Glastonbury: a historical site for Christians
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe how and why Glastonbury changed over time as a centre for Christian pilgrimage.
Key learning points
- Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset. Close by is Glastonbury Tor.
- A legend states that Joseph of Arimathea came to Glastonbury after the burial of Jesus.
- In the Middle Ages, Glastonbury was one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Britain.
- The shrine of Our Lady of Glastonbury was revived and is now a popular site of Christian pilgrimage.
Keywords
Pilgrimage - a journey made to some sacred place, as an act of religious devotion
Abbey - a building where monks or nuns live or used to live
Shrine - a place where people come to worship because it is connected with a holy person or event
Legend - a very old story or set of stories from ancient times
Holy Grail - the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, which legend says was brought to England
Common misconception
All places of pilgrimage have remained the same.
Glastonbury was a famous early and medieval centre of pilgrimage in England and continues to be important today although it is different to the original centre and shrine.
Teacher tip
Identify similarities and differences between another place of pilgrimage locally or nationally/internationally.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.In which country would you find the place of Christian pilgrimage called Iona?
Q2.How often does the Hindu Pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela take place?
Q3.Why would people wash in the rivers during Kumbh Mela?
Q4.Which Hindu deities would you associate with the sacred Hindu pilgrimage site of the River Ganges?
Q5.What does the third eye represent on the foreheads of some Hindu deities?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match the keywords to the correct definition.
a journey made to some sacred place, as an act of religious devotion
a building where monks or nuns live or used to live
a place where people worship as it is connected to a holy person/event
a very old story or set of stories from ancient times
the cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper, possibly brought to England
Q2.Which of these statements are true?
Q3.Joseph of Arimathea is believed to have lived in Glastonbury. What is he known for in the Bible?
Q4.Joseph of Arimathea is said to have converted tens of thousands of people to Christianity. Who was one of those converts?
Q5.What is Glastonbury Abbey thought to be?
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Glastonbury: a historical site for Christians, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Glastonbury: a historical site for Christians, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 religious education lessons from the Pilgrimage: why are people still drawn to ancient places? unit, dive into the full primary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.