Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mrs. Afshan, and welcome to our lesson.

Today, we're going to explore something really special, how people celebrate big life moments.

We're going to learn about a kind of ceremony called a rite of passage.

Can you say that with me? Rite of passage.

That's correct.

Today's lesson is called "Christian Rites of Passage: Baptism" from the unit "Rites of Passage: How do communities mark growing up?" The learning outcome of today's lesson is, "I can explain how people celebrate important times in life with ceremonies, such as baptism and dedication in Christianity." Before we jump in, let's take a minute to look at some of the keywords we'll be using in our lesson today.

The words are ceremony, rite of passage, baptism, and dedication.

Ceremony is a special event to celebrate something important.

Rites of passage are special events that show someone is growing up or moving to a new part of life.

Baptism is a Christian ceremony where water is used to welcome someone into the church.

And finally, dedication is a Christian ceremony where parents thank God for their baby and promise to care for them.

Let's say those words together one more time.

Ceremony, rites of passage, baptism, dedication.

Great.

Let's get started.

Our lesson today has two cycles in which we would look at what is a rite of passage first.

Sam and Andeep are talking about religious education.

Sam says, "Religious education often seems to be about people and the things they do.

I wonder why," Andeep says, "We can understand different worldviews by finding out about how people behave.

People show what is important to them by the things they do and the ways they celebrate." In this lesson, we will learn how people celebrate different life events through ceremonies, helping us understand different worldviews.

Sofia and Alex want to learn how different stages in a person's life are recognised and marked.

Let's join Sofia and Alex to find out more.

They start thinking about some questions that social scientists might ask.

Sofia thinks of this question, "What are some things that happen as we grow up?" "What kind of ceremonies or rituals take place to mark them?" is Alex's question.

Let's find out.

They first talk to Rachel, who has a Christian worldview and is from Coventry.

"Hi, Rachel.

How do people change as they grow up?" they ask.

Rachel shares, "As we grow, we go through different stages of life.

We change in how we look, what we can do, how we feel, and how we understand things." What can you see in this picture? Can you name each stage? Look closely.

"The images show going through different stages of life, like being a baby, a child, a teenager, and then an adult.

Through our lives, we experience physical and emotional changes that help shape who we are and how we see the world." Sofia and Alex are now talking to Noor, who has a Muslim worldview and is from London.

They ask her, "What makes some life stages extra special?" Noor replies, "Sometimes, people celebrate big life events and moments with a ceremony.

That ceremony is called a rite of passage.

It might happen when someone is born, becomes an adult, or start something new." Time for a check.

What is a rite of passage? Is it a ceremony to celebrate big life moments, or a ceremony that happens every week, or is it a song sung at bedtime? What do you think? That's correct, a rite of passage is a ceremony to celebrate big life moments.

Well done.

A rite of passage marks when a person moves from one stage of life to another, like from being a baby to a child and from a child to a teenager.

Sofia and Alex questions Noor again and asks, "Do people around the world celebrate life changes in the same way?" Noor explains, "People all over the world have different ways to celebrate growing up.

These ceremonies might look different, but they all show that something important is happening in that person's life that others want to mark." People from different religions and cultures have their own special ways of celebrating these big life changes.

Just like shown in the images.

Time for a check.

People from different religions and cultures celebrate major life events in the same way.

True or false? What do you think? False, that's correct because people from different religions and cultures have their own unique traditions and customs for celebrating big life changes.

Well done for choosing false as your answer.

Sofia asks, "Do you know what stages of life these ceremonies mark? Use the images to help you." What stages of life these ceremonies mark? Let's find out.

Infant baptism.

Mundan is celebrating the toddler stage of life.

And Bar Mitzvah, teenager.

Well done if you named them correctly.

Great.

Sofia and Alex are talking to Asher next, who has a Christian worldview and attends a free church.

They're asking him, "Do different rites of passage have anything in common?" Asher replies, "Even though people live in different places and follow different religions, many ceremonies have similarities.

They might include special clothes, family members, or special foods." Time for another check.

What two things are often included in rites of passage ceremonies? Two things.

Is it special clothing, or watching movies, or involvement of family and community, or playing video games? Two things that are often included in rites of passage ceremonies.

Have a think.

Special clothing.

That's correct.

That's one of the things.

And involvement of family and community.

Well done for choosing those two as your answers.

Great work.

Time for our task.

Here we have Sam, who's trying to explain what a rite of passage is.

Parts of her explanation are incorrect.

Rewrite Sam's explanation so that it becomes correct.

Read very carefully and see where Sam's explanation needs correction and rewrite it.

You can post the video now and come back when you're ready with your correct answer.

Let's check your answer.

We had to rewrite Sam's explanation so that it becomes correct.

You answer may have included.

As people grow, they go through different stages of life, and sometimes people celebrate these big life changes with a special ceremony.

This is called a rite of passage.

A rite of passage is a celebration when a person moves from one stage of life to another, like from being a baby to a child, or from a child to a teenager.

People from different religions and cultures have different ways of celebrating these important moments.

Well done for changing the words and making Sam's explanation correct.

Great.

We now know what is a rite of passage.

Let's now go and find out what is a rite of passage for Christians.

Sofia and Alex are curious about how Christians mark important life events, called rites of passage.

They want to talk to Christians to understand how these shape their beliefs and worldview.

Sofia's question is, "What rites of passage do Christians have?" And Alex's question is, "Do these rites of passage happen for both boys and girls?" Let's join Sofia and Alex to find out.

What is happening here? What questions might you ask about this? Let's find out.

Sofia and Alex are now talking with Tia, who has a Christian worldview and attends a Methodist church.

Sofia and Alex asks, "What happens when a baby is born in a Christian family?" Tia replies, "When a baby is born in a Christian family, it is often a very special and joyful time.

Some Christian families choose to have a ceremony to welcome the baby into the faith.

In my church, this is called a baptism." Time for a check.

What is a rite of passage for some Christians to welcome a baby? Is it a marriage ceremony, or baptism, or is it a birthday? What do you think? That's correct.

It is the baptism ceremony.

Well done.

Tia shares is her experience of her cousin's baptism.

She says, "I went to my cousin's infant baptism at church.

During the ceremony, the priest gently sprinkled water over her head.

This was a special way of welcoming her into the Christian community.

Our whole family was there to celebrate.

I watched as her parents and godparents made promises to help her grow in faith.

It felt like a really important and joyful moment." Can baptism happen for both boys and girls? Yes.

According to Tia, "In Christian churches, both boys and girls can have an infant baptism.

It's not just for one gender.

In her church, the ceremony is about marking the start of the child's Christian journey, and it's for everyone." Let's see if you got that.

Rites of passage in Christianity are only for boys.

True or false? False, because rights of passage in Christianity, such as baptism and dedication, are for both boys and girls.

These ceremonies are meant for all Christians regardless of gender.

Well done for choosing false.

Is baptism the same rite of passage for all Christians? Let's find out from Asher, who says, "Some Christians welcome a baby with baptism, using water.

Others have a dedication ceremony, where they thank God, but don't use water.

We do dedications at my church." Here are the images of baptism and dedication ceremony.

In baptism, water is being used.

However, in dedication ceremony, they don't use water, but they're both important rites of passage for Christian people.

Is dedication similar to or different from infant baptism?" Sofia and Alex wonder.

Asher says, "For me, they are similar because both mark a special stage in life, welcoming the baby into the Christian faith." Sofia and Alex are talking to Reverend Canon Ann Easter, a Christian priest in the Anglican church, to know more about the rites of passage in Christianity.

They ask, "How is dedication different from baptism?" Reverend Ann replies, "They're both important rites of passage in Christianity.

Different churches follow different practises." Let's find out more from Ann Easter.

Baptism is when a child is baptised with water, marking their entry into the Christian faith.

It's a way for the church to welcome the baby.

Dedication, on the other hand, is when the parents bring their child before God to thank him for the gift of the child and promise to raise them in the Christian faith.

It's more about the parents making a promise to God.

Let's see if you got that.

Dedication is different from baptism because.

It is about parents thanking God and making a promise, or the baby chooses it for themselves, or is it that it happens when the child becomes an adult? What do you think? That's correct.

Dedication is different from baptism because it is about the parents thanking God and making a promise.

You got that right.

Well done.

Time for our next task.

Hope you're ready.

Lucas and Sam have been asked to explain the meaning of rites of passage in Christianity.

Whose explanation is the best and why? Read carefully.

Lucas says, "Infant baptism and dedication are both important rites of passage Christians use to mark new life.

These ceremonies are the same for both boys and girls." On the other hand, Sam says, "Rites of passage mark important stages in a person's life.

Infant baptism and dedication ceremonies are important to parents." Whose explanation is the best and why? You can pause the video now and come back when you're ready with your answer.

Let's check your answer and find out whose explanation is the best and why.

Lucas's explanation is best because he shows that baptism and dedication are special rites of passage for Christians to show their faith in God and mark a new baby's arrival to a family.

Both ceremonies can be performed on boys and girls.

There is no difference.

Well done if you chose Lucas's explanation and included that in your answer.

Great work.

So what have we learned today? We've learned that rites of passage are special ceremonies that happen when a person moves from one stage of life to another, and many cultures and religions have rites of passage to celebrate key life changes, such as birth, growing up, marriage, and death.

We've also learned that both infant baptism and dedication are ceremonies that welcome a baby into the Christian faith and show a commitment to raising them with Christian values.

Infant baptism uses water to welcome the baby into the church.

Whilst in a dedication, parents promise to raise their child as a Christian without using water.

Well done for showing such great curiosity and respect as we learned about these special life ceremonies.

That's all for today's lesson.

Thank you for your brilliant thinking.

You can give yourself a quiet round of applause.

See you next time.

Bye.