Wedding Service: Notes for Teachers
Introduction
This interactive resource is suitable for early years and key stage one pupils. It has
been created to support and develop aspects of the story book Wedding Service in the
Christian Special Places series and the accompanying Teachers’ Handbook,
Exploring Christian Special Places. The key stage one series was commissioned by
ACCAC and published by the Welsh National Centre for Religious Education.
In Wedding Service two children, Aled and Siân, take part in a Church in Wales
wedding ceremony. Aled is an usher and Siân is a bridesmaid. The interactive
activities within the twelve sections of this resource explore what Aled and Siân see,
hear, and experience.
For more information about Wedding Service and other titles in the series visit
www.bangor.ac.uk/rs/pt/pub/aledandsian
Content
Pictures and Sounds
This section contains a selection of animated ‘photographs’ adapted from Wedding
Service. Appropriate music, bible readings, and prayers are included for this age
group. ‘Pictures and Sounds’ allows pupils to see and hear some of the content of a
typical Church in Wales wedding service. You can select and view individual
‘photographs’ or choose to view the ‘photographs’ in sequence.
Thinking Skills
This section contains two activities designed to promote pupils’ thinking skills. Pupils
can discuss in groups or as a class who they think is the most important person at the
wedding or what they think is the most important symbol of the wedding. In each
case, pupils should be encouraged to give reasons for their choices. Both the
characters and the symbols can be dragged and placed onto the bar indicating their
rank.
Special People
This section contains an activity designed to introduce or reinforce the special names
given to the main characters in Wedding Service and the roles they play. Clicking on
each of the six characters will reveal the character’s special name and a simple
sentence describing his or her role. The characters included in this activity are the
vicar, best man, bridegroom, bride, bride’s father, and bridesmaid.
Tour of the Church
This section contains a series of pictures illustrating the special features of the Church
in Wales church where the wedding is held. The five pictures focus on the outside of
the church, altar, pulpit, bells, and the binding of the bride and groom’s hands with
the vicar’s stole. Clicking on the various features reveals their names and more
information is available by clicking on the information icon.
Sequencing and Matching
This section contains an activity involving the sequencing and matching of pictures
and simple text. Four pictures can be dragged and placed in the correct order to show
the sequence of events in Wedding Service. Four simple sentences (one for each
picture) can be dragged and matched with the correct picture.
Create a Graph
This section contains two data-handling activities. The first activity involves making a
simple block graph which shows how many pupils in the class have been to a
wedding and how many have not been to a wedding. Colour blocks are dragged onto
the graph with each block representing one pupil. If pupils are encouraged to drag
their own blocks, it will help them to appreciate that each child is represented by a
block. The graph can also be used as a model for a block graph by drawing attention
to the labeled axes and title.
The second activity allows the teacher to adapt the block graph to present other data
such as the number of pupils who have been a bridesmaid, for example. The axes are
unlabelled and blocks can be dragged onto them.
Dress Siân and Aled
This section contains an activity designed to highlight the practice and significance of
‘dressing up’ for special occasions. Choose to dress either Siân or Aled by clicking on
the character. The clothes can be dragged onto each character until they are dressed
correctly for the wedding. The activity can also help younger pupils learn how to look
after themselves by putting clothes on in the correct places and in the correct order.
Picture Pairs
This section contains a matching activity designed for younger pupils. Each of the
four characters needs to be matched with the objects associated with them in Wedding
Service. The pictures can be dragged around the board and a trial and error approach
can be used, prompting discussion. Pupils should be encouraged to give reasons for
their choices.
Design Activities
This section contains three design activities. Two activities focus on stained-glass
windows and one on the vicar’s stole.
Stained-glass window activities
Stained-glass windows use the combination of light and colour to beautify the church
building. Often, they play an educative role depicting well-known characters,
symbols, and stories from the Christian tradition.
In the first stained-glass window activity, colour paintbrushes are dragged and clicked
onto the arches of the rainbow. A colour appears on the rainbow only if it is clicked in
the right place. This activity can link to the story of Noah’s Ark and its central
symbols which are depicted on the stained-glass window. Teachers may also wish to
explore other stories and symbols depicted in stained-glass.
In the second stained-glass window activity, pupils are asked to design their own
stained-glass window using whiteboard tools. The pupils may be asked to focus on an
aspect of the wedding service for example, a particular character and/or objects
associated with a wedding.
Vicar’s stole activity
The vicar wears the stole around the neck or over one arm. The stole may represent
the yoke around the neck of a working animal which identifies the vicar as God’s
humble servant.
In this activity pupils are asked to design a stole for the vicar. Symbols can be
dragged from the box at the bottom of the screen and placed on the stole. The
meaning behind the symbols can be discussed as well as the most appropriate symbols
for a wedding. Using whiteboard tools, pupils are able to create their own designs.
Where’s the Wedding?
This section contains an activity which encourages pupils to recognise and begin to
appreciate difference. In Wedding Service the bride and groom have chosen a Church
in Wales marriage service but other couples may prefer to marry in alternative
locations and have different types of wedding service. Clicking on one of the
locations at the bottom of the screen, transports the bride and groom to a church,
beach, chapel, hotel, castle, or registry office. The activity offers teachers and pupils
an effective visual context for discussing why people may choose to marry in some of
these places. The reasons why people choose to get married may also be discussed.
How Do They Feel?
This section contains an activity which encourages pupils to identify, explore, and
express the emotions of selected characters in Wedding Service. Click on the groom,
bride, bridesmaid (Siân), or usher (Aled) to place the character on top of a wedding
cake. Four emotions from the list are selected and dragged to the wedding cake tiers.
Pupils should be encouraged to give reasons for their choice of words. If a pupil has
played a role in a wedding, for example as a bridesmaid, the activity can also help that
pupil identify, explore, and express his or her own emotions.
Which Music?
This section contains a matching activity designed to introduce pupils to music which
may accompany a specific Christian ritual. Short extracts from three pieces of music
often used at wedding ceremonies may be played by clicking on the labelled buttons.
Pupils are encouraged to discuss and identify the music which best suits the three
pictures: the signing of the register; the bride and groom leaving the church; and the
bride and father entering the church. The pictures may be dragged to the chosen organ
piece.
Although there are no right or wrong answers, the Brahms piece could be played
when the register is being signed (quiet and meditative), the Widor piece could be
played when the bride and groom leave the church, and the Mendelssohn piece could
be played when the bride walks down the aisle with her father.
Welsh website address: www.bangor.ac.uk/rs/pt/pub/cymraeg/aledandsian.php