Teach Primary Issue 18.7

For many of our students, Christmas is a very exciting time of year that is full of family, fun and presents. The countdown is just as exciting, especially with the daily dose of chocolate (although not so good for the first lesson of the day). Advent is a great topic to explore the human and social aspects of Christianity, because its traditions are not based upon scripture in the Old or New Testaments. In fact, there is no direct Biblical instruction to celebrate Advent as a season at all. 1 | CHOCOLATE AND WREATHS Begin by recapping and discussing what Advent is and why Christians celebrate the time of Advent ( tinyurl. com/tp-AdventBasics ). This is a good moment to talk about chocolate,is wasn’t mainstay of Advent in Britain until the 1980s. Mention that calendars filled with LEGO, cosmetics, cheese, etc. are a very recent development. Show a picture of an Advent wreath (or a few different wreaths) and ask children if they have seen one before. Discuss how this is also a relatively recent way of marking Advent, having only started in the late 18 th century in Germany, first used in Catholic, Anglican and Lutheran churches. You could also discuss how, like many Christmas traditions, the design and meaning of the wreath and the candles have changed over time (the original wreaths had 28 candles of different sizes). You may wish to go further and explore how Advent has varied in length throughout history and that different Christian denominations mark Advent in different ways. Ask children to consider why there are four candles around the wreath ( tinyurl. com/tp-AdventBasics ). Why on some wreaths are there three purple candles and one START HERE MAIN LESSON WHAT THEY’LL LEARN l What Advent is l Different ways Christians mark the season of Advent l Why people might count down to a special event l How seasons like Advent exist in other religions and worldviews RE Ask pupils what special events they count down to. These might be birthdays or religious holidays. Is the event on a calendar or app they use to mark the days off? Draw out as many ideas as you can. Maybe children will think of Lent, Hanukkah or Ramadan during these reflections; or you could pose them as examples for children to discuss. Then talk about why people like (or maybe don’t like) counting down to a special event. Mind-map these ideas for consideration and reflection at the end of the lesson. The big Christmas countdown Why do we look ahead to special events? Is anticipation more exciting than celebration? Advent is the perfect time to ponder these big questions, says Matthew Lane KS2 LESSON PLAN @MrMJLane www.theteachinglane.co.uk 74 | www.teachwire.net