Learning Outcomes

Understand what a conscience is and how we use it to make decisions

Introduction

Introduce or revise the story of Hansel and Gretel with the children. “How does the story of Hansel and Gretel end?” “That’s right, their father comes to rescue them” “Why do you think he came to find them when earlier he led them into the forest?”

Development

If the class haven’t already suggested a conscience, the teacher introduces now. Get the class to offer up their understanding of what the word means by creating a mind map on the board.

Play the YouTube video of Give A Little Whistle from Pinocchio. Ask the children who the character Jiminy Cricket was? Go through with the class how Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio’s conscience. Get the children to list the times that Jiminy says that Pinocchio should whistle for him to come.

Go through with the class how Jiminy tells Pinocchio to call for him when he has to make a decision because it is our conscience that helps us to make them. Go back to the story of Hansel and Gretel, what things might the father’s conscience say to him e.g. they’re only children, the woods is dangerous, we have no money and no food.

Divide the class in two and get the class to take part in a Conscience Alley activity for the father. Get one child to walk down while each side takes a side of the argument who whisper to the person walking the alley what decision to make. Get feedback from the person who walks the alley about what it felt like and what decision they would make.

Divide the class into groups of 4/5 and get them to devise a scenario where they might have to talk to their conscience. What might their conscience tell them to do? For example, what would they say if someone took the book you wanted in the library? Someone ran into you while on yard at break time.

Get the groups to use the Puppet Pals app for iPads to go through the conversation that might take place in someones head with their conscience. One puppet could be the main character with another puppet popping in to take the role of the conscience.

When completed, the groups can present their work to the class and other classes.

Plenary

In table groups of groups of 4/5, the children work to come up with a scenario where we might talk to our conscience