Called to be
A People of Hope
Year Three
Journey
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Notes for teachers:
This module is called the journey. It connects the year two work with the work in older years.
In one sense the word Journey expresses the whole concept of Advent. Individuals make
journeys towards Bethlehem both physically and spiritually. Emmanuel God with us, for us
to accept the presence of god in our lives then we too need to journey. If you have not done
the previous Year two work then you will need to introduce the concept of a Santon (little
saint).
Outcomes of the Module
Level Two
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Pupils will be able to retell some of the Gospel Stories used during Advent and retell
stories about people who journey towards God AT1i&iii
Pupils will be able to use the words Emmanuel and Incarnation in their correct
context. At1ii
Pupils will be able to describe ways in which Christians prepare to celebrate the birth
of Jesus(AT1iii)
Pupils will be able to ask and respond to questions about their own and others journey
towards Christmas
Level Three
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Pupils will be able to make links about various stories showing how people
journey to the Christ Child and the incarnation AT1i
Pupils will be able to make links between the stories of the Shepherds and the use
of Santons in cribs AT1i
Pupils will be able to use a developing religious vocabulary to give reasons for the
use of advent symbols and actions AT1ii
Pupils will be able to make links to show how the belief in the incarnation affects
the way people prepare for Christmas AT2i
Possible Tasks to support these outcomes:
Engage
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2
Ask the pupils to name as many people as they remember from the Christmas Story.
Which of them made Journeys? ( I think most will concentrate on physical journeys
but you may get some pupils who are able to express the idea that Mary for example
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had been preparing all her life to become the mother of God) ATi (L1) if just naming
L2 if more detail
If you can watch the John Lewis advert about the snowman and his wife. You will
find it on www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N8axp9nHNU (Try to cut the very last frame out
we don’t want to be advertising for a commercial Christmas through RE!) Explore
ideas – Why does the snowman make a journey? Is it dangerous? When you are
giving a gift does the effort you go to make a difference? AT2i (L2)
Explore and Express
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3
Use the story called ‘Why the Chimes Rang out” by Raymond MacDonald Alden
(This story is attached and you will also find it on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIct9kr0QBo you would need to edit this a
little it is a recording with images of an old 78 record) Once pupils have heard the
story try to explore the ideas in this with the following questions or similar:
Why were the gifts the rich people bringing not enough to set the chimes ringing?
Why was Pedro’s choice hard to make? Did he do the right thing?
What was special about little brother’s gift?
How is this similar to the story of the snowman?
What do you think this story tells us about preparing for Christmas?
In the Christmas story which Characters do you think made difficult journeys?
Look at the story of the Shepherds and explore the kind of journey they made. And/or
Explain that on each Sunday during Advent the readings tell us something about how
we too need to be making a journey then look at the reading for the third Sunday of
Advent Year B AT1i&iii (L2/3) (worksheet attached)
Recall the work in Year 2 on Santons (at this stage if this is the first time through you
may need to use a catch up sheet –I have attached and used it to feed into the task.
AT2 i&ii (L2/3 depending on response)
The Journey of the Shepherds
Read Carefully the following:
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock
during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Then the angel told them,
“Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the
people. Today your Saviour, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David.
And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth
and lying in a feeding trough.”
Suddenly, a multitude of the Heavenly Army appeared with the angel, praising
God by saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to people who
enjoy his favour!”
When the angels had left them and gone back to heaven, the shepherds told one
another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what has taken place that the Lord has
told us about.” So they went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby,
who was lying in the feeding trough. When they saw this, they repeated what
they had been told about this child.
1. What journey did the Shepherds make?
2. What gifts do you think they might have brought?
3. Shepherds were treated as being outsiders. Most people thought they
were wild and rough and didn’t want them around. Why do you
think the Good News came to them first?
4. This is what Pope Benedict said about this story. Read his words
carefully:
“shepherds were people of very lowly status, people who were looked
down upon by society at large. ... Luke tells us that they were 'keeping
watch'. This phrase reminds us of a central theme of Jesus' message, to
keep watch, ..., to recognize the Lord’s coming, and to be prepared. Here
too the expression seems to imply more than simply being physically
awake during the night hour. The shepherds were truly 'watchful' people,
with a lively sense of God and of His closeness. They were waiting for
God”
5. The shepherds recognised God’s messenger they were willing to set
off and make a journey. How can people today learn to recognise
God?
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The Third Sunday in Advent
A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah
“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken
hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to
proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.”
1. This is part of the Old Testament Reading we hear at Mass on the
third Sunday of Advent. With your partner read this carefully then
make sure you understand what it means.
2. Who might be broken hearted in the world today?
3. When it says release prisoners it doesn’t mean you have to break into
jail and let everyone out! That would be dangerous and against the
law. So what does it mean? This is harder but look at the pictures
below. Each of these people is a prisoner in some way. It might help
if you think that if you are a prisoner you are trapped in some way.
Discuss with your partner how this might be
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4. This reading is in Advent. How do you think it is telling us we should
behave if we are really trying to prepare to celebrate Christmas?
How is this similar to what Pedro did?
5. One of the words used to describe Jesus is Emmanuel this means
GOD with us. Another word used to describe the birth of Jesus is
INCARNATION which means literally ‘to take on flesh’ and we
usually say it means God became fully human. This is what Pope
Benedict said: "In every child we see something of the Child of
Bethlehem. Every child asks for our love. The Child of Bethlehem
summons us once again to do everything in our power to put an end to the
suffering of children; to do everything possible to make the light of
Bethlehem touch the heart of every man and woman. ... Only if people
change will the world change; and in order to change, people need the
light that comes from God, the light which so unexpectedly entered into
our night so long ago in Bethlehem". How do you think Pope Benedict
wants us to prepare for Christmas?
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Santons
The word means little saint. In France people make little figures to put in
the crib. They usually start the figures off away from the crib and move
them closer each day. These figures however are not the normal ones you
might see. They are images of ordinary people from the past and the
present. Look at the figures below:
A Fishwife with her fish.
A blacksmith with his tools
A poor man who thinks he
has nothing to give carries
a lantern to help light the
way for others
An old woman carrying
firewood
Each of the people carries something important to them so that they can do
or give something special to Jesus. What would you give and why?
Create or draw an image of yourself carrying or doing this thing.
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