Building a stimulating RE environment

Use every corner, and even the ceiling!

Good RE can take place (almost?) ANYWHERE if we look for what Bertrand Russell called 'the strangeness lying just below the surface of things' and have an eye for an insight into life's mysteries. But while it may be true that 'you can't beat your brain for entertainment', there's little doubt that the RE-imagination can be ignited by a stimulating environment.

Ideally, perhaps, RE would take place in a variety of contexts, ranging from places of worship to the great outdoors, and something of those environments can be brought into the classroom with judicious use of 'virtual tours' found for example at: pow.reonline.org.uk. But the classroom itself can be developed to provide a more productive and challenging RE experience.

Images of Jesus

Images of Jesus, some controversial, can provide a stimulus for discussion and deeper learning. Go to the RE Jesus website for some sample pictures.

SHAP Award winner, Sue Phillips, for instance, clears all the desks to the side of the classroom when she uses her 'Theatre of Learning' technique for engaging children in RE. Draping large pieces of fabric over a central table and a couple of chairs provides the background for her 'Island' mystery.

Sue clears all the desks
to the side of the classroom
to create a 'Theatre of Learning'.
(Photo courtesy of Dick Powell.)

Onto the fabric she places items such as plants, driftwood and shells, and to set the atmosphere, an audio CD of the sounds of the sea-shore is playing and there is the scent of an ocean-scented candle. On a screen, or on the ceiling, a picture or movie of a waterfall is projected and scattered around on the 'island' are the items which begin the investigation, such as a wedding dress, flowers, wine glasses, cutlery, candles. To see how Sue develops exciting RE from here, see her Theatre of Learning: Experiential RE - Making RE Make Sense, published by SfE, 2003, available from www.sfe.co.uk. There are four other Theatre of Learning resource files now covering all aspects of RE and also one on 'Teaching Tolerance'.

For a range of sound samples (including church bells; ocean sounds etc.) under the creative commons license - you might like to register at freesound.iua.upf.edu.

Even if you don't go in for the full 'Theatre of Learning' approach, there are a variety of ways of developing a more engaging RE experience in the classroom. A variety of music from religious and cultural traditions, for example, can provide a stimulating background for some class activities:

• For random hymn tunes played over, go to the splendid HymnSite Jukebox at: www.hymnsite.com
• Surely everyone knows the TorahTots tunes now? Go to www.torahtots.com/music.htm for some fun Jewish songs for children.
• Some wonderful Buddhist chanting can be found at the Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery website: www.ratanagiri.org.uk/chanting.htm
• For Sikh Gurbani music from the Golden Temple go to www.sikhnet.com/GoldenTemple
• For singing from a Gujurat Hindu Temple try the Cumbrian and Lancashire Education Online website www.cleo.net.uk/resources [...]
• Try www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/texts/quran_2.shtml for audio readings from the Qur'an, and:
• For the Muslim Call to Prayer, a spine tingling example can be found at: www.islam4schools.com/adhaan.htm

Remember to leave a bit of space
for the interactive whiteboard.
(Gurjit Shergill's classroom, Brampton Manor School)

Good RE displays help children to make connections between ideas, beliefs and practices, reinforce learning, help them to see things from a different perspective and inspire them to find out more.

Consider the list of possible display features of 'the ideal RE environment' below:

• pictures of 'belief in action', eg charities' posters;
• photos or paintings of 'famous believers';
• flipcharts of 'sayings from the scriptures' or 'words of wisdom' or 'question of the week' - changed every week;
• children's own abstract art work on key concepts of belief and practice;
• ceiling displays of key words, and ways of remembering aspects of belief and practice, such as mnemonics, rhymes and colour coding;
• displays of artefacts and symbols from different faiths and philosophies on shelves or tables or in cabinets;
• an appropriate range and selection of 'Can-do' level statements displayed at the front of the class, e.g. above, or to the side of, the whiteboard;
• using the whiteboard to display a different picture of belief or practice as a starter to each lesson or make your own 'picture reveal' as featured on the Staffordshire Learning Net at: www.sln.org.uk/geography/visual.htm;
• 'belief' charts showing numbers and varieties of religious and non-religious belief systems and believers.

Some classrooms contain 'learning stations'
that may include wirelessly connected
laptops for internet research,
writing equipment, RE books and booklets.

As well as displays, of course, there are varieties of ways of arranging classroom furniture. You may want to keep children behind their desks for a stilling activity where they will not be tempted to disturb each other, or move desks aside for some active learning. Or group children around a couple of desks for a group discussion, or rearrange chairs for a 'hot-seat' activity. Whatever arrangement you use, ensure that it is inclusive and all children get their chance to participate or show what they can do.

Drapes, textiles, photo displays and
artefacts add interest to the standard classroom

Give children a sense of ownership of the environment by involving them in decisions about what could be improved and including their work in displays, not just in the classroom, but in corridors and in the school's reception area.

Finally, don't forget to make your own record of each new classroom set-up. A few digital photos and captions can add something to the RE pages on the school website as well as your own professional development portfolio!