Wiltshire RE Starter StimulusStarter ideas for the following key question from the 2011 Agreed Syllabus:

KS2 08 Where, how and why do people worship?This resource aims to provide some stimulus images and ideas to help pupils begin to address the above question. It links to the following learning outcomes from p56 of the syllabus:Pupils can:• identify and explain symbolic actions in everyday life which express inner

feelings • explain the meaning of worship for a believer • ask some thoughtful questions about why people choose to attend a church,

mosque, mandir or gurdwara and suggest some possible answers • use religious vocabulary to identify and explain some symbolic objects, actions

and sounds found in a church and a gurdwara and say how these help people worship

Many of the slides have notes to give suggestions for use. Look at the slide show in Normal mode and look for the notes at the bottom of the page.

appreciation or enjoyment

Hurry up

I’m pleased to see you

Wow...amazing

Tapping the top of the wrist with one finger

Clapping hands

putting your head in your hands

Shaking hands

Punching the airSadness or tiredness

Ask the children match the symbolic actions on the right with the inner feeling on the left.

What other symbolic actions do they use? Do they see?

What do you worship?What is so important

that other people want to spend time worshipping?

Why do people worship these different things?

This is Holy Trinity Church in Leicester.

About 400 other people come here every Sunday to

worship.

Are there any buildings like

this where you live ?

What do you think people do

when they worship here?

This Gurdwara is in Sandwell, in the West Midlands. Hundreds of people go here at different times of the week to worship.

Are there any buildings like

this where you live ?

What do you think people do

when they worship here?

What does the worshipper see, smell, taste, touch, hear? What does the worshipper think and feel?Can you suggest why the five senses are important in worship?Why might thinking and feeling matter even more?

“The younger generation of Sikhs are changing: some don’t wear all the 5Ks, but some children respect the faith and wear them all the time. I like the way we worship: it is easy as soon as you get to know it. I like Christian worship too – I like the way they sing and pray. Like us, they listen to their holy book being read. I hear the words of the Guru at worship, and I feel relaxed, calm, and peaceful. I see everyone full of joy and happy. I like it that there’s no lying whatsoever in the Gurdwara.” Jaspreet Kaur is 13.

Check the picture on the next slide. Can you say what the emotions and feelings of these two worshippers might be? When do you experience emotions and feelings like these?

Devotion the Gurus’ teachings can give the worshipper feelings of calmness, and God-consciousness. Some Sikhs say that worship helps you to serve other people.

“If you talk to God, then when you have done something wrong, you can ask for forgiveness. And one example for me of why worship matters is that when I sat my Exam modules, I was nervous. I would pray before doing it and I felt better. When I worship, I feel that God is showing me the right path, I see pictures of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in my mind, and I know he is with me in my heart all the time. I feel grateful.” Taljinder is 15.

Sikh spirituality puts a big emphasis on being aware of God, or conscious of God every day. What does this mean to Taljinder?

I really like music and singing. The things we sing in church sometimes have actions and sometimes we

clap. But the words are important too - it is important

to think about the words when you sing them.

Why do you think Ailsa likes singing in

Church? Do you know some hymns, songs or words that are

sung or said in church?

Ailsa is 10 and she is

Christian.

Music is really important to my family and to our church. We play music and sing to worship God, to remind us of how great he is and how we should try to live our lives the best way possible. I use music as a way of showing God I love him. Recently I won a competition by writing music for my favourite passage from the bible- the Beatitudes from Matthew 5Ailsa, 10

Each week Christians

remember Jesus when they take communion. In

this part of worship

Christians eat bread to remind them of the body

of Jesus and drink wine to

remind them of the blood of

Jesus. Why do you think they do

this?

Who do you think this might be?

What is he doing? What is on the table in front of

him?

When we take bread and drink wine we remember that Jesus who was the son of God died. I believe that this means that when I die I will go to live in heaven. It also means when I do things wrong if I say sorry to God and try to put things right God will forgive me.Ailsa, 10

Additional activities:

Catch the factsRead the quotes from the Sikhs and Christians aloud to each other. As you do, make a list of facts about the Sikhs and Christians from them.

Religions are similar and different What similarities can you see between the Sikhs, Christians and any other religions you know? What are the three main differences?

Believing in God Discuss together and agree between you: what beliefs about God can be found in the quotations?

ImpactTalk about ways in which religious belief affects the way these people live. What kinds of things affect how pupils live? What matters most to them, and how do they show this in their everyday lives? Is there anything that they could do to show that they think the environment is important, for example, or that equality, love, sharing, friendship, family, fairness are?