YEAR 3/4

1

PRAYER

• YEAR 3/4

This unit should introduce children to prayer
and help them understand what prayer means to
Christians and be able to reflect on their own
experiences. Christians believe that prayer
facilitates a relationship with God their
Father. Prayer can take many forms individuals
talking to God, inspired by a focus, stimulus or
aid such as a thing of natural beauty, an icon, a
piece of music, a situation. Christians pray to
God for help, guidance, praise, thanks,
repentance, to express emotion, for themselves
and on behalf of others. In the Bible we can find
examples of prayer in the Psalms, The Lords
Prayer, and the Gospels among others.
2

• These ideas by their nature provide active
  learning opportunities and fulfil the
  requirements to learn from religion. In order to
  deliver the learning outcomes as outlined in the
  P.O.S for AT1 and AT2 please use these ideas in
  conjunction with the schemes of work already
  provided

3

• Areas of learning
• Prayer bracelet ? UA
• Write a prayer ? UECL
• Write a piece of music ?UA, STU,
• Make a presentation to show younger children
  ?STU, UECL, UA
• Make a flash movie for a given or a written
  prayer ?UECL, STU, HGSU

Skills and Attitudes Investigation,
Interpretation, Synthesis, Application,
Communication, Self-awareness, Respect, Open-minde
dness, Appreciation Wonder.
Creative Assessment Prayer net/tree/display
interactive (see pause for reflection) ? UA, UECL
CLE Prayer encounter based on
activities Prayer chain, mystery bag, prayer
kites ?
Prayer
CLE Church workshop based on ACTS - Adoration,
confession, thanksgiving, Supplication ?
CLE Prayer encounter based on Christian , Hindu
rituals
Useful websites www.barnabas.co.uk
www.interviewwithgod.com www.biblepicturegallery.
com
Spiritual Development ?
4
Exploring aspects of Christian Prayer 1

• This activity is particularly effective when
  undertaken in conjunction with the local church
  community. If this is not possible then set up
  the 4 areas around the school or in the hall.
• Set up 4 reflective areas in the church/school
  based on ACTS Aspects of Christian prayer
  Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and
  Supplication
• A adoration area have a CD (or if possible
  the organ) playing hymns. Make the CD choice
  familiar to the children e.g. hymns/songs from
  Collective Worship. The children chose their
  favourite piece of music and say why. Discuss
  the meaning of the words from the hymn. Why
  would this hymn be important to Christians? How
  would it help them to pray?
• C confession a quiet area where children can
  reflect on things that they have done wrong.
  Children to drop a stone in a bucket to help say
  sorry and let go and say goodbye to the things
  for which they are sorry. How do they feel when
  they have dropped their stone? How do Christians
  feel when they pray for forgiveness?
• T thanksgiving set up a table and display
  containing posters and artefacts depicting the
  good things in life. Children to write post it
  notes expressing thanks.
• S supplication (asking for help) - a darkened,
  quiet area containing unlit candles. As they tie
  a bead on a net/ribbon on a branch children could
  think about, or if they choose to pray for,
  someone who they know needs help

5
Prayer Encounter 2

• Set up a selection of activities based on the
  theme of prayer.
• Prayer chains make a selection of paper chain
  strips. Children to write a prayer/reflection on
  a paper strip. Strips to be joined together and
  hung as chains around the room.
• Prayer kite use kite shape with an ACTS on
  each quadrant. Children to write a
  prayer/reflection for each of ACTS on kite tails
  to hang on string below the kite. Display around
  the room.
• Mystery bag a large bag containing a selection
  of items related to prayer beads, holding
  cross, prayer mat, puja artefacts etc. Children
  to raise questions and do follow up research.
  Children to consider what do these items have to
  do with prayer? How would they help believers
  to pray?

6
Prayer Encounter 3

• Set up a darkened, quiet area containing cushions
  and candles. Play some Taize music.
• Children come quietly into the room and settle on
  the cushions to listen to the music.
• Set up a darkened area containing flashing disco
  lights and play Soul survivor music.
• Set up a Hindu shrine area, burn incense and
  light candles. Play Hindu prayer music.
• Afterwards ask the children what they were
  thinking about when they were listening? How
  could a believer use this environment to talk to
  God? How did the music/images/atmosphere make
  them feel? How might people of different faith
  communities feel? What was the same, what was
  different?

7
Skills and Attitudes

• Investigation I can ask appropriate questions,
  find and suggest solutions.
• Interpretation I can give examples of how humans
  try to make sense of their experience. I can see
  implications of actions, events, words beliefs.
• Synthesis I know that others share common values
  and ideas.
• Application I can apply learning gained to my
  own and others beliefs, ideas experiences.
• Communication I can communicate my thoughts,
  ideas, beliefs values.
• Self-awareness feeling confident about their own
  beliefs and identity and sharing them developing
  a realistic positive sense of their own
  religious, moral spiritual ideas.
• Respect developing skills of listening and a
  willingness to learn from others being sensitive
  to the feelings and ideas of others.
• Open-mindedness being willing to learn and gain
  new understanding engaging in argument,
  reasonably and respectfully, about religious,
  moral spiritual questions.
• Appreciation Wonder recognizing that knowledge
  is bounded by mystery appreciating the sense of
  wonder at the world in which they live.

8
Creative Assessment

• In small groups the children work together to
  produce an interactive display that could be used
  in the local church or in a school
  worship/reflection area.
• Children to have speech bubble shaped post it
  notes and record each others responses as they
  work.
• AT1
• Level 2- Children can show simple knowledge and
  understanding of how and why Christians pray
• Level 3 - Children can begin to identify why the
  Christian community prays. They can identify some
  prayers that are important to Christians and the
  beliefs expressed in some prayers. They can begin
  to identify the impact of prayer for the
  Christian community.
• Level 4 - Children can show understanding of
  issues raised by belief in the power of prayer.
  They can suggest how prayer has meaning for those
  who practice it. They can make links with the
  practice of prayer in other faiths.
• AT2
• Level 2 - Children can express their ideas about
  why they and others may or may not choose to pray
  and respond sensitively to the ideas of others.
• Level 3 - Children can raise questions about the
  practice of prayer.
• Level 4 - Children can express a personal
  response to prayer. They can describe what
  inspires and influences them.