R.E. People of God - Covenants

Introduction:

What is a ‘pact’? Have you ever made one? When God gives rules in the Noah story (Chapter 9), he makes a covenant — a pact. God is not just giving humans rules to obey, but he also has a promise to keep. Can you answer the question: ‘What was God’s covenant with Noah?’

Learning

Think about the agreements (pacts — or covenants) that people make; for example, drivers driving on the correct side of the road, shopkeepers giving customers goods they have paid for, playing with somebody in the playground because you have promised to do so, keeping to the rules in sport, the government providing hospitals because people pay taxes. What happens if people break each of the agreements you come up with — what are the consequences?

Think Pair Share

God in the Noah story was trying to do away with evil in the world and make it a better place. Can you list what you think we could do without from today’s world in order to make it a better place. Split your list into two categories: ‘Things we could stop’ and ‘Things we can’t stop’. How do you think we could help to stop items on the first list, and pick two or three that everyone in the class will work hard to discontinue.
Let's think about the covenant between God and the creatures he created in the Noah story. Both humans and God had conditions they needed to stick to.

Independent learning

Think about one thing you could do to make your table/group in class or home a great place to work. Write table or home contracts: on a large piece of paper everyone writes down your promise of one thing you will do to help their table/group/family. The paper should then be signed by all group members.
Discuss God’s sign of the rainbow as a reminder of his promise, and other ways people remember things: for example, sticky notes on the fridge. Decide what you are going to do to help you remember your promises in the contract and then carry out your decisions.