1.To find out about why Catholic pilgrims go to a place called Lourdes and what they do when they are there. 2.To discuss and develop our own opinions about Lourdes and consider the opinions of other people. Last lesson we looked at the question: What is pilgrimage? How much can you remember?  Re-arrange these mixed up words from last lesson and then explain what they mean - you will need to understand them for today’s lesson…  Now, can you re-arrange these phrases and explain what they have to do with pilgrimage… place religious special belief pilgrims same the religious share Remember these definitions, because you will need them in today’s lesson, where we find out more about a place of pilgrimage in France for Catholic believers, called Lourdes. You are problem solving & communicating…

You are working with others & communicating…  You need to work in groups of 4 people.  Each group needs to sit together, with a sheet of large paper, a coloured pen and your homework from last lesson.  As a small group, discuss the research about Lourdes that you completed for homework – compare what you found out, did you all find out the same things or is your information all different? Remember: take it in turns to speak & give everyone chance to speak. Then, choose a scribe & write your information onto your group’s brainstorm, but… You need to sort out your information – if a fact that you’ve found out is about, ‘Why pilgrims go to Lourdes’, then write it on the side of the brainstorm. If a fact that you’ve found out is about, ‘What pilgrims do at Lourdes’, then write it on the side of the brainstorm. You don’t need to write the same fact twice and if a fact does not fit into either category, then do not include it on your brainstorm.

 Look at your group brainstorm and think about everything you’ve discussed as a group…  Are these speech bubbles describing, ‘Why pilgrims go to Lourdes?’ or ‘What pilgrims do at Lourdes?’ 1. A young French girl had 18 visions of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes – this makes it a very special religious place. 2. A church was built in the place where Mary had been seen so that Catholic believers could go there to worship. 3. There was (& still is) a spring of water at Lourdes and pilgrims began to bathe in its water. 4. After bathing in the spring water pilgrims claimed to have been healed by God, from illnesses & disabilities. Lourdes then became very popular as a pilgrimage site where people are healed. You are communicating & problem solving…

Now you know the basic facts about why people go to Lourdes and what they do there. But, what do you and other people think about what happens there? As a class we’re going to read through an account of an American doctor who visited Lourdes. In 1858 a girl called Bernadette, reported seeing the Virgin Mary at a place called Lourdes, in France. Almost at once, disabled & ill people began to visit the place & were healed by God. Today, the Medical Bureau of Lourdes has on file over 1200 confirmed healings. Each time somebody claims to have been healed at Lourdes, they are examined by 20 doctors to confirm that they really have been healed. A doctor called Dr Carrel went to Lourdes, to investigate its claims that people were healed, he believed that it was impossible for God to heal people. Whilst he was on the train travelling to Lourdes, there was a sick girl also on the train & several times he was called to help her because she was so ill. He said to his friend, ‘If somebody like her, who is so ill, could be healed, it would be a miracle & I would believe that God could heal people.’ Dr Carrel went with the girl to Lourdes & there he saw her being healed. He asked her how she felt & she said, ‘I feel like I am better.’ Later, he & two other doctors examined her & confirmed that her illness had gone & that she had been healed. Dr Carrel then said that all his doubts had gone & now he believed that God could heal people. You are communicating…

It’s amazing that God can heal people. It shows what a powerful God he is – if he can create the world then it would be easy to make people who are ill better. Different people have very different opinions about what happens at Lourdes, such as…  It’s all a load of rubbish. I think that either the people aren’t ill in the first place or they are healed by positive thinking – if you believe that you can be made better then your mind can make it happen. Which opinion do you agree with? Agree with the green opinion? Hold up your green smiley face card.  Agree with the red opinion? Hold up your red sad face card.  Keep your cards held up in front of you. As a whole class you’re going to discuss your opinions, after you have spoken put your card flat on the table. If you want to speak again hold your card up again.  Remember to behave as a ‘Quality Audience’ – what does his mean? You must start your opinion with ‘I agree with the green/red opinion (or the name of somebody in the class), because…’ You are communicating…

In the front of your books write the title: Lourdes – lots of different opinions Then complete these sentences, giving as much detail as you can…  I think that what happens at Lourdes is…  I think this because…  If I took part in the discussion again I would also like to say…because…  __(fill in the name of somebody in the class)_____ had an opinion that was different to mine about what happens at Lourdes.  __(same name as above)____ said that….  Although this opinion is different to mine, I can understand that __(same name as above)____ said this because… You are improving your own learning & performance…

At the start of the lesson we aimed to find out… Why Catholic pilgrims go to Lourdes & what they do when they are there. Look at these pictures – choose a picture & explain what it has to do with Lourdes… …or not? We also aimed to think about… Our own & other people’s opinions about what happens at Lourdes. Use your books to help you… You are communicating & problem solving… Is it… What would a Catholic pilgrim say? What would somebody who didn’t believe in God say? What did you say?

Imagine that you have visited Lourdes & seen somebody being healed, like the American doctor did. Write an to a friend, explaining…  What happened  What you saw  What you felt  What your opinion is now about people being healed at Lourdes. Complete this work on the computer & set it out as though it were an . Use everything that you have learnt in today’s lesson in your homework. Give as much information & include as many details as you can. You are developing your ICT skills…