Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Hi! Some of you may have read my previous topic in another area...so just to fill you in, I'm a 3rd year student at Roehampton and as part of my R.E assignment I need to create a medium term plan! I have therefore chosen CHRISTMAS!! I was wondering whether you just focus on one aspect of Christmas...such as gifts? I have a few ideas, but would really appreciate your thoughts and any ideas of your own to inspire me! A few of my idea's... -I was thinking that an investigation table may be useful to introduce the topic! e.g. pictures and sensory objects, so children can begin to ask their own questions. -Use a book to start off the topic which involves giving gifts rather than recieving. -I thought it would be a nice idea for children to create their own gifts which could be sent off to children that are less fortunate or perhaps to those in unfortunate countries (not to sure whether that is going far)
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Hm, could be a bit late for Christmas Child shoeboxes - but it might be worthwhile looking into it. Gifts for elderly people? Doesn't need to be much, we've gift wrapped mince pies individually in coloured cellophane and pretty ribbons theres a nice story about chinese ew year called sam and the lucky money (i think) where the little boy gives all his new year money away to people on the street who have no socks etc. Could children make a Christingle? lots of symbolism here (The Children's Society has lots of stuff that can help here) Any use?
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 We do the 'Shoe Box Appeal' at our school where children bring in things like toiletries, small toys, pants etc from a list which are then put into shoe boxes and labelled and sent off to orphanages in Eastern Europe.
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Thats a lovely idea (mince pies..) This dosen't have to be taught...so I could use the idea of the shoe boxes! I really wanted to do chineese new year, but my lecturer told me that it's not R.E =(
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Hmmm, RE is meant to be cultural as well as religious surely?
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 OHHH LOVELYY!! How do you introduce this (shoe box appeal)? Do you talk to children about those less fortunate? I would really like to include it in my plans!
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Thats what I said! I got quite upset about it as he said I only wanted to focus on this because it's pretty and fun! However, I think it has brilliant links with Knowledge and understanding of world (I was going to get Barnaby Bear to send a postcard from china which would invite the children to come and visit-then I was going to explore their food, music etc)
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Fantastic idea! Could you use buddhism as the route of your topic then - to appease him?
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Also, just remembered that at my church the 'Littlies' decorate star shapes with glue and glitter and shiny things . These are sent off to Guatemala and distributed to the street children via, I think, a charity called TOYBOX
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 I'm going to stick with christianity and Christmas since my knowledge of this is likely to be greater (I hope) I taught buddhism on my last placement (year 2) and they loved it! Not sure how I would adapt that for the foundation stage tho! I thought that It would be a nice idea to turn the role play area into a stable and use the masks (joseph, mary etc...) from sparkle box to encourage children to sequence the story themselves?
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 I'm going to stick with christianity and Christmas since my knowledge of this is likely to be greater (I hope) I taught buddhism on my last placement (year 2) and they loved it! Not sure how I would adapt that for the foundation stage tho! I thought that It would be a nice idea to turn the role play area into a stable and use the masks (joseph, mary etc...) from sparkle box to encourage children to sequence the story themselves? We turned our role play into a stable and another area into Santa's workshop that way you can get lots of cross curricular links in with writing lists, weighing parcels or measuring them, wrapping and joining materials together which links to the secular side of Christmas which children will relate to, as well as introducing the story of the stable etc. I think if possible use the sparkle box masks as a starting point but then encourage the children to make their own and to make extra things to go into the stable then it really becomes their ideas rather than yours. The message we are getting very strongly in my school is it's great to give them the starting idea but then let the children develop it further and encourage them to do this. If you google "eccles mince pies" a well known food magazine will appear in the list and the recipe was really easy, quick and practical for the whole of my Reception class to make last year. Hope this all makes sense and let us know how you get on. Nicky Sussex
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Thanks again! I totally agree with the children making the items themselves-it's just that we need to include resources in our assignment! How do you get the secular side and whole 'christmas' story run together! I have so many ideas, but i'm just confused because my lecturer kept harping on about the whole story! I'm sure he has never been into an early years setting before!!!
AnonyMouse_1195 Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 You might find something to help you in the Resources Section in planning. Look at role-play, and also at short term planning.
Guest Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 You might find something to help you in the Resources Section in planning. Look at role-play, and also at short term planning. Hi, We explained that some people (Christians and explained that was people who believe in Jesus or a very similar but simple explanation) celebrate the story of the birth of Jesus and that this makes their Christmas extra special ( sorry tired so this may not make sense). Most people also celebrate the time of Christmas by giving presents, Father Christmas etc. Hope that helps. Let us know how you get on NickySussex
AnonyMouse_1195 Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 I rather like this way of rolling the Sacred and secular together after all it is called Christ-mas http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/cu...mas/meaning.htm
Guest Posted November 27, 2008 Posted November 27, 2008 I tell my pre-school children a version of a story I heard many years ago, using puppets Father Christmas wakes up early one morning and goes jogging in your local park. Tired out he falls asleep under a tree. Along comes Rudolph, (or the elves, or Peter Rabbit or whatever puppets you happen to have) and tries to wake him up, saying 'Wake up Father Christmas, it's nearly time for Christmas and we can't have Christmas without you-you're the most important person at Christmas' Father Christmas wakes up and says 'Now that's where you are wrong. I'm not the most important person at Christmas. The most important person at Christmas is a baby. Do you know I wasn't even there at the first Christmas.' Father Christmas then tells the story of ther very first Christmas which I read from a very simple nativity picture book. i've told this story for ten years and it always goes down well.
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted November 28, 2008 Posted November 28, 2008 Found another great book i'd forgotten i had, called little robin red vest. It's about a robin who has seven different coloured vests and he gives them away in the days leading up to christmas to help others who are more in need than he is. Santa rescues him from a freezing rooftop and mrs santa knits him a red vest from santa's coat - which is how he ends up with a red breast and why we see him on christmas cards - to remind us to think of those less fortunate. Might be a good starting point for your intro?
Guest Posted November 29, 2008 Posted November 29, 2008 Cait, that is my most favourite book ever! I made a set of little vests and a robin for the children to use as the story progresses....... can't wait to get it out next week LOL!
AnonyMouse_1195 Posted November 29, 2008 Posted November 29, 2008 Oh I love that idea LJW. I gave that book to my grandson for his third Christmas. He is called Robin!
Guest Posted December 1, 2008 Posted December 1, 2008 Thank youu! I love both of those ideas! I was thinking of either using puppets or figures aswell to explain the story! Thanks for all your help!
Guest Posted December 1, 2008 Posted December 1, 2008 Oh I love that idea LJW. I gave that book to my grandson for his third Christmas. He is called Robin! I know this has nothing to do with Christmas but this made me think of the time my niece was invited to a birthday party. She got there in her lovely frilly party dress only to be met by 12 boys dressed as batman. They had only invited her because she was called Robyn. She enjoyed herself though Sue
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