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������̳ Teach > School Radio > Assemblies and Collective Worship
KS1 audio: Something to Think About / KS2 audio: Together

Themes: that for Christians Christmas is about the birth of Jesus

Before the programme

• Look at the picture. Do you know what’s happening, and who the different people are?
• What’s special about this time of year? Are there other festivals that you celebrate?
• If you celebrate Christmas, do you do it in a certain way? How is ‘your’ way different from others in your class?
• What’s the best thing about Christmas (or another celebration) for you?
• What is a ‘tradition’? What ‘traditions’ do you already have in your class - eg things your teacher ALWAYS says, or special class times such as story time.

Programme content:

1. Opening: Ben starts today feeling very festive…
2. Story: The Lamb’s tale. Martha is the newest lamb in the flock. When she witnesses some extraordinary events on that first Christmas night she finds herself on an adventure to see the new-born baby Jesus.
3. Voxpops: Children from East Sheen Primary School tell us about what makes Christmas special for them.
4. Song: ‘Baby in a stable’ (Come and Praise Beginning, no 52). Encourage the children to join in with as much as they can.
5. Reflection: Ensure everyone is listening carefully and thinking quietly as we reflect on this special time of year.
6. Prayer: Children can make the prayer their own by joining in with ‘Amen’ at the end.

After the programme:

Talk about the story

• Have you ever been outside on a dark night? How did it feel?
• How do we know that she was the shepherds’ favourite? What did they love about her?
• Why do you think Martha wasn’t afraid of the bright light?
• Why did she want the singing to last forever? Have you ever felt that way about anything?
• What do you think Martha said to her mum about her adventure?

Follow-up activities:

• Read the account of the birth of Jesus from a good children’s Bible. What differences are there to the version in the programme?
• Use small world play to re-enact the Christmas story, or bring it to life in drama. Help each other to sequence the main parts.
• Look at Christmas cards and sort them accord- ing to which ones have something to do with the Christmas narrative. Then look at them to see whether you can sequence the story according to the pictures on the cards, and use them to help you tell the ‘story’.
• Write the conversation between Martha and her mum when she got back to the sheepfold.
• Find out about different Christmas traditions – maybe some from different parts of the world. Which ones would you most like to take part in?

Related linksChristmas - Teaching resources