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SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Spring 2009

Presenter: Paul Ewing

School Radio Online

Age: 5-7 CD: These programmes are available to order (for UK schools only) on pre-recorded CDs from: BBC Schools’ Broadcast Recordings Tel: 08701 272 272 Monday to Friday 0800 to 1800 Or visit the How to order page of the website for more information Download/podcast: These programmes may also be downloaded or subscribed to as a podcast for 7 days after transmission. For more details go to the Podcast page of the website. Audio on demand: These programmes are also available as audio on demand from the School Radio website for 7 days following the original date of transmission. Refer to programme titles below to find out when programmes are available as audio on demand.

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Something to Think About

Spring 2009 These programmes are available as podcasts / downloads / audio on demand from the School Radio website for 7 days following transmission. Refer to the transmission dates below to find out when each one is available.

Introduction 3 Planning chart 6 Unit 1: I wonder…big questions about the sky 7 1. …why the sky is blue? 7 Podcast / AOD begins 13/01/2009 2. …why the moon shines at night? 9 Podcast / AOD begins 20/01/2009 Words to the song ‘God is watching over you’ 11 3. …why the sun sets? 12 Podcast / AOD begins 27/01/2009 Unit 2: I wonder…big questions about animals 14 4. …why the elephant has a long trunk? 14 Podcast / AOD begins 03/02/2009 5. …how the peacock got its feathers? 16 Podcast / AOD begins 10/02/2009 Words to the song ‘I am special’ 18 6. …why a kiwi can’t fly? 19 Podcast / AOD begins 24/02/2009 Unit 3: Amazing animal journeys 21 7. Whale 21 Podcast / AOD begins 03/03/2009 8. Camel 23 Podcast / AOD begins 10/03/2009 9. Snow Goose 25 Podcast / AOD begins 17/03/2009 10. Donkey 27 Podcast / AOD begins 24/03/2009

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Introduction

These Teacher’s Notes include:

a planning grid with details of the songs

a suggested object for visual focus including weblinks to images

pre-programme preparation ideas

programme content breakdown

related activities

weblinks for supporting resources (e.g. images for visual focus)

Where to listen: These programmes are suitable to use as part of either school or class assembly. Using the series: You may like to listen straight through, with discussion at the beginning and end or listen in sections, pausing for discussion as you go. Alternatively you may choose to use only one section of the programme at a time and spread the material out over several sessions in a week. For example you may wish to revisit the story and reflection or sing the song a second time or at the end of the day. Participation: Make sure you join in yourself with the listening and the singing. The children will observe your response and it will influence the way they perceive the programme. Stop the programme if the children seem to want to respond or become restless. Encourage the children to sing the songs, which have been chosen to be easy to sing and learn. During the programme the presenter will help the children join in. If they have difficulty, join in with part of the song (for example the chorus or refrain) and listen or tap hands or toes to the rest! Before the programme: Creating the right listening conditions: It’s important that the children can all hear comfortably. Make sure that the loud speakers are at the right height facing the children (preferably a child’s ear height), and that the volume is comfortable for them all. Arrange the seating so that none of the children are too far away from the speakers and any child with a hearing problem (or has a heavy cold) is in a good position. You may find that sitting in a semi-circle or in short lines facing one another with the speakers in the middle is best. Experiment and find the formation that works best for you and your class.

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Creating the right atmosphere: It will help everyone to concentrate if you prepare a visual focus. A focus object has been suggested for each programme in these notes. Some suggestions for images from the web have also been included. This can be used for discussion and preparation - particularly important if you feel some aspect of the story is going to be unfamiliar to your group. You may want to create a special atmosphere by playing music or altering seating and lighting to let the children know that this is a different type of activity and prepare them to listen and take part. During the programme: Getting ready to listen: Show the children the visual focus. Can they guess what the programme is about? You may also like to use the ‘Before the programme’ section in these notes to encourage the children to think about the theme. Thinking about the story: All the stories provide opportunities for discussion. You may wish to talk further about the issues raised during the session, at a later time or even through the week. A time to reflect: Using this part of the programme ensures that the legal requirements for Collective Worship are met. Encourage the children to stop and be still during the reflection / prayer times of the programmes. If at first they are not sure how to respond, stop the programme and settle them down. They may like to shut their eyes or look at the focus object. You might like to light a candle for this special time, which will gradually become a visual cue that the reflection part of the programme is happening. Allow the children time to get used to the quiet and then turn the programme on again. Sitting quietly and thinking may be a very unfamiliar concept to some children. Allow them time to become accustomed to this, maybe over a period of weeks. Meanwhile encourage them to sit quietly and respect the people around them who would like to listen / reflect / pray. It is important that children are given the choice to join in with the prayer by saying ‘Amen’ at the end (which signifies their agreement with the prayer) or just to sit quietly and reflect on what they have heard. This is clearly signalled in the programmes.

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Songs: The songs for this term come predominantly from the collection Come and Praise Beginning. The song for the first unit – ‘I can make a difference’ – is a commercially available song called ‘Make a difference’ (see Planning chart on page 6 for details). You may like to replay the recording and learn more of the song after the programme. Thinking about what’s been heard: Go through the main points of the programme again at the end (the programme contents section of theses notes may help). There are some suggested questions you may like to ask the children. What do they remember? What are their ideas? There are further ideas to help with this on the programme pages of these notes. After the programme: There are some ideas for optional related activities for following up the programme content. Podcasts: These programmes are available as downloads or podcasts for 7 days following transmission. This means that you can download each programme (for free) as an mp3 file, for playback either from a computer or from an mp3 player, such as an iPod. If you subscribe to the series your computer will automatically search for each new episode when you connect to the internet, ensuring that you never miss a programme. It is a perfectly suitable alternative to acquiring the programme on pre-recorded CDs, provided you are happy not to use a CD player for playback. More information at the Podcast page of the website. Programmes are also available as audio on demand. The audio on demand is a reliable service – especially on broadband - that allows you to listen to the programme ‘streamed’ over the internet. To listen to the audio files you will need to have installed ‘Realplayer’ on your computer. This commonly-used software is easy to download from the internet if you do not already have it. Feedback: Your feedback is important to us and helps to shape the series. Letters, drawings and poems from the children are particularly welcome. Please use the Contact us link from the School Radio website.

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Planning grid showing the songs in each programme

Title Song

Themes

Unit 1: I wonder why…big questions

about the sky

1 …the sky is blue? ‘He’s got the whole world’ (Come and Praise Beginning no. 36)

‘Big’ questions – what are they and why do we have them?

2 …the moon shines at night?

‘God is watching over you’ (from All about our school no 7). See page 11.

Night-time; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is

3 …the sun sets? ‘Singing in the morning’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 10)

Why we have days of different lengths; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is

Unit 2: I wonder why…big questions about animals

4 …the elephant has a long trunk?

‘From the tiny ant’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 32)

The uniqueness of the elephant; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is

5 …the peacock got its feathers?

‘I am special’ (All about our school, no. 16) See page 18.

The uniqueness of the peacock; creation stories as ways of explaining how something is as it is; generosity as a virtue

6 …why a kiwi can’t fly? ‘Wiggly waggly song’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 34)

How the kiwi lost the use of its wings; self-sacrifice for the good of others; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is

Unit 3: Amazing animal journeys

7 Whale ‘All around’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 27)

Migration and conservation; the wonderful diversity of animal life

8 Camel ‘I love the sun’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 30)

Caring for animals

9 Snow Goose ‘Who made the twinkling stars?’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 33)

Migration; living in a cold place

10 Donkey ‘The donkey trotted through the town’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 54)

Palm Sunday

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Unit 1: I wonder..? Big questions about the sky

1: I wonder…why the sky is blue? Themes: ‘Big’ questions – what are they and why do we have them? Focus image: the sky (blue, and/or at different times of the day) Links to online images here: A lovely blue sky… A dark red sunset… Before the programme:

Talk together about what a ‘big question’ is. Give children time to think about the questions that they have.

Look at the photo of the sky – or better still, go outside, lie on the grass and watch it for a while! How does it make the children feel to look at it? Can they see shapes in the clouds? How does it look at different times of the day – and why?

CD/Track Content Notes

CD1 Track 1

This programme introduces the idea of ‘big questions’, which are the focus of the first two units of the term.

Paul introduces the themes for this term and the fact that we’ll be travelling all around the world during the programmes.

CD1 Track 2

Voxpops: Children talk about the big questions they have about our world.

You might like to pause the programme at this point to allow your own class to talk about the big questions that they have. Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say.

CD1 Track 3

Story: Why is the sky blue? By Kate Stonham

Todd is lying on the grass in his garden wondering about why the sky might be blue. As he ponders, he finds himself flying off, just like a bird, to find the answer to his question. He meets a variety of birds who tell him lots of different things about the sky…but does he find the answer to his big question?

CD1 Track 4

Song: ‘He’s got the whole world’ (Come and Praise Beginning no. 36)

Encourage children to join in as much as they can. Most of the songs used during this term come from the Come and Praise Beginning book.

CD1 Track 5

Reflection: on the wonder that there is in the world, that makes us ask big questions.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD1 Track 6

Prayer: thanking God for our world and the beauty within it.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

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After the programme:

Make a class display of your ‘big questions’, written as captions / speech bubbles and try to find out some answers over the course of the term. You could also include pictures of each different thing (either photo, or artwork produced by children).

Talk about the story: Did Todd really meet all the birds in the story?

What do you think really happened? Which of the different places Todd visited would you like to visit and why? Which ‘sky’ did you like best and why? Do you think Todd was disappointed not to find the answer to his question? If you were to have a ‘dreamworld’ journey to find out the answer to your own big question, who might you meet along the way, and what adventures might you have?

Find out about some of the different habitats of the birds that Todd met

in the story, and compare them to what life is like where you live. Find out why the sky appears to be blue – and talk together about why

it changes colour at different times of the day. Ask children to notice what colour the sky is as they go home after school.

Write new verses to the song ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands’ -

e.g. ‘He’s got the sky and the clouds in his hands…’ etc.

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2: I wonder…why the moon shines at night? Themes: night-time; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is Focus image: a picture of night-time - e.g. a street / the countryside at night. Links to online images here: A shadowy tree at night A lake at night The city of London at night A full moon at night Before the programme:

Talk about your picture of the night – what things are happening in it? Are there things that wouldn’t happen during the day? Do children know any animals that are nocturnal?

Look at photos of the moon. How is it different from the sun? Find out a little about why it changes shape over the course of a month.

CD/Track Content Notes

CD1 Track 7

This programme considers one possible answer to the question ‘Why does the moon shine at night?’

Paul has been up during the night, watching the moon and thinking about the differences between day and night.

CD1 Track 8

Story: The creation of the night. An adaptation of a traditional Brazilian story by Kate Stonham.

When the earth was young, life was very different. Raoul is a small boy who lives in a village with his family. The villagers are tired all the time and the land around them is baked and hard, because there is no night. Big Snake keeps night locked away in a coconut shell at the bottom of the river. One of the villagers is married to Big Snake’s daughter, Maria, and so she sends a request to her mother to give her the night. Raoul sneaks into the back of the boat as her servants set off down the river to collect it, but things don’t quite go to plan…

CD1 Track 9

Voxpops: children talk about what it might be like if it was daytime all the time.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say.

CD1 Track 10

Song: ‘God is watching over you’ (from All about our school no 7).

Paul talks about why the moon shines at night, then introduces the song by singing it through. Encourage children to join in as much as they can when the song repeats.

CD1 Track 11

Reflection: on the pattern of days and nights – why we need the night, and what’s good about it.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully

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CD1 Track 12

Prayer: Thanking God for the night sky, and reflecting on what’s good about both night and day.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own. The programme ends with a repeat of the song, so you might like to encourage children to join in again.

After the programme:

Find the country of Brazil on a map and look at photos that show what it is like – cities and natural world. How is it different from life where you live? Would you like to live / visit there?

Talk about the story: This is a creation story. Have children heard any

other creation stories? Do they think they are true? Why do you think Big Snake kept the night locked away? Why didn’t Big Snake need the night? If you were Raoul, would you have crept into the boat? Why do you think the servants let the night out, even though they had been warned not to? Would you have done the same thing?

Paint pictures of what you think Big Snake looked like, or make a class

collage of the story. As a class, write captions describing why children like night-time, and

display in a class book with facts that you find out together about the night-time.

Sort pictures of animals that are nocturnal / diurnal.

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Song: God is watching over you

(Come and Praise Beginning, no. 7)

God is watching over you,

When you lay down to sleep,

When you wake he will keep

Always watching over you,

Now and forever more.

God is watching over you,

When you lay down to sleep,

When you wake he will keep

Always watching over you,

Now and forever more.

Now and forever more.

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3: I wonder…why the sun sets? Themes: why we have days of different lengths; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is Focus image: a picture of our solar system. Links to online images: The solar system with planets identified Another version of the same Before the programme:

Look at the picture of the solar system and find the Sun and the Earth. Talk together about what children like about the daytime – and how it

feels when the sun comes out again, maybe after a period of rainy days. Talk together about the different signs that you can see around you that

spring is on its way CD/Track Content Notes

CD1 Track 13

This programme considers one answer to the question ‘Why does the sun set?’, and also why we have days of different lengths.

Paul reflects on the changing seasons, the fact that spring is just around the corner and that this is all linked to the movement of the sun, which features a lot in the programme.

CD1 Track 14

Song: ‘Singing in the morning’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 10)

This is a follow-my-leader song, so encourage children to join in with the repeats.

CD1 Track 15

Story: Maui tames the sun. An adaptation of a traditional Maori tale by Sue Reid.

Maui and the people in his village are finding that there are just not enough hours of daylight in the day in which to complete all the work they must do (does that sound familiar?!). Maui, an inventive boy, decides that he must capture the sun and persuade it to shine for longer. But this is not a very easy task. The next day, he meets an old woman and with an act of sacrifice on the part of his sister, he lies in wait for the sun to rise…

CD1 Track 16

Voxpops: children talk about times when they have had to be determined.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say. You might like to pause the programme at this point to allow your children to share their thoughts.

CD1

Track 17

Reflection: on the need to be determined sometimes, to persevere.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD1 Track 18

Prayer: thanking God for the sun and all that it gives to us.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own. The programme ends with a repeat of the song, so you might like to encourage children to join in again.

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After the programme:

Make diaries accounting for all the different things that each child does during one day. Interesting discussions might be had about the variety of getting up / bed times!

Talk about the story: What jobs do you do to help your family? Have you

ever felt like Maui – that the day is not quite long enough? If you were Maui, how would you have tried to capture the sun? Who helped Maui to achieve his aim? Have you ever needed help? Who did you ask? Have you ever needed to be determined, like Maui, to keep on trying? Share stories together.

Look again at the picture of the solar system together. Do children know

anything about any of the other planets? Find out together some interesting number facts about the planets in the solar system, especially comparing the size of the earth with the sun. Where does the sun go at the end of the day? Consider what our world would be like without the sun. How would life be different? Why are we so dependent on it?

Read the Judeo-Christian creation story from the Bible (Genesis 1-2).

What does this story say about the creation of day and night?

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Unit 2: I wonder..? Big questions about animals

4: I wonder…why the elephant has a long trunk? Themes: the uniqueness of the elephant; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is Focus image: a picture of an elephant. Links to online images here: An African elephant The Elephant’s Child from Kipling’s Just so stories Before the programme:

Talk together about children’s favourite animals – you could record the data on a class graph or table.

Look at the picture of the elephant. What do children know about this animal and where it can be found? Locate the places on a map. Why is the elephant an endangered species?

CD/Track Content Notes

CD2 Track 19

The programme begins with a riddle and an audio clue – an elephant trumpeting. This section also introduces our roving reporters, Jack and Elody, who are beginning a visit to Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

You might like to wait until after the sound clip before looking together at the picture of the elephant. For the vox pops, refer to the programme transcript to read what the children find out.

CD2 Track 20

Story: The Elephant’s Child an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s story by Jeff Capel.

The Elephant’s Child is very curious about the world around him – but most especially about what the crocodile has for his dinner. He sets out on a journey of discovery to find the answer – eventually from the crocodile itself - and comes away very much wiser…and with a trunk!

CD2 Track 21

Feature: Reporters Jack and Elody talk to the elephant at Whipsnade Zoo about his animals.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children find out.

CD2 Track 22

Song: ‘From the tiny ant’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 32)

We sing only verse one today. The verse is a follow-my-leader section, so encourage children to join in the repeats, then with the whole chorus.

CD2 Track 23

Reflection: on our responsibility to care for our world…to ensure that wonderful creatures like elephants survive.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

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CD2 Track 24

Prayer: thanking God for the wonders of our world and asking him to help us to look after his world better.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

After the programme:

Ask the children to write riddles about their favourite animal, giving lots of really good clues and using adjectives to describe their animal without saying its name. Can others easily guess the answer? What were the best clues?

Talk about the story: What makes you curious? If you were the baby

elephant, would you have gone to the crocodile? Why / why not? The Rock Python shows the elephant lots of very positive advantages to having a long nose. What were they? What else do you think the Elephant’s Child could use his trunk for? Has anything ever happened to you which started out as a bad thing, but turned into a good thing (like the elephant found with his new trunk)? How would you have found the answer to the question ‘What does the crocodile have for dinner?’?

Have children ever been to a zoo or safari park? Share experiences

together – bringing in photos from home if time allows. Talk about the fact that zoos and safari parks are important places for conservation and the reasons why this is. Find out which are the most endangered species. Why is it so…and what can we all do about it? The song in the programme says ‘care for them – it’s up to you’. Why is it ‘up to us’?

Visit Whipsnade Zoo’s website to find out more about it and the work

that they do. http://zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/

Write your own funny story about how you think the elephant got its long trunk.

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5: I wonder…how the peacock got its feathers? Themes: the uniqueness of the peacock; creation stories as ways of explaining how something is as it is; generosity as a virtue Focus image: a peacock feather. Link to an online image here: Beautiful peacock feather Before the programme:

Talk together about the feather. What sort of bird does it come from? Have any children ever seen one? What makes it so beautiful?

What does it mean to be ‘generous’? Share experiences / thoughts together.

CD/Track Content Notes

CD1 Track 25

The programme begins with a riddle and an audio clue – a peacock.

You might like to wait until after the sound clip before looking together at the picture of the peacock.

CD1 Track 26

Feature: Young reporters Jack and Elody are at Whipsnade again talk to the keeper about peacocks.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children find out

CD1 Track 27

Story: The generous bird. An adaptation of a traditional Indian story by Rachel Boxer.

Peacock thinks that he’s nothing special, until one day his friend, the Sun, tells him that he does indeed have a special gift, so he sets out to find out what it is. Along the way, he meets a small girl, an angry old lady and a boy who’s being bullied, and he discovers that he has a special gift for getting alongside others in their hour of need. As the story closes, he finds another gift, one that will be a reminder to the world for ever…

CD1 Track 28

Song: ‘I am special’ (All about our school, no. 16)

Paul considers the uniqueness of the peacock – and of each other, as a link to this song. Paul sings the song through to remind us how it goes, then encourages children to join in when it repeats.

CD1 Track 29

Voxpops: Children talk about what animals they would like to be and why.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say.

CD1 Track 30

Reflection: on our own uniqueness and what makes each of us special.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully

CD1 Track 31

Prayer: asking God for his help to care for the world in which we live and for which we are responsible.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

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After the programme:

We often talk about people having special ‘gifts’ (or talents). In circle time, play a game with your class where each child has to say something that the child on one side of them (e.g. on the right) is good at. Encourage them to think of qualities like kindness and generosity as well as more obvious things like reading or drawing. Talk afterwards about how this made them feel.

Talk about the story: Have you ever lost anything like the little girl in the

story? How did you feel? What made the woman so sad? Do you think she changed after meeting the peacock? How? What do you think the peacock’s most special gift was? His tail…or his kindness to others? Have you ever helped anyone in their ‘hour of need’? What happened?

Write about the animal you would most like to be and why.

Look at photos of peacocks, peahens and peachicks. Talk about the

differences between the male and female peacock and the reasons why this is.

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I am special

I am special just like a butterfly,

I am special just like a butterfly,

I am special just like a butterfly,

With its beautiful colourful wings.

I will let it go and wave goodbye,

I will let it go and see it fly,

It is God who makes things beautiful,

The butterfly and me,

The butterfly and me,

The butterfly and me.

© Andy Read

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6: I wonder…why can’t the kiwi fly? Themes: how the kiwi lost the use of its wings; self-sacrifice for the good of others; creation stories as ancient ways of explaining how something is as it is. Focus image: a picture of a kiwi. Link to an online suggestion: Kiwi in the undergrowth Silhouette showing kiwi’s distinctive shape Before the programme:

Talk with children about the amazing variety that there is even within the bird kingdom. Which birds do they like the best?

Look at photos of kiwis and talk about their distinctive appearance. Use the internet to find out some fascinating facts about kiwis.

Talk about what the word ‘sacrifice’ means. CD/Track Content Notes

CD2 Track 1

The programme starts with a recording of the dawn chorus.

Paul encourages children to think about the variety of our feathered friends – from the ostrich to penguins.

CD2 Track 2

Feature: Young reporters Jack and Elody are back at Whipsnade Zoo. They talk to the keeper about emus. Paul then introduces us to another flightless bird, and the story.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children find out.

CD2 Track 3

Story: How kiwi lost the use of its wings. A traditional story retold by Sue Reid.

Tane Mahuta is king of the forest. One day as he is walking through his kingdom, he notices that the leaves of his children, the trees, are wilted and brown – bugs are making the trees sick. And so he calls a meeting with his brother Tanehokahoka and the bird kingdom, to see what can be done…

CD2 Track 4

Song: ‘Wiggly waggly song’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 34)

Encourage the children to join in as much as they can.

CD2 Track 5

Reflection: Paul reflects on Kiwi’s sacrifice for the good of others. Children are given the opportunity to think about how they might do something for the good of others.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD2 Track 6

Prayer: asking for God’s help to think of others’ needs.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

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After the programme:

The story used in the programme is a traditional Maori tale. What is a ‘traditional tale’ and do children know any others? (e.g. Little Red Riding Hood etc.)

Talk about the story: How do you think Tane Mahuta felt when he

realised the trees were sick? Why did he choose birds to help him? Do you think the birds were right to make excuses as they did? Why do you think Kiwi made the decision he did? Have you ever had to make a ‘hard choice’ like Kiwi did? How did you feel?

Find pictures of the other national birds found within the story and

identify the different marks they were given by Tanehokahoka as punishments for their refusal to help. Write or tell stories that explain ‘Why Tui bird has two white feathers’ or ‘Why Pipiwharauroa lays eggs in other birds’ nests’.

Look at photos of New Zealand and find it on a map. Where would

children most like to visit and why?

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Unit 3: Amazing Animal Journeys

7: Whale Themes: migration and conservation; the wonderful diversity of animal life Focus image: photos of humpback whales. Online suggestion here: Humpback whale Humpback whale and calf Before the programme:

Talk about going on journeys and the emotions associated with them. Share stories about long journeys that children have made.

Look at the pictures of humpback whales and talk about these amazing creatures. Find out fascinating facts about them and talk about the dangers faced by whales because of Man.

CD/Track Content Notes

CD2 Track 7

Paul is ‘underwater’ listening to whale song and introduces the idea of animal migration.

This is the first programme in the final unit of this term, exploring different animal journeys.

CD2 Track 8

Story: Whale Trek by Kate Stonham.

Willa is a young humpback whale making her first migration journey back to the northern oceans. There are lots of dangers that she’ll face during the long, long journey – many of them manmade…

CD2 Track 9

Voxpops: Children talk about the long journeys they have made.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say.

CD2 Track 10

Song: ‘All around’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 27)

Listen as Paul reminds children of the first verse and help children to join in the repeat sections, then follow the repeats within each verse.

CD2 Track 11

Reflection and prayer: Paul encourages children to think about ‘perseverance’ as a part of Willa’s journey and how perseverance better equips us to face life’s challenges.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

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After the programme:

Talk with the children about the dangers that Willa and her mum faced on the journey. How many of them were the fault of people – and what does this teach us about our responsibilities for the world?

Talk about the story: Why is Willa so inquisitive? Why is her mother much

more careful? Which part of the journey do you think Willa enjoyed most and why? What other dangers might Willa and her mum have faced that aren’t written about in the story?

Willa mentions the ‘nice’ adventures they had on the journey. Write stories

or draw pictures imagining what these might have been.

Track the routes that whales take during their migration from the warm southern oceans to the northern seas. There are some ideas for teachers at: www.milton.edu/academics/pages/marinebio/humpback.html

The song ‘All Around’ talks about things seen, heard, tasted, smelt and

touched ‘all around’. Talk about the different experiences of the senses on journeys you’ve made e.g. ‘What did you see…hear…taste…smell…and touch?’

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8: Camel Themes: caring for animals Focus images: photos of deserts and (for after the camel recording at the start of the programme) a picture of a camel. Online suggestions here: A camel with storm sky A camel in the hot desert sun Desert sand dunes Before the programme:

Discuss how children care for the pets that they might have, and talk about the responsibilities of being a pet-owner.

Look at the photos of deserts. Talk about how it might feel to be there, and make a journey across one.

CD/Track Content Notes

CD2

Track 12

The programme starts with a recording of a camel. Paul explains how a camel is perfectly adapted for desert travel – and that deserts are not always hot…

Listen to the sound clip before showing children the picture of the camel. You might like to pause the programme at this point to talk further about how the camel’s various features equip them for desert travel.

CD2 Track 13

Voxpops: Young reporters Jack and Elody visit Whipsnade Zoo to talk to the camel keeper about his animals.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children find out.

CD2 Track 14

Muhammad, friend of animals by Kate Stonham

Muhammad (pbuh*) is always kind to animals. One day, he comes across a camel that has obviously been ill-treated and demonstrates how Allah says all animals should be cared for. When the camel-owner hears about his camel, he sets out across the desert to claim it back, and finds that it’s not only animals that Muhammad is kind to…

CD2 Track 15

Song: ‘I love the sun’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 30)

Paul sings the first verse to remind us how it goes, then encourages us to join in with as much as we can.

CD2 Track 16

Reflection: on our responsibilities to look after for the animals in our care, and the world around us.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD2 Track 17

Prayer: asking for God’s help to care for each individual piece of our world

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own. The programme ends with a repeat of the song. Encourage children to join in again if they wish.

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After the programme:

Talk together about how Whipsnade Zoo cares for the camels and provides for their needs. More information can be found on the ZSL website at http://zsl.org/zsl-whipsnade-zoo/

Talk about the story: How had the camel-owner mistreated his camel and

why? What do you think made the camel-owner change his attitude to his camel? Why do you think Muhammad (pbuh*) rode out to meet the camel-owner? What would you have done in Muhammad’s place?

Talk together about the beliefs that Muhammad held about animals, and

consider the impact that this might have on the lives of Muslims, followers of Muhammad and Islam. Find out some other things that Muslims believe.

Write the story of the next journey that the camel-owner made with his

camel. Play ‘spot the difference’ with each others’ stories.

Write extra verses to the song, sharing what you love and what it does e.g. ‘I love tigers, they roar at me…’ etc.

* ‘peace be upon him’ (pbuh) is spoken or written after the name of Muhammad as a sign of respect

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9: Snow goose Themes: migration; living in a cold place Focus image: pictures of snow geese. Online suggestions: Snow geese on the wing Snow geese in V formation An arctic scene Before the programme:

Remind children what ‘migration’ means and refer back to the programme about the humpback whale. Do children know any other creatures that migrate? Discuss why certain animals need to migrate e.g. breeding, food sources etc.

Show children the picture of the Arctic – talk about what it might be like to visit / live there. What do children like to do if it snows?

Show them the picture of the snow geese flying in formation. Talk about the advantages of travelling in large numbers, using the saying ‘there’s safety in numbers’.

CD/Track Content Notes

CD2 Track 18

Paul starts the programme with a shiver – we’re off to the Arctic today!

You might like to pause the programme before track 19 to talk together about what your children would like to do if they lived in a snowy place.

CD2 Track 19

Voxpops: children talk about what it might be like to live in a place that’s snowy all the time.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say

CD2 Track 20

Story: Snow Goose by Jeff Capel

The story is written from the perspective of an Inuit woman, living in the Canadian Arctic, as she watches the arrival of the snow geese, which every year announces the arrival of Spring. One year, a pair of snow geese build a nest near her home, which gives her an opportunity to watch them at close quarters as they raise their little family. Then, summer is over, and the geese are gone once more…

CD2 Track 21

Song: ‘Who made the twinkling stars?’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 33)

Paul reminds us how the first verse goes, then invites us to join in as much of the song as possible, using his cues before the start of each new verse.

CD2 Track 22

Reflection: on the wonders of migration and animals living in extreme environments.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD2 Track 23

Prayer: A traditional Native American prayer.

Encourage children to listen carefully and think about what the words mean.

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After the programme:

Find out where the Arctic and the Antarctic are and locate on maps or globes. Also find out about the animals that live in both places and how they adapt when the weather turns from summer to winter.

Talk about the story: Talk together about how the woman telling the story

feels at different points e.g. when the geese arrive, as she watches the young hatch, when she discovers that one is missing etc. If you were one of the goslings, making your first migration flight, how might you feel? What might it be like flying over a big city in America? Over the ocean?

Write a class diary / information book based on the story and other

information you can find out about the snow goose – showing the pattern of migration, arriving in the Arctic to nest, raise young and fly south again before the winter comes.

Make snowy ‘camouflage’ pictures, with Arctic animals ‘hiding’ in them for

others to find. Look at pictures of homes where the Inuit people live – how have humans

adapted to live in extreme conditions as well?

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10: Donkey Themes: Palm Sunday Focus image: a picture of a crowd of people, shouting excitedly. Online suggestions here: Expectant crowd Depiction of Jesus entering Jerusalem Donkeys Before the programme:

Talk about the different journeys that children have thought about over the last few programmes. Which do they think is the most amazing journey so far? Why? What’s the most exciting journey they’ve ever made?

Show children the picture of the crowd of people. Why are they excited and why might they be shouting?

CD/Track Content Notes

CD2 Track 24

Paul starts the programme with another audio clue as to the animal in today’s journey… and some excerpts from a very famous piece of music.

You might like to pause the programme after the sound clue to talk together about the stories that children know with donkeys in them – and what they know about donkeys already.

CD2 Track 25

Dan the donkey by Rachel Boxer.

Dan is a little donkey with big ambitions and big dreams. The other donkeys in his field make fun of him, until one day, Dan’s big moment arrives and he takes part in one of the most significant journeys ever…

CD2 Track 26

Song: ‘The donkey trotted through the town’ (Come and Praise: Beginning no. 54).

Paul sings the first verse to remind us of the tune and words, then invites us to join in as much as we can.

CD2 Track 27

Voxpops: Children talk about the most exciting journey they’ve ever made.

Refer to the programme transcript to read what the children have to say.

CD2

Track 28

Reflection: on how we are all special with unique qualities, even though we may feel small and insignificant. Children are also encouraged to reflect on the coming of Spring.

Ensure everyone is listening carefully.

CD2 Track 29

Prayer: thanking God for Palm Sunday and asking for his help to meet troubles with bravery.

Children can listen or join in with ‘Amen’ at the end if they wish to make the prayer their own.

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After the programme:

Consider the symbol of the Palm Cross and how it links the different aspects of the Easter story together. Some basic information can be found here.

How to make one can be found here. Talk about the story: Why did Dan stop dreaming about his big plans?

Have you ever felt like this? What did you do about it? How do you think he felt when he was chosen for the special task of carrying Jesus into Jerusalem? Have you ever been chosen to do a special job? How did you feel? If you were Dan, what might you have told your donkey friends about when you got home?

Find out how Easter is celebrated – and how the events of what Christians

call ‘Holy Week’ (which starts with the Palm Sunday journey), are marked. Look at famous works of art that depict the different events and put them in order. Many appropriate paintings can be found at the National Gallery’s website.

Listen to more excerpts from J.S. Bach’s ‘St. Matthew’s Passion’ and talk

about the story that it portrays. Why might someone write music about this story?