Parable Posters Use Your Imagination! You will need : Pupils can use what they Bibles (to look up reference); have learned about Slips of paper with Scripture references (1 per group); R.E. Ideas fables and parables to Poster paper (1 sheet per group); try and create their own. colouring pencils, markers, crayons. Summer Term 2009 Key idea to remember : Instructions : Samantha Richards. St. Joseph’s RC Comprehensive, Port Talbot. Both fables and parables Divide class into groups of three or four. are stories with a Assign each group a scripture reference referring to one of the meaning (often a moral Story Telling parables. Tell the groups they should not reveal their reference to message). any other groups! We can all tell stories – some are true, some are made up for fun.

Have each group identify the symbol used in its parable (a mustard Stories help us to cope with a lot of the feelings and problems that we may seed, a pearl, and so on) and create a poster using that symbol. Chinese Whispers experience. Often we remember stories all our lives. Each group should display their poster and the class should try and You may want to play a We can learn lessons through stories, and find out many important things. guess what the key symbol is. You may then wish to read and game of Chinese discuss the meaning of the parable as a class. Whispers to demonstrate In this issue we will look at different types of stories – fables and parables. to pupils that stories Possible parables : Matthew, 13:31-32 (The Mustard Seed); often get changed when Matthew, 13:33 (The Yeast); being passed on today. Recognising Stories Matthew, 13:44 (The Treasure); Q. Can you think of any famous children’s stories? Matthew, 13:45 (the Pearl). This was not the case in Task – This could be a Think! Pair! Share! activity. Jesus’ day and before – Individually, pupils are to start making a list of as many stories as they can think of. stories were told and re- told very accurately. Pupils are then to pair up – share their lists with each other and add how many they have between them (the same story cannot be used twice!) This is probably why Pupils then share their lists with the class and see which pair had the most. fables and parables are short stories with simple Here are some ideas in case they get stuck: key themes, ideas and characters – they are Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Alice in Wonderland, The easily remembered. Wizard of Oz, The Wind in the Willows, Beauty and the Beast, Dick Whittington, Sleeping Beauty, The Three Little Pigs, and so on.

© REMW 2009

How many did they count?

Explain to pupils that stories are part of our everyday lives, in school, on tv, etc.

4 1 Different Types of Stories Different Types of Stories

What are Fables? What are Parables? Fables are short stories which illustrate a particular moral and teach a lesson to Parables are stories with a meaning. Very often the meaning is teaching a moral or a children. The theme and characters appeal to children and the stories are often lesson to listeners. Jesus often taught His disciples and the crowds of people that humorous and entertaining. Fables often pass into our culture as myths and legends. He spoke to by telling parables.

Jesus told them another parable: . . . The characters of fables and tales Aesop’s famous fables and scripts provide great are usually animals who act and entertainment for children. The fables, or stories, are "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man all very short so keep the attention of children and talk just like people whilst took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of retaining their animal traits. Aesop's fables feature familiar animals loved by children. On of the most famous is ‘The Hare and the all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden Tortoise’. plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air The Hare and the Tortoise An Aesop's Fable come and perch in its branches." (Matthew, 13:31-32) The Hare was once boasting of his Let’s Get Busy! The Meaning of the Parable speed before the other animals. "I Let’s Get Creative! have never yet been beaten," said Ask pupils if they have ever seen a Go to : http://www.animatedaesopsfables.com Make your own bookmark. he, "when I put forth my full speed. mustard seed? (if possible, have one to show them). The mustard seed is the You will need : I challenge any one here to race with Click to enter and then select ‘Read the Story’. There smallest of all seeds. It is so small that coloured card; me." are lots of fables for pupils to read on these pages. pencil; The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept if you were holding one in your hand and you dropped it you would have a very colouring pencils; your challenge." Some possible activities for use with the fables : glue stick; "That is a good joke," said the Hare; hard time finding it because it is so hard to see. Even though the mustard seed is mustard seeds; "I could dance round you all the *Choose one of the fables. Create a slide show so small when it is planted in the ground, clear sticky back plastic; way." of that fable in Power Point or some other it grows into a tree large enough for Bible (to look up reference); "Keep your boasting till you've graphics program. hole punch; beaten," answered the Tortoise. birds to stand on its branches and to make their nests in it. ribbon. "Shall we race?" * Retell one of the fables in a book of your own Instructions : So a course was fixed and a start creation with illustrations. Draw your design on to the coloured card. When was made. The Hare darted almost you are happy, cut out your bookmark. out of sight at once, but soon * Create a crossword puzzle of the fable words Glue on the mustard seeds. stopped and, to show his contempt from the Fables you have read. Write out the scripture verse (Mt. 13:31). for the Tortoise, lay down to have a Decorate and colour your bookmark. nap. The Tortoise plodded on and *Create a fable of your own with animals not Cover your bookmark with sticky back plastic to plodded on, and when the Hare mentioned in these fables. Make sure there is a seal the seeds on it. awoke from his nap, he saw the lesson or moral to the story. Punch a hole at the top and thread through some Tortoise just near the winning-post When you look at this little mustard ribbon. and could not run up in time to save * In fables, animals take on human traits or seed before planting it in the ground, the race. Then said the Tortoise: characteristics. Make a collage of different you might think it would be impossible animals and label human traits that you think Did You Know? “Plodding wins the race.” for a seed so tiny to grow into a tree. each animal might represent. Mustard Seed comes from two large shrubs, Brassica When Jesus told this parable He juncea (brown mustard) and Brassica hirta (white compared it to loving God. When mustard), native to Asia. Both plants produce bright * Make up your own set of questions for one of children or adults begin to love Jesus, yellow flowers that contain small round seeds; brown the fables. their love is like a tiny mustard seed mustard is more pungent than white. before it is planted in the ground. It starts out very small at first. Then Explain how God’s word is like a tiny seed planted. when you keep on listening to what Jesus His Word is "planted" in our hearts and minds and says and obeying Him, then the love grows when you think and understand and learn grows bigger and bigger. Soon it will about Him. You can "plant" more seeds when you grow like the big mustard tree. share His Love with others. 2 3