Unit 1.9 Holy Places: Where and How Do Christians, Sikhs and Muslim Worship?

Sandwell SACRE RE Support Materials 2019 © RE Today

TITLE: Unit 1.9 Holy Places: where and how do Christians, Sikhs and Muslim worship?

Sikh Gurdwara Hindu Mandir YEAR GROUP: 2 Sandwell SACRE RE Syllabus: Non-statutory exemplification

Islamic Mosque Christian Church

Written for Sandwell SACRE by Lat Blaylock, RE Today

Sandwell SACRE RE Support Materials 2019 © RE Today Sandwell SACRE RE Syllabus: Non-statutory exemplification Unit 1.9: Holy places: where, how and why do Christians, Muslims and Sikhs worship? What can we learn from visiting a sacred place (Church, Gurdwara, Mandir, Mosque,) Recommended for Year Group 2

About this unit: This unit introduces children to sacred places as a space to worship God. Children are given an opportunity to discover, experience and reflect on the features and artefacts found in sacred places and the importance of special or sacred places in their own lives and those of others. A section on Hindu worship at the Mandir has been added to the unit, but its not required to teach four religions: better to do three in depth, reflecting your class’s religious profile.

The unit models a particular way of learning in RE: a phenomenological approach. By making careful observations of what happens in religion, and by describing these thoughtfully, the artefacts, buildings, shrines and worship of the tradition are revealed in increasing depth. Through this process, the learners gain knowledge and understanding of the ways of life of others, their beliefs, ideas and community life together.

The unit is unusual in asking pupils at KS1 to handle materials from three or four different religions in a single unit. This demands that teachers take care to avoid confusing children. The aim is to make space for good learning about four major religious communities in Sandwell whose followers are numbered in their of thousands. With careful, clear teaching this is not difficult. Some teachers may prefer to plan learning for only two or three of the religions concerned in greater depth. In this case, our largest populations are Sikh, Muslim and Christian – so the Hindu section may be seen as an appendix to the plan.

Where this unit fits in: This unit builds on all prior learning and enables children to visualise the concept of a sacred place, what it means to them and to others. This unit explores virtual tours of sacred places, however where possible it is suggested that children are given the opportunity to visiting these sacred places for themselves allowing them to engage all their senses through a first hand experience. The unit provides an important way of enabling children to see religious diversity clearly: if it is well taught, then teaching will refer back to it in many future units of RE.

KEY STRANDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT • Knowledge and understanding of religious practices and lifestyles • Knowledge and understanding of ways of expressing meaning • Skill of asking and responding to questions of identity and diversity • Skill of asking and responding to questions of values and commitments.

ATTITUDES FOCUS: • Self-awareness: Developing a realistic and positive sense of their own religious and spiritual ideas. • Respect for all: Being sensitive to the feelings and ideas of others. • Open-mindedness: Being willing to learn and gain new understanding about people different to themselves. • Appreciation and wonder: Developing their imagination and curiosity.

Estimated teaching time for this unit: At least 8 hours. It is recognised that this unit may provide more teaching ideas than a class will cover in 8 hours. Teachers are invited to plan their own use of some of the learning ideas below, ensuring depth of learning rather than covering everything. 2

Sandwell SACRE RE Support Materials 2019 © RE Today

The unit will provide these opportunities: ▪ Pupils have opportunities to consider the concept of diversity: different people worship in different ways ▪ From the study of different religions, children develop their awareness of diversity about special places and what makes a place holy.

Background information for the teacher: ▪ In Muslim religion, a Mosque or masjid is a place to prostrate, to bow and submit to Allah, to God – a place of prayer. A Muslim may choose to pray at the Mosque, and Friday prayers are usually the biggest occasion for communal prayer. The 5 daily prayers can be made anywhere, and a prayer mat, facing in the direction of Makkah, is a clean place from which to pray. ▪ Christian holy places include many kinds of Church and chapel, where believers worship together. Any place can be suitable for prayer, but there are different beliefs and understandings about ‘holy ground’ in different Christian communities. ▪ In Sikh traditions, the langar makes a holy place in which all humanity can eat equally, proclaiming the Sikh belief in the value of every person. A Gurdwara, the ‘house of the guru’ is a building where the Guru Granth Sahib, treated as a living guru in the community, is in residence. So the symbolism includes a bedroom for the Guru for example. ▪ Hindu worship is often in the home, among the family, so this unit suggest children learn about home shrines as special places. There are several Mandirs in Sandwell. The gods and goddesses of Hindu dharma are many: often, a shrine in the home will have a murti (image) of one of the gods or goddesses. Home worship may include singing and prayer by one or more family members.

Vocabulary Resources Teach pupils Web: these two ▪ The BBC’s clip bank is a major source for short RE films that can be accessed online and shown words as ‘a free: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips Look for ‘Religions of the World’ for stories and religious kind ‘My Life My Religion’ for worship clips. All the religions in this unit are covered. ▪ of special’: The BBC also offers lots of information and material on its main religion site: www.bbc.co.uk/religion • Holy ▪ The best gateway for RE sites is: www.reonline.org.uk/ks1 • Sacred ▪ You can find and use searchable sacred texts from many religions at: www.ishwar.com ▪ Good quality information and learning ideas on Christianity: www.request.org.uk/infants/ Pupils will also ▪ There is some more TV material at: www.channel4.com/learning learn to use ▪ The site for Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online has many useful and well thought out words like resources for this unit of work: www.cleo.net.uk these: ▪ The websites of REToday and NATRE are useful places for pupils and teachers to see examples Muslim, of work. www.retoday.org.uk and www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts ▪ Mosque, www.topicbox.co.uk/re (Information about Hinduism) ▪ www.Mandir.org/photogallery is a good start for pictures of Hindu worship. Christian, ▪ www.request.org.uk/infants (Milestones in Family Life – a video loop on Baptism Church ▪ www.dottieandbuzz.co.uk/prog3/index.html (video clips on many Christian topics) Hindu, Mandir, Virtual Tours: Sikh, • Islam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWi7plHFJI8 Gurdwara • Christianity: www.eduChurch.co.uk Shrine • Hindu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-s0mN5P8jo God • Sikh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R98e03In6c Worship • For further links visit www.reonline.org.uk (select juniors on right side of web page and click on Devotion tours) • DVD ‘Worship’ produced by REonline is a useful tool to explore places of worship. The films include visits to places of worship in the UK to hear what believers say about their faith and the importance of worship. (www.reonline.org.uk)

Sandwell SACRE RE Support Materials 2019 © RE Today Pupils will also Print resources use the names • Say Hello To... and ‘Share a story with…’ (RE Today). These two sets of 6 interactive whiteboard of a selection flashbooks and accompanying resources can be networked to the schools computers. One on of artefacts each of the four religions featured here makes it a useful pack around which the whole unit can found in be built. • What happens in…’ RE Today, 2018, is a popular pack of cutaway drawings on large cards with sacred places. whiteboard additional files showing 6 different places of worship. www.retoday.org.uk/shop. • Developing Primary RE: Special Places, Worship, ed. Joyce Mackley, from RE today • My Hindu Life (Everyday Religion) Dilip Kadodwala & Sharon Chhapi • Hindu Mandir (Where We Worship) Angela Wood • The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe written by C S Lewis. Read the ‘wardrobe scene’ and consider the special place the children find there. Magic! • My Muslim Faith big book, My Christian Faith big book, Evans publishing • Religion in Evidence supply a range of books and artefacts from each faith. (www.tts- shopping.com) • Channel 4 Water, Moon, Candle, Tree & Sword (for Christian and Hinduism) RE for 5-7 year olds (the Teachers’ Guide is particular useful for background information) • DVD plus packs (BBC shop) including places of worship and world faiths. • Soundhealth supply a range of music designed to enhance specific activities (relaxation, thinking, calmness) visit www.abtmusic.com Contributions to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. The unit enables pupils to develop: • Spiritually by learning about and reflecting on the ideas of ‘specialness’ and ‘holiness’ for themselves • Culturally by encountering people and resources from differing cultures.

EXPECTATIONS At the end of this unit most pupils will be able to: Make sense of belief: • Recognise that there are special places where people go to worship, and talk about what people do there • Identify at least three objects used in worship in two different religions and give a simple account of how they are used and something about what they mean • Identify a belief about worship and a belief about God, connecting these beliefs simply to a place of worship Understand the impact: • Give examples of stories, objects, symbols and actions used in Churches, Mosques, Gurdwaras and Mandirs which show what people believe • Give simple examples of how people worship at a Church, Mosque or Gurdwara and Mandir • Talk about why some people like to belong to a sacred building or a community. Make connections: • Think, talk and ask good questions about what happens in a Church, Gurdwara, Mandir or Mosque, saying what they think about these questions, giving good reasons for their ideas • Talk about what makes some places special to people, and what the difference is between religious and non-religious special places.

Sandwell SACRE RE Support Materials 2019 © RE Today ASSESSMENT SUGGESTIONS A formal assessment of each pupils is neither required nor desirable for every RE unit. Continuing use of assessment for learning methods is best. Teachers can assess this work by setting a learning task towards the end of the unit. The task aims to elicit engaged and reflective responses to the material studied throughout the unit across the ability range. Choose one or perhaps two of the religions as a focus. Give the children a large (A3) keyhole template and ask the children to look through the keyhole into the sacred place and draw and label what they expect to see. Talk about the completed keyholes in circle time asking children to identify and describe what they have illustrated and labelled and why. Give the pupils the chance to add detail, keywords, emotions and more information to their work.

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Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. stage outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: Where do you feel safe? What is a holy or sacred place? these outcomes, as appropriate to • Throughout this unit, make connections with pupils’ prior learning from earlier in the year: how do places of worship connect with what they their age and stage, so that they can: have learned about different religions? Make sense of belief: Sacred and holy places: find out! • Recognise that there are special • Talk about how the words ‘sacred’ and ‘holy’ are used; what makes some places and things special, sacred or holy; consider what things and places where people go to places are special to pupils and their families, and why. Do they have any things that are holy and sacred? worship, and talk about what Safe and special places people do there • Share a picture of a place that is special for you with the class (a holiday destination, a house, a place for a day out, a historical house etc). Ask • Identify a belief about worship the children to consider why this place might be special to them. Is it just the place or the things within the place? What happens there? and a belief about God, • Ask the children to draw a picture of the place that is special to them and colour/paint it. More able children should write a sentence about connecting these beliefs simply what they have drawn and why it is special to them. Most children should write key words about their place which can be displayed around to a place of worship their pictures, less able children should talk about their pictures with teaching assistant or teacher and adult to scribe their ideas. Understand the impact: • Bring the class back together and children to present their ideas and writing. Why are all these places special? Is it the place that is special or the • Give simple examples of how things that are there? Collate the children’s pictures and ideas into a whole class book. Explain to the children that because these places are safe people worship at a Church, they are also special. Can the children think of any spaces that are special to other people? Where is a special place for believers to go? Mosque or Gurdwara and • Talk to the children about places in their community that might be special to other people and show them local photographs (school, library, Mandir swimming pool, gym, doctors surgery, hospital). Have the children ever been to any of these places? What was good about them? • Talk about why some people like • Ask the children to consider if there are other places in their community that are special to others. Show the children a picture of a local Church, to belong to a sacred building or Mosque, Gurdwara and Mandir. Do they recognise these places? Why might they be important to people? a community. • Split the children into small mixed ability groups (with an adult if possible). Give each group a picture of a Mosque OR Church OR Gurdwara or Make connections: Mandir. Ask the children to work in groups to look at the picture and think carefully about what the place might be and why it might be • Think, talk and ask good important to a group of people (more able pupils might like to write key words on post it notes or paper). questions about what happens • Bring the children back together and ask one child from each group to feedback what has been discussed. Explain to the children that these are in a Church, Gurdwara and all places of worship and are more than special for a group of children and adults called believers. These places would be called sacred or holy. Mandir or Mosque, saying what What might that mean? they think about these Checking the learning questions, giving good reasons • Put four large hoops out in the middle of the carpet space. Ask the children to put one photo in each hoop. Show the children some artefacts for their ideas or photos that might be found in each of these places of worship. As a class discuss what each artefact is and place it into the correct hoop. • Talk about what makes some Photograph for the children/topic books. This is fun if the children guess which hoop they go in by putting a toe at the edge of the hoop. places special to people, and • Put a big question mark on the whiteboard and explain that you want the children to think really carefully about a big question. Explain that the what the difference is between big question for today is ‘Why are these places sacred or holy for believers?’ Give the children time to think carefully without sharing their ideas. religious and non-religious Then explain they are going to tell their partner what they think but that they will have to feedback their partner’s response to the rest of the class so they will need to listen really carefully. special places. • Children to feedback ideas and TA to record responses to put in a class ‘Big Questions Book’. Notes: Post it notes could be used to note down the children’s responses to other children’s safe spaces. These could be placed in the class book and used as an assessment point for the children’s reflection points. Note ideas about what might make a place sacred or holy in the class book. You may only be studying two of the four religions in this unit of work. Choose activities to reflect the religions you are teaching about.

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Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. stage outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: What can we learn about churches, Christian sacred spaces? these outcomes, as appropriate to Visit a Church their age and stage, so that they can: • Arrange a trip to go to a local Church. Encourage children to look around the Church, explain that they are on a clue finding mission to see if they Make sense of belief: can find things to show that the Church is important and sacred to believers. Give the children digital cameras and encourage them to photograph • Identify at least three objects clues to share when they get back to the classroom. On return to school, download the photos and put them into a PowerPoint display alongside used in Christian worship and reasons from the children as to why these photos show the Church is important/sacred to the believer. Are all the photos the same? If not, why give a simple account of how not? they are used and something • Show the children photographs of key areas of the Church and artefacts, look at these and ask them to consider why they might be important for about what they mean believers. Examples may include altar, cross or crucifix, Lord’s Table, bread, wine, bible, font, lectern, candles, symbol of light. Depending on the • Identify a belief about worship denomination of Church you are in look at specific features of that Church e.g. Baptist Church- Baptistery, Catholic Church and some Anglican and a belief about God, Churches- stations of the cross. Look carefully at the noticeboard or magazine or website and find out all the different activities happening. connecting these beliefs simply Expressing their learning • Ask the pupils to work in groups to create a 4 piece jigsaw for one or two of the artefacts. One piece should show the artefact e.g. a picture of the to a Christian church cup of wine, another piece should have the name of the artefact e.g. cup of wine or chalice of wine, the next piece should show the artefact in use Understand the impact: e.g. the priest giving wine at communion and the final piece should have a sentence explaining why the artefact is important e.g. the wine reminds • Give examples of stories, people that Jesus died. objects, symbols and actions Questions used in Churches which show • Talk to the children about questions they might ask a believer about why a Church is important to them. Ask them to use the question starters: what people believe why, where and when. In smaller groups (with adult support) ask the children to carefully consider questions that they might ask of a believer. • Give simple examples of how Ask the children to bring their suggestions back to the carpet and as a class shortlist the best questions. Remind the children that they need to people worship at a Church consider which questions will give them the most information if they are answered. • Talk about why some people like • If possible invite in a Christian to talk to the class. Begin the visit by showing your jigsaws to the visitor. If this is not possible send the questions the to belong to a sacred building or children have created to a Christian to respond to. Ask the visitor to share why their Church is important and perhaps holy or sacred to them and a community. their Church family. Encourage the children to ask their short listed questions and video record the process using an ipad or recording device. Make connections • After the visit, watch the video back with the children, what did they learn about the place of worship? Was it the artefacts found within the • Think, talk and ask good Church that made it important or sacred for believers or was it something else? questions about what happens • As a class create a mindmap or wordle of words explaining why the Church is important and sacred for believers. in a Church saying what they Time for reflection think about these questions, • Draw a big question mark on the whiteboard and remind the children that this is their big thinking time. Tell them that today you would like them giving good reasons for their to think about the following question…’Is a Church still important and sacred to someone who is not a Christian?’. Give the children time to think ideas carefully about their responses. Encourage the children you think yes to sit on one side of the class and the children who think no on the other. Explain to the children that there is no right or wrong but that you just want them to share their thoughts in a safe space. Children to share their ideas in a mini debate style session and TA to record some responses on post it notes to out in a whole class ‘Big Questions Book’. Notes: Virtual visits and the opportunity to email a believer can be found on RE Online www.reonline.org.uk . There are also films of different Churches on www.request.org.uk

Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key stage outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: Which place of worship is sacred for Muslims? What can we learn about mosques? these outcomes, as appropriate to • Use the idea of community: a group of people, who look after each other and do things together. Are holy buildings for God or for a their age and stage, so that they can: community or both? Talk about other community buildings, and what makes religious buildings different from, say, a library, museum or Make sense of belief: school. • Recognise that there are special • Show the children pictures of a custom built Mosque and a house that has been converted into a Mosque, do they know who this place of Islamic places where people go worship is sacred to? Give the children photographs (one between two) of the Mosque. Encourage them to look carefully at the picture to worship, and talk about what and talk to their friend about how they would feel if they were able to visit if. What might it be like to walk inside? How might it feel? people do there What might they expect to see • Identify at least three objects Visiting the Mosque: Ideally you will take your pupils on a visit to the Mosque but if you are unable to do that the activities will help replace used in Muslim worship and give the visit. Many of you will be able to go on a Mosque visit, use the activities below to guide your focus. a simple account of how they are • Explain to the children that today they are going to be finding out about key areas of the Mosque. Take the children outside the classroom used and what they mean and explain that when Muslims enter the Mosque they remove their shoes. Tell the children we are going to find out what this feels like, Understand the impact: everyone to remove their shoes and leave them neatly at the classroom door. Why do the children think Muslims do this? Explain to the • Give examples of stories, children that woman also cover their heads when they enter the Mosque, what might they use to do this? Why might they choose to do objects, symbols and actions this? How does it make them feel? used in Mosques which show • Children to walk into the classroom with the teacher and look at images from around the Mosque. Have photographs of the following what people believe images wuzu / wudu area (washing area), calligraphy, prayer mat, prayer beads, minbar, mihrab, muezzin (person who does the call to • Give simple examples of how prayer) people worship at a Mosque • Talk to the children about the key places in the Mosque (if possible show images or take them on a virtual tour using the IWB). Explain that • Talk about why some people like the minaret is where the call to prayer takes place from, why do they think this might be important for believers? Play the children a to belong to a sacred building or recording of the call to prayer, how would they feel if they were a believer? Explain to the children that the call is very loud so that a community. everyone can hear. Make connections: • Show the children some prayer mats, explain that in a Mosque all the prayer mats face east, why might this be? Point out where the • Think, talk and ask good mihrab is, do the children know what this is? How might they find out? questions about what happens • Look at the different areas for men and woman to pray, split the children into two groups (boys and girls). How does it feel to be separate? in a Mosque, saying what they Why might this happen in a Mosque? Children could make a paper / lego / card Mosque and talk about the key areas with a partner. think about these questions, Time for reflection giving good reasons for their • Draw a big question mark on the whiteboard and remind the children that this is their big thinking time. Tell them that today you would ideas like them to think about the following question…’why do you think the Mosque is so important to Muslims?’. Give the children time to think carefully about their responses. Children to share their ideas and record some responses on post it notes to out in a whole class ‘Big Questions Book’. Notes: Opening up RE Islam has a mini model Mosque to make from card. RE Ideas sacred places has a colour cutaway picture of a Mosque. RE Ideas Expressive arts has an activity to make a team model Mosque in the classroom. All these publications are from RE Today. www.reonline.org.uk has links to a virtual Mosque visit.

Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. stage outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: what makes the Gurdwara a special place for Sikhs? these outcomes, as appropriate to • Pupils will find out about Sikhs as one of Sandwell’s religious communities, that a Gurdwara is a sacred place for Sikh people, their age and stage, so that they can: about some of the important features of the Gurdwara and about what a Gurdwara feels like and looks like. Make sense of belief: • They will consider why Sikhs welcome everyone to eat at the langar kitchen. It’s good to start this work with some shared food. • Recognise that there are special Perhaps the class can cook some food together and share it, or go on a walking tour of the school kitchen, and think about all the places where people go to people who work hard to prepare and provide school dinners. Remind pupils what places are special for Muslims and Christians. worship, and talk about what Talk about what you find in both buildings. Introduce pupils to learning about the Sikh holy building, the Gurdwara: it has to have people do there a kitchen – and a bedroom. • Identify at least three objects • used in Sikh worship and give a Listen to some music from Sikh singers. You might search YouTube for Sikh raagas. Ask children to listen carefully: what feelings simple account of how they are and emotions go with this music? Ask how the music makes us feel? Is it joyful? Peaceful? Calming? Different? Energising? used and something about what • Visit a virtual tour of a Gurdwara. Look outside the Gurdwara: are there domes? Symbols? A flag? Go inside; focus on the place give they mean to the Guru Granth Sahib. What kind of book might be given such special treatment? It is treated as living Guru, not merely a book! Understand the impact: Discuss with the children how the Sikh people will attend services (not necessarily daily) and listen to a reading from the Guru • Give examples of objects, Granth Sahib. symbols and actions used in • Teach pupils about the langar, and the principle for sharing food there: everyone eats together. No one is excluded unless they Gurdwaras which show what refuse to be ‘on the level’ with everyone else who is present. Could it be seen as a kind of family, everyone helps each other and people believe looks after the Gurdwara? • Give simple examples of how • Children can make a labelled diagram of the inside and outside of a Gurdwara – photos on the whiteboard are good for this. people worship at a Gurdwara Recognise that a Gurdwara is a sacred place for Sikhs. Can the children: Respond simply to the worship of Sikhs in music and with • Talk about why some people like words? Talk about what we might see in a Gurdwara and the langar? Use correct vocabulary to recall the meanings of some Sikh to belong to a sacred building or artefacts? Suggest simply why people might like to go to the Gurdwara? Suggest what makes Gurdwara a special place for Sikhs? a community. Talk about why people would volunteer to serve free food in the langar, responding sensitively to ideas about the holiness of a Make connections: place? • Think, talk and ask good • A useful thinking task considers what matters most at a gurdwara: can pupils rank these, and say why some are so important? Put questions about what happens the nine items of flashcards and move them around in different ways to discuss what is most important (add pictures if possible). in a Gurdwara saying what they think about these questions, Shoe racks? A bedroom? Musical instruments? giving good reasons for their The Guru Granth Sahib? The people? The langar kitchen? ideas Orange flag (Nishan Sahib) A welcome to everyone? Something else? • This sorting and discussion task can easily be used for assessment and for writing as appropriate: ‘Say why you chose the three most important things in the Gurdwara’, for example.

Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key stage outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: Where do Hindu people worship? Is the home or the mandir more important? these outcomes, as appropriate to This work encourages pupils to know about some of the things Hindus do within their families, to find out about some Hindu their age and stage, so that they can: artefacts that might be found in a home shrine and to think about how Hindu people thank the gods and goddesses in their home Make sense of belief: worship. • Identify at least three objects used What is it like to have a shrine at home for family worship? in Hindu worship giving a simple • Find out from the children what they already know about Hindus through discussion. account of how they are used and • something about what they mean Talk about the fact that Hindus believe there is one God, but that God has many forms. A Hindu chooses one or more of these • Identify a belief about worship and forms, called gods and goddesses, to worship. a belief about God, connecting • Look at pictures of some of the gods and goddesses. If appropriate, collage some examples of these murtis (images) these beliefs simply to a place of • Watch BBC Faith Stories to develop children’s knowledge of Hinduism. worship Saying thank you in Hindu worship: How and why? Understand the impact: • Explore the importance of saying thank you with the children. Can they think of five times in the day when it is good to say • Give examples of stories, objects, thank you? Talk about who we thank – and that some people thank gods and goddesses for life, food, love and friendship and symbols and actions used in many other things Mandirs which show what people • Teach pupils about the idea that worship id a kind of ‘thank you’. Show them – using artefacts for a demonstration if you can – believe how Hindu families might worship at home. • Give simple examples of how • Talk about the different ways people think of God: Muslims have 99 names for Allah, Christians see God in Jesus. Hindus have people worship at a Mandir many murtis or statues for the different forms of the divine. • Talk about why some people like Hindu worship at home and Mandir: similar and different to belong to a sacred building or a • Teach pupils that many religious people worship in a special place, but it is also possible to make an ‘ordinary space’ special or community. holy – a part of the home for example. A good way to do this is with two whiteboard photos, one of worship at home and one Make connections: of worship in the Mandir. What is the same? What is different? A thinking strategy like ‘double bubble’ will help children to sort • Think, talk and ask good questions out ideas about this, and identify some features of Hindu life. about what happens in a mandir • saying what they think about Find out how the place of worship is used and talk to Hindu people if possible about how and why it is important in their lives. these questions, giving good Look carefully at objects found and used in a sacred building, drawing them carefully and adding labels, lists and captions. Talk about different objects with other learners. reasons for their ideas • Give children the opportunity to label a diagram of a Hindu shrine with some words from a list. Include on the list: butter lamp / incense stick / image of god / image of goddess / bell / gift of fruit / Aum symbol / other items. Then ask pupils what feelings worship includes. Answers might include peace / calm / awe / wonder / sorrow / love / many more. Can these be stuck onto the picture too, or are they a different kind of label? • Consider together: is it more important for Hindus to worship at home, or at the temple? Can the class suggest several reasons to go on both sides of this discussion? The answer in the end is ‘it depends on the person!’

Learning outcomes (intended to Ideas and some content for learning: Teachers can select content from these examples, and add more of their own to enable pupils to achieve the enable pupils to achieve end of key outcomes. Some schools will work from two religions in this unit, others from all three. stage outcomes) : Teachers will enable pupils to achieve Key question for this lesson: How are places of worship similar and different? these outcomes, as appropriate to • Recap with the children over the last few sessions. Put four hoops (3 if you used just three places of worship) out in the middle of their age and stage, so that they can: the carpet space and label each (Church, Gurdwara, Mandir, Mosque). As a class talk about each place of worship in turn and ask Make sense of belief: the children to write down (less able children to have TA as a scribe) something they remember about the place of worship. Place • Identify at least three objects each slip of paper in the correct hoop. Are any the same? Different? Can the children explain why? used in worship in two religions • Show the children photos of the inside and outside of the places of worship. Encourage the children to go on a symbol hunt with and give a simple account of how they are used and the photos, ask them to find key symbols and part them with a circle. Bring the class back together and talk about the key something about what they symbols. Are they the same? Are they different? Why? Discuss the key symbols and why they are important to believers. mean • Give the children a net of a cube. Within each face ask the children to draw one symbol from one of the places of worship and Understand the impact: write the name of the religion that it’s important to next to their pictures. Next give the children slips of paper that will eventually • Give simple examples of how go inside the cube. Ask each pupil to write about a sentence about how people worship. Give the pupils a sentence starter people worship at a Church, ……….use ……..to worship. They use is to……… Mosque or Gurdwara and • If they have focussed on 3 places of worship ask them to write three sentences. For pupils who are unable to write ask them to Mandir record their sentences on talking postcards and place them next to their cubes for the next activity • Talk about why some people like • Encourage the children to walk around the classroom and look at their classmate’s cubes. What do they notice? Can they give to belong to a sacred building or any other information about why these symbols are important for believers? a community. Time for reflection Make connections: • Draw a big question mark on the whiteboard and remind the children that this is their big thinking time. Tell them that today you • Talk about what makes some would like them to think about the following question…’which symbol is the most important?’. Give the children time to think places special to people, and carefully about their responses. Children to share their ideas and record some responses on post it notes to out in a whole class what the difference is between ‘Big Questions Book’. Why are places of worship important to our community? (There are many different reasons) religious and non-religious • Talk to the children about their visit earlier in the unit to the local Church. What was it like to be there? Did they notice any special places. community events that went on in the Church? Look as a class at the Church’s website, are there any community groups or social events that take place there? Why might they be special to believers? Remind the children about the Church being the centre of the Christian community. Talk as a class about why it might be helpful for Christians to meet and spend time together. • Remind the pupils of the visit to the local or classroom Mosque. Watch a virtual visit to a Mosque. Show the film and ask the pupils to draw or write on their whiteboards who uses the Mosque and pictures of what people do in the Mosque. Focus on the schools, community groups, madrasssah etc that meet within the Mosque. Explain to the children that it’s not just believers that meet here. Why might the Mosque be important to the local community? • Talk to the children about the Mosque and the Church and the role that they play within the local community. Why are they important? Why do people feel it’s important to meet together? Community poster • Arrange pupils into groups to make a large poster for the Church or Mosque or Gurdwara and Mandir to go outside the building to show people walking past what goes on inside. Time for reflection 11

• Draw a big question mark on the whiteboard and remind the children that this is their big thinking time. Tell them that today you would like them to think about the following question…’why are places of worship important to the local community?’. Give the children time to think carefully about their responses. Children to share their ideas and record some responses on post it notes to out in a whole class ‘Big Questions Book’. • Notice some similarities and differences between places of worship and how they are used, talking about why people go there: to be friendly, to be thoughtful, to find peace, to feel close to God, to learn, etc. • Use the idea of community: a group of people, who look after each other and do things together. Are holy buildings for God or for a community or both? Talk about other community buildings, and what makes religious buildings different from, say, a library, museum or school. Learn and use the word sacred, meaning ‘a religious kind of special’.