The Good Earth – Giving Thanks In Re

[Guest]

Hi im an nqt an never taught the good earth before to ks1. anyone help?

[Possum]

I'm not sure quite what you mean, but my children sing a lovely song which you may (or may not) know

 

My God is so big (arms wide) so strong (flex arm muscle) and so mighty (both arm muscles)

There's nothing that he cannot do (wag finger)

repeat these two lines

The rivers are His (make hands do a wavy line)

The mountains are His (make peaks with hands, fingertips together)

The stars are His handiwork too (lots of little nips in the air)

My God is so big so strong and so mighty

There's nothing that He cannot do - for YOU! (point or jump up in the air)

[Guest]

Thank you I member the song now. The good earth is the title out of our agreed syallabus - i think it a long the lines of appreciating the world and uses vocab of celebration and sacred. How meant to teach another religion alongside it. struggling abit for activities that are exciting not sitting down working.

[Possum]

Could you look at some of the African or Native American celebrations of the earth?

 

I know what you mean about struggling - so many other cultures seem to do it so much better than us! The Polynesians and the Aborigines etc all seem to have the celebration of the earth and nature at the heart of their life. The New Zealanders even call their early years syllabus Te Whariki which is the woven mat of life with all it's strands.

 

Ours seems very staid by comparison! I suppose it depends on how basic you want to be - or otherwise

[Lorna]

Have look at this site http://www.cist.org.uk/pv/pm/pp1001.htm

 

may give you some ideas of things you could do.

[JacquieL]

If you Google 'The Good Earth Agreed Syllabus you will come up with a link for you to download the one for Lincolnshire. I can't find a link to post. One unit for KS1 is on this theme and has some good ideas. You should find that your own LA will have a planned unit for you to use as a guideline, which your RE co-ordinator could give you. Within the Agreed Syllabus will be the themes covered and when, and all the units with guideline plans, learning outcomes etc.

[Possum]

That's a great site! Thankyou

[Guest]

THanks for that. Im lincolnshire and I had found that just think re can be so dull sometimes. We are a creative curriculum school and re is the one thing obv not fitting but that seems to make it a bit boring for me as we are having so much fun else where lol. Thanks for all the replies.

[JacquieL]

But RE is creative and not dull, although it can sound that way on paper. Look at how it has inspired art, music, drama, architecture, etc. The Good Earth is so beautiful with seasons, flowers, animals, environments of all kinds and the wonder of creation. A bird from an egg, a new born child, a tiny seed can grow into an amazing tree. Think of all the wonderful creation stories from different religious beliefs. I love the Dreamtime stories from Australia. Think of all the good things that make it possible for us to live. There is so much that is inspiring in the world. Just a sunset or looking out into infinite space, and the star, the sun without which there would be no life. There is so much that can be talked about and expressed in a creative curriculum. There is the other side, famine, cruelty and the rawness of that nature that means each species preys in some way on another. These are things that can be talked about in circle times.

Look at this by Nikki Parmenter.

Try her website [url="http://www.nikkiparmenter.co.uk

[JacquieL]

Sorry no idea why there are two pictures!

[Guest]

this is just the inspiration i was looking for thanks