God is like your mum or your dad, but even better.”

“My idea is that God is always really close to us, but hard to see sometimes”

Can you choose a picture to go with each of the 5 ideas?

5 Christian comments about God: which picture?

“I think God is big and strong.”

“I think God can light up your life”

“I think God is puzzling and mysterious”

“I believe God is like your mum or your dad, but even better.”

“My idea is that God is always really close to us, but hard to see sometimes”

• Like a tree because...

• Like a torch because...

• Like mums or dads because...

• Like your shadow because...

• Like a jigsaw because...

Christians think God is...

The next 4 slides are art work from pupils who

have been thinking about God. Look and learn, then

make one of your own, using your own ideas

about God

God's FootprintsThomas Moore (5)In my picture I have painted the sky and the sun, then I added grass and flowers. Next I painted God’s footprints because although you can’t see God, I think you can see that He has been everywhere.

God Is In Me andIn My BrotherAnna WalkerAge 5Where is God? God lives in my little brother. And God lives in me.

Who Is God? Joao Age 7I think God is hope. Hope might look like a halo with lovely things around it.I have drawn the halo with the sun shining in the middle. There is rainbow light coming out around the edges. He is also Spirit and human at the same time.One of my friends said my picture looked a bit like a keyhole. That made me think that God is the key to heaven. So God is hope. He is the key to heaven.

Amazing, Fabulous GodSamuel (6)

“This is my picture of God. He is showing us that he is amazing and fabulous!”

My favourite picture is...

Because...

For pupils aged 4-7See hundreds of ‘Art in ?Heaven’

entries at

www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts

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