RE

The Journey of Life and Death 

Activity 1

1. Write down a list of 5-10 significant milestones that have happened to you in your life.
2. Put them in chronological order.
3. Create an illustrated timeline from your birth until now, including the significant milestones that you have written down. You may want to add additional moments/events that are important to you.
4. I want you to be creative with how you lay out your timeline. See some examples below. You could include photographs if you would like, you can even try doing it on the computer using powerpoint or Word.

Activity 2 - How do we feel when people leave us?

Have a look at the timeline you made.

Talk to someone in your family about the incidents in them and why they are different e.g. starting school, illness, friends moving.  Consider the different experiences. How did you feel at the time? How do you feel about them now?

Think of somebody who is no longer in your life. It could be a friend from another school. A relative from another country, an old teacher or teaching assistant.

Write a prayer for them and design a decorative template to surround your prayer.

Here is an example of one you can magpie:

Activity 3 - What do Christians believe happens to us after we die?

Read this quote from the bible:

Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Now read this short story: 

Waterbugs and Dragonflies

Down below the surface of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs. They were a happy colony, living far away from the sun. For many months they were very busy, scurrying over the soft mud on the bottom of the pond. They did notice that every once in a while one of their colony seemed to lose interest in going about. Clinging to the stem of a pond lily it gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.

"Look!" said one of the water bugs to another. "One of our colony is climbing up the lily stalk. Where do you think she is going?" Up, up, up it slowly went....Even as they watched; the water bug disappeared from sight. Its friends waited and waited but it didn't return...

"That's funny!" said one water bug to another. "Wasn't she happy here?" asked a second... "Where do you suppose she went?" wondered a third.

No one had an answer. They were greatly puzzled. Finally one of the water bugs, a leader in the colony, gathered its friends together. "I have an idea". The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk must promise to come back and tell us where he or she went and why."

"We promise", they said solemnly.

One spring day, not long after, the very water bug who had suggested the plan found himself climbing up the lily stalk. Up, up, up, he went. Before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pad above.

When he awoke, he looked about with surprise. He couldn't believe what he saw. A startling change had come to his old body. His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail. Even as he struggled, he felt an impulse to move his wings...The warmth of the sun soon dried the moisture from the new body. He moved his wings again and suddenly found himself up above the water. He had become a dragonfly!!

Swooping and dipping in great curves, he flew through the air. He felt exhilarated in the new atmosphere. By and by the new dragonfly lighted happily on a lily pad to rest. Then it was that he chanced to look below to the bottom of the pond. Why, he was right above his old friends, the water bugs! There they were scurrying around, just as he had been doing some time before.

The dragonfly remembered the promise: "The next one of us who climbs up the lily stalk will come back and tell where he or she went and why." Without thinking, the dragonfly darted down. Suddenly he hit the surface of the water and bounced away. Now that he was a dragonfly, he could no longer go into the water...

"I can't return!" he said in dismay. "At least, I tried. But I can't keep my promise. Even if I could go back, not one of the water bugs would know me in my new body. I guess I'll just have to wait until they become dragonflies too. Then they'll understand what has happened to me, and where I went."

And the dragonfly winged off happily into its wonderful new world of sun and air.......

Activity

Compare the quote from the bible to the dragonfly.

What is the meaning of the quote?

What is the meaning of the story?

What are the similarities/differences between the quote and the story?

Do you think there is an afterlife? Why? Why not?

Activity 4 - What do other religions believe happens after we die?

Different religions have different answers to the question ‘What happens when someone dies?’ 

Watch the following video and make notes on what different religions believe in relation to life after death. Are some views the same? What are the differences? What do you believe? Why? (Please be supervised when on YouTube):

Activity 5 - How do we remember people that have died?

Listen to the story of Badger and his parting gifts:

Write down all the words that describe feelings.

Can you suggest any ‘gifts’ that people have given you?

Write a short account as one of the animals. Tell of an experience with Badger that they might recall. Include positive feelings that will help them to remember him with less sadness.