Lesson Plan: Silence

• Learning Objectives:
  To explore the idea that religion is concerned with peoples’ attempt to find meaning to life.
  To appreciate that some peoples’ actions and behaviour are influenced by their religious beliefs.
  To explore religious rules and customs of monks.

• Resources:
  Background information on monks, particularly "Simplicity, Silence and Solitude,"
  card with bold, gold lettering "Silence is golden," paper / exercise books to record written ideas.

• Plan:
  Create silence in the classroom for one minute. Is this possible? Do some noises continue e.g clock ticking? Was it easy to sit quietly without talking?
  Silence is very difficult to achieve. Monks live in a monastery so that they can be away from the hustle and bustle of the world, so that they can spend time in silence.
  How does silence make you feel? When do you like to have quiet around you? Where do you go to have peace?
  Why do you think the monks get up in the middle of the night to pray?
  (The silence is special. They feel closer to God).

  Monks and nuns spend much time in silence. This is not a form of punishment but something which they want to do. It lets them listen to God talking to them.

  Possible questions:
  Do you think that God talks to monks?
  How do the monks hear God?
  What do you think God might say to a monk?

• Ideas for written work / further discussion:

  Show the card "Silence is Golden."
  What does this mean to you? When is silence special to you?

  Write a poem about silence (see examples of pupils work forfurther ideas).

  Imagine what it must be like to live in a world of silence.
  What noises would you miss? e.g. rippling water, the wind whistling through the trees, mum’s comforting words when you are ill or upset,
  children’s laughter as they play on a warm, sandy beach . . .

• Plenary:
  Read out some of the children’s written work. Make a class book of the poems or put these on a display board. Use the proverb "Silence is Golden" as a title. Encourage children to read each other’s work and discuss their ideas.

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