Christingle in the Classroom Within this resource you will find 2 lessons plans, one for Key Stage 1 (KS1) and one for Key Stage 2 (KS2) as well as additional teaching suggestions, which can be adapted for both KS1 and KS2.

Contents Key Stage 1 Lesson Plan – page 2

Key Stage 2 Lesson Plan – page 5

Additional teaching suggestions – page 8

Key Stage 2 – writing framework sheet – page 11

Key Stage 1 worksheet – page 12

Christingle shape template – page 13

Key Stage 1 Lesson Plan Curriculum links The following lesson plans can support your learning in the following areas of RE: Learning about religion:

⇒ helping children explore and communicate religious stories, symbolism, celebrations and worship.

⇒ identify and suggest meanings for religious symbols and begin to use a range of religious words.

Learning from religion:

⇒ helping children explore religious experiences and concepts, respond imaginatively, reflect and discuss ideas

Many of the activities provide an opportunity for cross-curricular learning in English, History, RE, Art, Science, PSHE and Maths Useful links: www.christingle.org www.teachers-direct.co.uk/resources/wordsearches Learning objectives

⇒ To discover what a Christingle is ⇒ To understand what the different parts of the Christingle

represent ⇒ To reflect on the Christmas story and it’s meaning for

Christians You will need:

• Images of common signs and symbols, including an image of a Christingle

• A Christingle or giant Christingle • A version of the Christmas story • Felt Christingle shapes cut from supplied template (page

13) • Oranges, ribbon, cocktail sticks, fruit, sweets and candles

to make Christingles • Words and music to ‘Hope of Heaven’

(www.christingle.org) • Copies of the KS1 worksheet which can be found at the

back of this booklet (page 12) Activity 1 – sign or symbol?

Display images from the Internet of examples of signs and symbols that the children may be familiar with – road signs, street names, washing symbols, musical notes, etc. Ask the children what these mean? What are they for/what do they do? Can they think of other signs? Could they draw a sign on the board? Ask the pupils what they think is the difference between a sign and a symbol. A sign indicates something or shows us some information. A symbol is representative of something else. Go through your images again with the children and discuss which are signs and which are symbols. Are any of them both? Show a picture of a Christingle (one can be found at www.christingle.org) and discuss what it might be. Is it a sign or a symbol? Show the class a Christingle you have prepared or a giant Christingle (see www.christingle.org for instructions) and tell the children about when and where Christingle services take place. Take your Christingle apart and explain the meaning of each element. Ask the children what they think about the Christingle. It is a good symbol? Why or why not? Activity 2 – The Christmas story Read a child-friendly version of the Christmas story. Some story ideas can be downloaded from the ‘Children and Youth Resources’ page of the Christingle website. Ask them to think about where light and dark appeared in the story. Make your classroom dark and show some different types of light – a torch, a lamp, a candle, a glowstick, etc. Talk about why Jesus is sometimes called the Light of the World. Do they know of other religious celebrations where light features? Activity 3 – Using the Christingle template Use the Christingle template at the back of this booklet (page 13) to create a set of Christingle elements out of felt. Add Velcro dots to each piece so that the children can join the pieces together in the correct places to make a felt Christingle. Make a class display of these Christingles.

Activity 4 – Christingle instruction writing Give each pupil or small group a set of items to make a Christingle. Can they remember how to make one? Pupils should then write a set of instructions with pictures to show a Christingle is made.

Activity 5 – Christingle song Teach the class the Christingle song ‘Hope of Heaven’, which can be found at www.christingle.org . The CD with this song on can also be ordered free of charge from The Children’s Society.

Activity 6 – Worksheet Give out copies of the attached worksheet at the back of this booklet (page 12), or display it on your whiteboard. Ask pupils to colour it in and match the different elements.

Activity 7 – The Children’s Society Explain that money is raised through Christingle services for The Children’s Society. Talk about what pupils think The Children’s Society does. The Children’s Society wants to create a world where children and young people are respected, valued and heard. Discuss whether the pupils think this is important or not. During circle time, discuss the good and bad things about being a child. What things are necessary to have a happy childhood? Make a list. How can we all help make our school, town and world a place where children are safe and happy?

Assessment criteria: Can the children provide their own examples of a sign and a symbol?

Can the children identify each individual part of a Christingle and put them together in the correct place to make a Christingle?

Can pupils remember key elements of the Christmas story?

Taking it further Hold a Christingle celebration in your school. See www.christingle.org for ideas of how this could be done.

Invite a local vicar or children’s worker into school to speak about the Christingle and the services in their church.

Key Stage 2 Lesson Plan Curriculum links The following lesson plan can support your learning in the following areas of RE: Learning about religion:

⇒ describe the variety of practices and ways of life in religions and understand how these stem from, and are closely connected with, beliefs and teachings

⇒ describe and begin to understand religious and other responses to ultimate and ethical questions

Learning from religion:

⇒ reflect on sources of inspiration in their own and others’ lives.

Many of the activities provide an opportunity for cross-curricular learning in English, History, RE, Art, Science, PSHE and Maths Learning objectives

⇒ To learn what a Christingle is and what each element represents

⇒ To understand that Christingle services raise money to support the work of The Children’s Society

⇒ To consider what charities do and, in particular, learn about the work of The Children’s Society

You will need: • Access to the Internet • A Christingle or giant Christingle (see www.christingle.org) • Copies of the Children’s Society writing framework worksheet

which can be found at the back of this booklet. (page 11) • Oranges, ribbon, fruit, sweets, candles and cocktail sticks to

make Christingles Activity 1 Write ‘Christingle’ on the board. Thought-shower what the word means. Write all the ideas on board and leave it there to refer to later. Show the class your Christingle and explain how and when they are used. Explain that each element is a symbol.

Discuss the difference between signs and symbols. Invite children to draw a sign on the board – how quickly can the class guess what the sign means?

Take the Christingle apart and elicit suggestions as to what each part means.

Activity 2 – Christingle acrostics Ask pupils to write Christingle vertically and write an acrostic poem about it. An example can be found as part of the English resource, downloadable from the ‘Children and Youth Resources’ page.

Activity 3 – The Children’s Society investigation Explain that the Christingle is used as part of services to raise money for The Children’s Society. Use the attached writing framework, at the end of this booklet, for pupils to find out about the work of The Children’s Society.

They should begin by completing the ‘What I think …’ section in pairs or small groups. Then, using information from The Children’s Society website that you have printed or by exploring the site themselves, pupils should complete the other sections. Discuss findings.

Activity 4 – Case study Read the 3 case studies which can be downloaded from the ‘Worship Resources’ page to see how The Children’s Society helps vulnerable children facing some of life’s various challenges. How do they feel about the case studies? What questions would they ask the children?

Activity 5 – Why, why, why? The work of The Children’s Society is based on Christian values of love, justice and forgiveness. Read the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible (Luke 10 v 25–37) and ask pupils to discuss why Christians might want to help others. Each time they reach an answer they should ask why again.

Activity 6 – 5Ws planning Spend some time thinking about what you could do to help the work of The Children’s Society – maybe a Christingle celebration event or an assembly. Split the class into small groups and ask them to think through a 5Ws plan of action – What will you do?

When will you do it? Why are you doing it? Who will do it? Where will you do it? Decide on a class project and assign class members to take it forward. Assessment criteria:

⇒ Can the children express what a Christingle is and identify the meaning of each individual part?

⇒ Can pupils describe the work of The Children’s Society? Taking it further Present an assembly to the rest of the school about the Christingle and the Children’s Society. Go to the ‘Children and Youth Resources’ page for Christingle assembly ideas and further resources. Visit www.mylife4schools.org.uk to find lesson plans, activity sheets and other resources to engage children with the issues of running away. Encourage pupils to visit The Kids’ Zone (www.thekidszone.org.uk) - The Children’s Societies website for young people, with more information, fun and games. Encourage peer education! Arrange for the KS2 children to visit younger classes and teach them about Christingle. Hold a fundraising event for The Children’s Society. Ideas and activities can be found at www.childrenssociety.org.uk

Additional Teaching Ideas The following teaching unit outline has kindly been shared with us by Cathy Davie, Primary RE Adviser for Southwark Diocesan Board of Education.

It is an example of how Christingle can be adapted at Christmas time in the classroom for Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. Use it as a stand alone resource or mix with some of the other activity resources available online at www.christingle.org

Introduction The unit aims to teach about the symbolism of light in Christingle and Christmas celebrations. Pupils learn about the symbolism of lighting candles and what this means within a Christingle celebration.

Vocabulary taught Symbols, sign, Christingle, celebration, Christ, calendar, charity, fundraising.

Pupils need some prior knowledge of the following concepts: Christmas, Christian, light. AT1 Learning Objectives To learn the symbolism of the Christingle and what Christingle means to Christians.

To learn that the candle in Christingle represents Jesus as the light of the world.

To know that light is a symbol of goodness.

To know that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth.

To recall the Christmas story and reflect on the importance of light in it.

AT2 Learning Objectives To reflect on what the symbolism of the Christingle means to me and other people.

To reflect on what light symbolises for me.

To reflect on how The Children’s Society shines a light for other children.

To reflect on the importance of light in the Christingle story.

To reflect on the importance of candles at Christmas time.

Forms of Expression Level 1: I can recognise the symbols represented by a Christingle.

Level 2: I can say what Christingle symbols stand for.

Level 3: I can use religious words to describe the meaning of the symbols.

Meaning, Purpose and Truth AT2 Values and Commitment Level 1: I can talk about what I find interesting or puzzling about the Christingle.

Level 2: I can think of a question I or someone else might have about one of the symbols.

Level 3: I can explain what the Christingle symbols mean to me personally and compare my thoughts with other people’s.

Assessment The ‘I Can’ statements above are based on the eight level scale of Non Statutory National Framework for Religious Education. They can be used by teachers to help make a summative assessment of the level pupils are working at.

Suggested Teaching and Learning Activities

• Discuss what symbols are and where they can be found in everyday life.

• Distinguish between a sign in everyday life that directs us to something and a symbol that shows us something that can be hidden and personal.

• Talk about what it means to shine like a light.

• Recall / retell the Christmas story and thought shower ways in which light is part of it: the appearance of the angels, the star as the guiding light.

• Introduce the Christingle and teach its symbolism

• Talk about how, for Christians, Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Consider what this means to Christians. It symbolises his presence and helps peoples think about Jesus.

• Talk about what a charity is, what fundraising is and what The Children’s Society does (see the resources section below for further support). How does it ‘shine a light into darkness’?

Resources Visit www.christingle.org.uk for a range of resources for working with children and young people and exploring the themes of Christingle including:

Discussion and reflection ideas Information on the origins of Christingle Arts & crafts Drama Games and a collection of other activity ideas.

Evaluation & Cross-Curricular Links Science: Light and dark

PSHE: Road safety and the use of signs.

Maths: Advent, calendar

Widening the Scope You could introduce a stronger Christmas angle by introducing concepts connected with Advent:

Introduce a class Advent calendar and explain how the opening of the windows (letting light in) symbolises Christians preparing to celebrate Jesus’ birthday.

Make an Advent ring with the class with a circle of red candles and the white one in the centre symbolising Jesus the Light of the World.

Explain the symbolism and reflect on what lighting candles means to pupils personally and whether they associate candles with Christmas.

Assembly Plans

Our Assemblies Resource includes three different Assembly ideas relating to Christingle. Visit Christingle.org for more information.

Key Stage 2 – Writing Framework Sheet

What I think a charity is …

What I think The Children’s Society does …

The Children’s Society

History of The Children’s Society

My opinion about The Children’s Society

What does The Children’s Society do today?

What does The Children’s Society want?

Key Stage 1 – worksheet What is a Christingle? Draw a line from the words to the correct part of the Christingle.

Christingle Template