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Choices, choices, choices

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AGE: Primary

THEME: 'Choices, Choices, Choices!'
Making choices: Why did I do that?

AIM:
To explore the concept of choice and how we can get to know and understand ourselves better as we consider our reasons for making choices.

PREPARATION:
  • Prepare a list of choices starting with something very simple and moving to more challenging religious and moral dilemmas. Here are some examples, but you could introduce your own related to the children's ages, interests and current issues in school:
    • Do you prefer apples or oranges?
    • Do you prefer white bread or brown bread?
    • Do you prefer to play football or rounders?
    • Would you eat a bag of sweets yourself or share them with your friends?
    • If you found a ten pound note in the playground, would you keep it or hand it in to the school office?
    • If you saw your friend stealing, would you say nothing or report it?

INTRODUCTION:
Play the Choices game:
Invite a group of about half a dozen children to come out and join you. Read the first of your list of choices to them - something very simple, e.g. Do you prefer apples or oranges? Those who prefer apples go to one side, those who prefer oranges go to the other.

DEVELOPMENT:
If you are working with a large group of children you may wish to invite a different group of volunteers to join you for each of the choices you present.

Gradually work you way through your list of choices, and as they become more challenging, offer time for the children to discuss their decisions. Engage those watching by asking for their opinions. Can they help individuals to a) make a choice? or b) maybe change their mind?

Explore together the range of choices that have been made so far that day. Was it easy to make the choices? How do we decide if we have made the right choice?

Some choices are easier than others. Some choices affect only ourselves but others can affect our friends, our families. There are people around us who can help and guide us when we are making important decisions (offer an opportunity to give examples of people in your community) and Christians believe that through prayer and studying the Bible, God guides them in the choices they make.

REFLECTION:
Light a candle on a central table so it can be seen. Ask the children to focus their attention on the flame. In the stillness, reflect together on this piece of advice given to Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J K Rowling (Bloomsbury, 1998):

'It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.'

MUSIC:
For younger children:
From Come and Praise Beginning, BBC Education
'God is so good' (No.11)
'There's a new day' (No.13)

For older children:
From Come and Praise 1, BBC Education
'One more step along the world I go' (No.47)
'Father hear the prayer we offer' (No.48)

FOLLOW-UP IDEAS:
  1. It's often said that in the West we live in a world of 'choice'. In fact we can be overwhelmed by choices. How do we know what to choose? How can our choices affect others? How do our choices reveal our values and our world view? Use the quotation from Harry Potter (see REFLECTION) for a circle time or class discussion to explore some of these ideas.

  2. Solomon has traditionally been seen as a person of great wisdom. In the Bible (I Kings 3:16-28) Solomon makes a life or death decision. Explore Solomon's approach to making choices. Was he wise? Did he make the right decision? Could the story have had a different ending?

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Copyright © Culham Institute 2000-2012