Table of Contents:
1. Teacher’s background information.
There is a reminder of the Church Year and its Christian festivals.
Then there is a detailed look at how Christmas came about, with various visits from angels, the scandal of a girl becoming pregnant, the inconvenience and pain of having to travel to Bethlehem, the worry of no rooms to rent, sleeping in a smelly stable, etc.
2. Lesson plans and resources for The festival of Christmas
NEW July 2021 What is Christmas is a PowerPoint presentation viewable and downloadable for teachers who can use electronic equipment in the classroom.
Christmas – RE lesson plan – New version coming soon due to changes in the RE syllabus.
3. Two children’s songs about Christmas.
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These songs by John Hardwick can be used in R.E. lessons, assemblies, collective worship, church children’s talks, Sunday schools, etc.
[1] The song ‘A Band of Angels’ is truly fun, uplifting and memorable – a real Christmas favourite with the children.
[2] ‘The Busy Little Christmas Song – Make Time For Jesus This Christmas.’
Here is a fun and reflective Christmas song that reminds us to stop during this busy time and spend time, reflecting and celebrating the birth of this special baby King – the reason for the season!
4. How to fulfil the locally agreed syllabus on ‘The Festival of Christmas’:
Hopefully, you will be able to match your local agreed syllabus with what is here which satisfies eight councils:
These lesson plans are based on the Progression Documents of The Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education’ Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Peterborough, Rutland County Councils. This is in the light blue text.
The green text is from other Councils: Lewisham Borough, West Sussex, Hull and East Riding.
Here are the main aims for the lesson plan:
- Know the cycle of the Christian year, the meanings of the major festivals and how they are celebrated including the use of symbolic colours and special hymns.
- Find out how Christians celebrate the Christmas festival.
- Talk about celebrations, worship, pilgrimages, and the rituals, which mark important points in life.
- Explore and describe the meaning of a range of beliefs, symbols, and practices.
- Demonstrate understanding of how people express their identity and their spirituality through symbols and actions.
- Make connections between the beliefs that underpin different celebrations, forms of worship, pilgrimages and rituals.
Key vocabulary: Advent, Bible, Christ, Christmas, Faith, God, Gospel, Holy, Jesus, Lent, New Testament, Old Testament, Prophet, Worship.