Aim

1. Aim • During this lesson we will find out about… • Which symbols are important in Christianity? • What do they symbolise? (‘Symbolise’ means ‘stand for’ or ‘represent’) • Why are they important for Christians?

2. Discuss... • In all religions there are a lot of symbols. Why are symbols so important in religion? • Discuss all of these statements – which do you think are true & false? • Symbols help believers to understand more about their faith. • Symbols are not really very important to religious people. • God is so big that human language isn’t enough to describe him – symbols can help people to describe what he is like & who he is. • Religious symbols give religious people a sense of community, because they help religious people to be able to recognise other religious people because they are wearing the same symbol. • Religious people want to be more like everybody else, so they use symbols in their religion because the are used everywhere else in society. • God can sometimes seem invisible – symbols can help religious people to understand more about a God who they cannot see. • Religious symbols can help believers to focus on God & their religion because they remind them of their religion. • Symbols don’t mean anything – Religious people aren’t really bothered about them. • Click to reveal the answers – the false statements will disappear!

3. Watch... • You’re going to watch a presentation about ‘Christian Symbols’. • You will watch the presentation 3 times… • The first time = Just watch. • The second time = Take notes in the back of your books on these headings: • The symbol of the cross • The symbol of Communion (the bread & wine) • The symbol of a candle • Write the headings in the back of your books now. • What does it mean to ‘take notes’? • The third time = Fill in any gaps in your notes & add more details. • After the third time of watching you should have a really clear understanding of these 3 Christian symbols. • Then… • Complete the Christian symbols pizza sheet. • Each slice of the pizza is for a different Christian symbol, follow the instructions on the worksheet.

4. 'Just a Minute' Game • Your challenge is to play the ‘Just a Minute’ game again! • You need to: • Choose one of the Christian symbols we have looked at this lesson. • Talk about… 1.What the symbol is 2. What it symbolises (remember that this means: ‘stands for’ or ‘represents’) 3. Why the symbol is important for Christians …for a minute, without repeating yourself, hesitating or going off the subject. • It’s more difficult than it seems! • Can you do it without using your worksheet to help you? • The person who can talk for the longest is the winner!

5. Do at home... • Below are 2 more Christian symbols… • Your homework is to answer these questions for both symbols: • What is the symbol? • What does it symbolise? (Remember that symbolise means: ‘stand for’ or ‘represent’) • Why is it important to Christians? • Use the internet to help you find out the answers. 2. A dove 1. The letters: WWJD