Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mr. Womack, and I am really excited to be working with you today.

I've just got one of those feelings that we're going to do a brilliant job.

Today's lesson is called "The idea of pilgrimage," and it comes from the unit Pilgrimage: why might some people visit Jerusalem, Karbala, or Makkah? By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain that a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place.

Here are the keywords that we will use in the learning today.

We're going to practice saying them together.

I'm going to say them and then you are going to say them.

So let's try the first one.

Pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage.

A journey to a sacred place.

Next, pilgrim.

Pilgrim.

That's someone who goes on a journey to a holy place.

And finally, sacred.

Sacred.

A place that is holy and may be dedicated to God.

Well done on practicing those keywords, and keep your eyes peeled because we'll be using them throughout the learning today.

Here is the lesson outline.

In the first part of the lesson, we're going to look at what is a sacred place.

And in the second part of the lesson, we're going to look at what is a pilgrimage.

We're going to start with, what is a sacred place? Here's Laura.

Laura explains how we use social science in religious education.

Laura says, "Social scientists are interested in how people live.

They consider how context such as where they live or when they lived affects this.

We can better understand people's worldviews by looking at photographs or analyzing data.

We can survey or interview people to find out more about their worldview." So in this lesson, we will be listening to people with different worldviews to help us understand the idea of pilgrimage.

Laura and Lucas are discussing special places they like to visit.

Laura says, "I love going to the football match with my dad.

We get the bus to the ground with other fans.

It's fun being part of a crowd all cheering our team together." Lucas responds, "I love visiting my grandma's house in Devon.

When we get there, we have a big meal as a family and then play hide and seek in the garden." I wonder what special places you like to visit.

It would be a good idea to pause the video now whilst you think about your answer to that question.

Laura and Lucas explain what makes these places special to them.

Laura says, "A football ground might be special because at a football match, you all sit together and wear the colors of your team.

You sing chants and celebrate when your team scores." And Lucas says, "A family home might be special because it is a place where people gather to eat and celebrate together." So it's time to check our understanding with a multiple choice question.

What kinds of activities often happen at special places? Will you choose A, celebrating; B, writing; or C, singing? And remember, there might be more than one answer.

You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think what answer you should put.

The answers are A, celebrating, and C, singing.

Well done if you got that question right.

Here's Fiona.

Fiona has a Christian worldview.

She attends an Anglican church.

Fiona says, "A church is a sacred place for Christians.

Christians gather there to worship God together." And you can see a picture of what it might look like inside a church.

Perhaps you've been in one, or perhaps you might get to go out to one on a school trip.

Here's Mandeep.

Mandeep has a Sikh worldview.

He attends a gurdwara.

Mandeep says, "A gurdwara is a sacred place for Sikhs.

I go there to pray and meet other members of my Sikh community." And again, you can see there a picture of what it might look like inside a Sikh gurdwara.

The word sacred comes from Latin, and you can see there highlighted the root word, which means holy or to dedicate.

A sacred place is a holy place dedicated to God.

Churches and gurdwaras are special places because they are holy to Christians and Sikhs.

So let's take a moment to check our understanding again.

Which of these is the definition of sacred? Is the answer A, special; B, beautiful; or C, holy? You are going to want to pause the video now whilst you think which answer you should put.

The answer is C.

The definition of sacred is holy.

Well done if you got that one right.

The city of Jerusalem is a sacred place for Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

There's a picture of Jerusalem on the screen.

I wonder what sacred places you can spot in this photograph.

Might want to pause the video now whilst you look at the photograph more closely.

I wonder what you pointed out.

Maybe you saw that Jerusalem has many churches and other sacred places for Christians.

Perhaps you spotted the Dome of the Rock, which is a mosque in Jerusalem that is a sacred place for Muslims. And maybe you spotted the Western Wall, which is a sacred place for Jews.

So, true or false? A larger place like a city could be a sacred place.

Is the answer true or false? So you're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think if the answer is true or false, and why.

The answer is true.

Jerusalem is an example of a sacred city with many sacred places within it.

Well done if you got that one right.

So it's time for our first task.

Your job is to complete the table and make the false answers correct.

I think you should start off by saying whether the statement is true or false.

And then afterwards, go back to the sentence and correct it.

You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you complete this task, and I look forward to seeing what you put.

Well, I wonder what you put.

On the right hand side, you can see that the first one is false, special places are the same as sacred places.

And you might have corrected it to: a place can be special without being sacred or holy.

And the second one was true, sacred does mean holy or dedicated to God.

The third was false, the city of Jerusalem is a sacred place for Sikhs, because Jerusalem is sacred for Christians, Jews, and Muslims. And the last one was true, sacred places can be places of worship, but can also include larger places like cities.

Really good job on putting in the effort to complete that task.

So that completes the first part of our lesson on what is a sacred place.

And now we're moving on to the second part on what is a pilgrimage.

Laura and Lucas have to travel to their special places.

The journey is an important part of the visit.

Laura says, "We get the bus to the ground with other fans.

We are very excited and we love to sing and chant." Lucas says, "It's a long way to my grandma's house, so we play I spy on the car journey." I'll bet that some of you might have done that.

So what journeys have you made to special places? You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you consider your answers to that question.

Here's Fiona, and Fiona explains the ideas of pilgrimage.

Fiona says, "A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place.

On a pilgrimage, the journey itself can be as important as the destination." And you can see in the picture on the right hand side, Christians making the pilgrimage to the sacred city of Jerusalem.

So let's take a moment to check our understanding.

What is a pilgrimage? Is the answer A, a holy building or place dedicated to God; B, a journey to a sacred place; or C, someone who goes on a pilgrimage? You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think which of these is the right answer.

The right answer is B.

A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place.

Well done if you got that one right.

Here's Fiona again, and Fiona says, "People who go on pilgrimage are called pilgrims. A pilgrimage is not just an ordinary journey like driving to the shops." And you can see here pilgrims praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

You might remember that from the earlier picture looking over the top of Jerusalem.

Well, this is the wall a little bit more close up.

So let's try another question.

What is a pilgrim? Is a pilgrim a holy building or place dedicated to God, a journey to a sacred place, or someone who goes on a pilgrimage? You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think which of these is the right answer.

The right answer is C.

A pilgrim is someone who goes on a pilgrimage.

Well done if you got that question right.

So, I wonder if you've heard of any pilgrimages.

You might just want to take a moment and pause the video and discuss that.

Well, a pilgrimage might be at a certain time of the year and take place in a specific month.

It might be that pilgrims do actions like walking barefoot or praying to show their devotion and as part of their worship.

And pilgrims, while they're out in pilgrimage, might deepen their understanding of the faith.

So which of these statements about pilgrimage is not true? Will you select A? A, pilgrimage might happen at certain times of the year.

B, pilgrims might want to deepen their faith.

Or C, a pilgrimage is just like an ordinary journey.

You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think which of these statements about pilgrimage is not true.

The answer is C.

A pilgrimage isn't just like an ordinary journey, is it? It's something special and something wonderful that deepens your faith and might happen at certain times of the year.

So Laura and Lucas want to find out more about pilgrimage.

Laura says, "I wonder if pilgrimage makes a big difference to people's lives." Lucas says, "Well, let's ask some people with different worldviews how they have been affected by their pilgrimage." Great idea, Lucas.

Let's do that.

Here is Iqbal.

Iqbal has a Muslim worldview, and he explains about his Hajj pilgrimage to Makkah.

Iqbal says, "My experience of Hajj was awesome.

I felt enriched with a deeper understanding and a stronger connection with Allah.

I felt satisfied that I had completed a pillar of Islam." And here's Fiona again.

Remember, Fiona has a Christian worldview, and she explains about her Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Fiona says, "Pilgrimage felt like a really important way for me to show devotion to God.

Showing devotion means sacrificing your time, money, and effort.

I feel I have a bigger spiritual commitment to God because of my pilgrimage journey." So let's take a moment to check our understanding.

True or false? A pilgrimage makes no difference to someone's life.

You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think if the answer is true or false, and why.

The answer is false.

Most pilgrims gain a deeper or bigger spiritual connection to God, and a pilgrim might feel enriched by this experience.

Really well done if you got that one right.

Okay, here's an interesting picture.

I wonder what might be happening in this image and I wonder what clues you might spot.

I think it will be a good idea to pause the video now whilst you inspect this image more deeply and then we'll consider What you might have thought.

So this image shows Christian pilgrims in the Middle Ages hundreds of years ago, and it shows that Christians have been going on pilgrimage to holy places for many hundreds of years.

Back then, it would've been a long and dangerous journey, and there weren't any modern forms of transport like cars or planes.

People would've had to have spent a really long time preparing and a really long time traveling too.

So let's check our understanding with a true or false question.

True or false? Pilgrims have been making pilgrimages for a long time.

You're going to want to pause the video now whilst you think is the answer true or false, and why.

So the answer is true.

There is evidence that pilgrims have been visiting places like Jerusalem and Makkah for hundreds of years.

Well done if you got that one right.

So here's Iqbal explaining how he prepared for his pilgrimage to Makkah.

Iqbal says, "I spent ages getting ready for my pilgrimage by praying, reading the Koran, and packing special clothes.

I even went to the gym because you have to be fit to go on Hajj.

I was looking forward to praying with so many other pilgrims in Makkah." Fiona explains how she prepared for her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and Fiona says, "I got ready for my pilgrimage to Jerusalem by praying and reading my Bible.

I also practiced walking a long way.

I was looking forward to meeting and traveling with other pilgrims and stopping for prayers along the way.

Well, it's time for a task now.

Alex and his family are going on a pilgrimage.

Alex says, "Help me to write a message to my younger cousin to explain what a pilgrimage is and how we should prepare for it." So you're going to want to pause the video now whilst you help Alex write his message.

As you do so, think about the things that Fiona and Iqbal shared about their preparations for pilgrimage.

So, I wonder what you put.

Here are some things that Alex might have said to his younger cousin.

Might have said: a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place.

And to get ready for a pilgrimage, you might need to pray, read your holy book, plan your journey, get ready by getting fit, and pack special clothes.

Really well done for working hard to complete that task.

So we've come to the end of our learning together.

So let's summarize what we've done.

We've learned that many people take journeys to visit places that are special to them.

We've learned that a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place, and we've learned that Christian, Muslim and Jewish pilgrims might visit sacred places associated with their worldview, such as Jerusalem or Makkah.

Well, I've really enjoyed working with you today.

You've done a great job, and I'm really proud of you.

I look forward to seeing you again and working with you again soon.

Bye for now.