Unit 1.3: Worship and festivals

Explore places and objects which are special to the children

Talk about places and objects which are special to them and to others

With a partner talk about their special place, where is it? Why is it special?

Identify places that are special to groups of people, e.g. football/rugby stadium

Introduce the idea that a place of worship is special to a group of believers

What is worship?

Where can people worship? At home? At a place of worship?

What happens in a church? What happens in another place of worship?

Who goes there? Why?

Who looks after the place of worship?

Who leads worship? What do they wear? What do they do? How do they prepare for worship?

What objects do you find in a church? What objects do you find in another place of worship?

Look at photos illustrating worship at home and in other places and identify and name objects used

Interview worshippers and find out about what they do in their place of worship

Investigate the use of holy books, prayer and service books

Find out about how religious artefacts are used in places of worship and at home

Find out about any special clothes people might wear to a place of worship

Find out about festivals linked to Christianity and another religion and the part that the place of worship plays in celebrating these festivals

Visit a place of worship and look at the different parts of the church and how they are used

Recognise some rituals, cycles and patterns in the place of worship

Explore the worship building, furniture and artefacts

Listen to religious music – chanting, plainsong, hymns, organ contemporary worship songs, and discuss what it might mean to a believer

Plan questions to ask a believer about what they do in a place of worship and/or at home and why

Sequence actions that make a religious ritual

Design a ceremony for a special occasion, drawing on learning about religious ceremonies

Make a class book of prayers

Make a montage of special people associated with a place of worship, sharing information about:
 

• • roles
• • clothes
• • activities
• • reasons for going there

Reflect on the style and mood of different types of religious music

The special atmosphere in a place of worship or another sacred place

Draw, write, talk about a favourite memory of a place of worship

Talk about feelings when watching or participating in a ceremony or festival

Identify further questions which have been raised that could be answered later

If they’ve been on a virtual tour, ask what the children would like to find out on a real visit to a place of worship