Work program for additional education of the Sunday school "iso". Art and visual circle Drawing lessons in an Orthodox school

Christian education and upbringing

42 min.

Explanations

The program of classes for children aged 5–14 years is part of systematic and continuous classes with children and adults in the parish of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Pechatniki. It is based on the Recommendations for organizing the educational process in an Orthodox Sunday school (Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate, 1991, No. 18, pp. 51–54, as well as the magazine “Orthodox Community,” 1992, No. 5, pp. 53–64), Collection of educational programs (Law and Commandments of God. M., 1992), uses practical experience over recent years in relevant schools and serves as the basis for weekly thematic classes with children.

The main directions of spiritual teaching for children (“Rule of Good”, “Rule of Prayer”, “Canon of Books”, “Rule of Personal Life in the Church”) are revealed not only in thematic lessons in the classroom, but also in combination with visits to other parishes, pilgrimages to monasteries , trips to nature, excursions to museums and exhibitions, home and school holidays, arts and crafts, singing, physical education, as well as participation in works of mercy, charity and education, in feasible children's ministries, and participation in divine services.

It is assumed that the child learns and consolidates the basic well-known concepts of church Christian life in the process of acquiring his own experience of church life, surrounded by senior mentors, parents and peers living in the faith and the Church. Therefore, the main attention is paid to an attempt to lay the foundations of a child’s general worldview, to help overcome those difficulties that weaken his child’s immature faith, to arouse in him a desire to live by faith, and to instill an interest in reading and studying the Holy Scriptures and church tradition.

Classes for children are held in different age groups: 5–6; 7–8; 9–11; 12–14 years old.

At the beginning of the school year, an introductory lesson with continuing education and interviews with new children are planned in order to find out the spiritual mood, age and psychological characteristics, level of knowledge and interests of children, as well as to determine the goals and objectives of working with them for the coming year, based on this educational programs are individual group programs, also taking into account the professional knowledge and personal spiritual experience of teachers. Every year there is a return to the main topics and concepts in accordance with the new capabilities of the child.

In an individual program, the teacher selects readings from the Holy Scriptures, stories related to the history of the church, the lives of saints, passages for reading or retelling from works of fiction that correspond to the topics of the lessons.

For groups consisting of church-going children, general topics additionally include information about the current holidays of the liturgical year in which they participate, learning church prayers appropriate to their age and perception, elements of iconography and the Church Slavonic language.

The program has a number of applications.

Appendix 1. Literature for teachers.

Appendix 2. General model of organizing work in Sunday school.

Appendix 3. Examples of individual lessons according to individual programs.

Appendix 4. Practice of gaming techniques in Sunday school classes for different age groups.

Appendix 5. Scenarios for children's holidays (Christmas, Easter, Candlemas, Annunciation).

Margarita Belotelova

Part one

Target

To help children notice the beauty and reasonable structure of the world around them, to establish the concept of God as the Creator of the world. Learn to be grateful and caring towards all creation. Help the child enter into a living relationship with God, the world, and people. Awaken love for Jesus Christ by telling stories about His love for people. Teach the first skills of prayer. Prepare for participation in church sacraments.

Forms of classroom lessons

Story, reading, conversation, slide film, visual arts, dramatization of read stories, games, singing, listening to music.

In younger groups, a weekly lesson is more often considered as an independent lesson, not related to the previous one due to the peculiarities of perception of children of this age.

The form of the lesson should allow the child to demonstrate physical activity. For example, the narration is accompanied by gestures and sounds; children can repeat them, imitate movements, touch objects that illustrate the story, or completely stage the story they heard (play, puppet, or drawing). Creative work continues in the process of drawing, modeling, and in realizing the opportunity to make something. Simple games involving singing and role-playing are good, eliminating competition and not requiring complex rules.

Stories from the Holy Scriptures are offered to children for the sake of the impression they can make on the child’s soul.

Examples from fiction (stories, poems, moral tales) can be used to help us unpack the stories of Scripture or as readings that we seek to understand through the experiences of the Bible stories.

When choosing topics for classes, the teacher can focus on certain areas that form the area of the child’s basic ideas in his relationship with God and the world. Associated with these areas in the program is a selection of texts from the Holy Scriptures that we would like to introduce to children of this age.

It should be borne in mind that the event of the first confession for children 6–7 years old, both those already receiving communion and those just prepared to participate in the sacraments, is of exceptional importance. It is important that a child, prepared for constant and conscious communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, deeply feel the power of the Lord’s Love for all people, the joy of forgiveness of all who sincerely repent and the joy of the promise: He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him ( John 6:56).

Possible areas of thematic classes

1. Beauty and wisdom in the world around us.

The joy of communicating with the animal and plant world, a grateful and caring attitude towards all living things.

Man-made and miraculous.

Known and unknowable by man.

Visible and invisible in the world.

2. The concept of God as the Creator. The world is our home.

A story about the creation of the world in a form in which children would feel how God put into the created world the opportunity to grow and develop. God's blessing to Adam and his wife. Peace is a gift that a person is called to protect and transform.

3. A series of lessons on ancient Russian history.

The meaning of world sacred history is the history of salvation. Sacrifice in the name of Christ and peace between people.

4. Getting to know the temple.

Temple - House of God (slide film); acquaintance with the temple, church utensils and other objects located in the temple; bells and ringing, making models and plans of temples.

5. Getting to know the icon.

An icon is a world of another life truth and meaning. The legend about the first icon. History of the Vladimir, Kazan and other icons of the Mother of God. Pilgrimages to them. Life icons.

6. The concept of worship.

Church worship is a conciliar communion with God in love for God and for each other. First concepts of liturgy.

7. About names and heavenly patrons. Lives of the Saints.

Meaning of the name. The naming of all living things by Adam. How the Lord revealed His name to the chosen people. About holiness. Acquaintance with the life of St. Sergius of Radonezh (pilgrimage to Radonezh and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra), St. Seraphim of Sarov, VMC. Catherine, Barbara, St. Nicholas, Archbishop Mirlikiysky, blgv. book Boris and Gleb and others. Demonstration of life stories in an accessible and interesting form for children.

8. Prayer - turning to God.

Texts from the New Testament: about the Lord's Prayer; prayer of the publican and the Pharisee, Gethsemane prayer.

Texts from the Old Testament: Solomon’s prayer upon ascending the royal throne, the story of the prophet Jonah as an example of the fact that what we want does not always coincide with what God wants; about the power of prayer, which healed the sick man contrary to what the prophet announced (the prayer of King Hezekiah).

9. Obedience and self-will.

Texts from the New Testament: the story of two sons sent to work in a vineyard; the story of the 12-year-old boy Jesus in the temple, the reason for His “disobedience” to Mother and Joseph; Mary and Joseph.

Texts from the Old Testament: the story of the Fall as man’s separation from God; Babel; Abraham's calling; how Balaam learned truth from his donkey.

10. Man’s desire for Good and Truth, for God. God's faithfulness to man. Christmas cycle.

Texts from the New Testament: the story of the coming of the Savior into the world.

Texts from the Old Testament: examples of the lives of the Old Testament righteous.

11. Love and care in the family, conflicts. The role of the family in preserving God's blessing to the people.

Texts from the New Testament: stories from the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Childhood of Jesus Christ. Candlemas. Flight to Egypt. Family life in Nazareth.

Texts from the Old Testament: the story of Noah; promise to Abraham; Isaac and his sons; the story of Joseph; stories about Tobit and his son Tobias.

Examples from the life of Russian saints: relationships with the parents of St. Sergius of Radonezh and St. Seraphim of Sarov with his mother.

12. Mercy, compassion and caring attitude towards people and all living things.

Texts from the New Testament: about the Good Samaritan; multiplying joy by turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee; miracle over the loaves; resurrection of the only son of the widow in Nain and the daughter of Jairus.

Texts from the Old Testament: how Abraham helped his nephew Lot; the resurrection of the widow's son by the prophet Elijah; a lesson in mercy to the prophet Jonah.

13. Good and evil in the world. About earthly and heavenly blessings.

Texts from the New Testament: about the merciful king and the evil servant; the parable of the rich man and the beggar Lazarus; about a rich young man; two mites for a poor widow; the parable of the workers in the vineyard; parable of the sower.

Texts from the Old Testament: Cain and Abel; the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah; stories about King David; Solomon's court.

14. Hard work. The Lord gives everyone his own talent.

Texts from the New Testament: the parable of the talents.

Texts from the Old Testament: building the tabernacle; Old Testament temple; wisdom of Solomon.

15. Lord and children.

Texts from the New Testament: a story about a boy who brought Christ his fish and bread to feed the crowd; blessing of children.

Texts from the Old Testament: the testimony of a little girl who led the military leader Naaman to the living and true God.

16. Repentance as a return to life created and given to us by God, a return to the House of the Father.

Texts from the New Testament: the parable of the publican and the Pharisee; return of the prodigal son.

Texts from the Old Testament: the repentance of the Ninevites.

17. Redeeming and saving power of suffering. Easter cycle.

Texts from the New Testament: the parable of the winegrower who sacrifices his son; a story about the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Texts from the Old Testament: Abraham sacrifices Isaac.

18. About Faith.

Texts from the New Testament: Jesus and the Samaritan woman; faith of the Canaanite woman; parable of the paralytic; healing the blind; walking on the waters.

Texts from the Old Testament: Moses and the copper serpent; Elijah and the prophets of Baal.

19. About God's help in moments of danger.

Texts from the New Testament: taming the storm; An angel frees the apostles from prison.

Texts from the Old Testament: three youths in a fiery furnace; Daniel in the lions' den; prophet Jonah.

20. Epiphanies. Wisdom of God. Holy Trinity. Deity of the Holy Spirit.

Texts from the New Testament: The Baptism of Jesus; the Savior's commandment about baptism; Sermon on the Mount; Transfiguration; Pentecost.

Texts from the Old Testament: the appearance of God to Moses; giving the 10 commandments to the Jewish people (without considering the commandments themselves); appearance of three angels to Abraham.

Part two

First year of study
(possible starting age 9–11 years)

I topic. God is the Creator of the world and man

1. How does a person learn about God? (3 - 4 lessons).
1.1. The greatness and beauty of nature, its laws testify to the Creator.

In nature, man sees examples of unattainable beauty and wisdom. Everything in the world moves, grows and dies not according to its own will, but according to laws that cannot be changed. The joy of communicating with living nature. A grateful and caring attitude towards the environment. It’s good if a picturesque place is chosen for a walk where the temple is located.

Lesson forms

Slide film with a story, Socratic conversation. A trip to nature, games, drawing, a fire, getting to know the temple.

1.2. Visible and invisible in the world.

How do we know the visible and invisible in the world? The Lord Omnipresent is invisible with our eyes, but we see His deeds and can feel Him with our hearts.

Lesson forms

Socratic conversation, drawing on the topic of the lesson, story.

1.3. Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.

God reveals Himself through the people He has chosen: prophets, saints. The fullness and perfection of God's Revelation in the God-man Jesus Christ. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent (John 17:3). Completeness and perfection of God's knowledge.

Lesson forms

Story, Socratic conversation, work with illustrative material.

2. Creation of the world. Six days (5 - 6 lessons).
2.1. First day of creation.

Sources of our knowledge about the creation of the world. The biblical narrative and scientific data about the creative transformation of primordial matter on the “first day” of the world. The concept of "day" in the Bible.

Lesson forms

Story, reading, Socratic conversation, drawing on the theme of the creation of the “first day” on a damp sheet of paper with two colors (blue and yellow).

2.2. Second, third and fourth days of creation.

The creation of the world by the creative word of God on the second, third and fourth days according to the Bible and the corresponding knowledge of nature by man. “Controversial issues” (the origin of plants without the sun; why the Lord not only commands plants to exist, but commands the earth to produce them, etc.).

Lesson forms

A story, a Socratic conversation using illustrations, joint drawing, an application on a common large sheet on the topic of the lesson.

2.3. Fifth and sixth days of creation.

The appearance of the "living soul", the blessing and command to grow and multiply according to the biblical narrative and the research of modern sciences. Acquaintance with the diversity of the world of birds, fish, animals using illustration material. Talk about your favorite animals. Excerpts from hagiographies dedicated to the special relationship between man and animal.

One of the lessons may be devoted to acquaintance with exhibitions and museums related to the topic (zoological, paleontological, biological, mineralogical, planetarium, etc.).

Lesson forms

Story, reading, Socratic conversation, modeling from plasticine, clay, “lithography” using natural material on the topic of the lesson.

2.4. Sixth day of creation.

Preparation for the creation of man: the universal order of visible creation is a constant ascent to the most perfect. The creation of Adam and his wife (biblical story). Life in paradise. Where to look for the image of God in man?

Lesson forms

A story, reading, Socratic conversation, drawing on the theme of heaven, a portrait of a loved one, etc.

2.5. Peace is a gift that a person is called to protect and transform.

What is God's motive for creating the world? Diversity of flora and fauna, the ability to develop all living things. The purpose of man in the world. The feeling of his deepest gratitude to the Creator. The creation of the world is the greatest mystery, which we “understand by faith.”

Lesson forms

Story, reading, Socratic conversation, slide film.

II topic. Covenant (a person’s connection with God through loyalty to Him and God’s promises)

1. The first covenant between God and man.
What is a covenant? Law? Examples of agreements between people.

God's first prehistoric covenant with Adam. The Fall. Obedience. Cain and Abel. Repentance.

Lesson forms

Storytelling, reading, Socratic conversation, drawing, modeling and designing on the topic of the lesson, coloring drawings with corresponding scenes.

2. God's faithfulness to his covenant with man.

The beginning of human history. What is needed for people to live fairly? Who can make a law? Every covenant between God and man is a covenant of life and peace. Loyalty. Covenants with Noah, Abraham and Moses. What do the 10 commandments taught by the Lord to the Jewish people? Prophecies about the New Testament.

III topic. Divine providence for the salvation of man

1. The concept of a church holiday. Fasting as preparation for a holiday event.

What is a holiday? What holidays are there? Church holidays are the experience of great events of gospel and church history, communion with eternity.

The concept of fasting. Church fasting is the path to the source that reveals the truth of God's will. Personal obligations during Lent.

2. God is the Savior of the world. Event of the Nativity of Christ.

God Himself desired to approach the man who had fallen away from Him so that he, without fearing Him, could again freely make his choice and return to God.

Preparing humanity for the incarnation of Christ the Savior. A story about the Mother of God, who was the pinnacle of the human race.

A great night in the history of the human race. The greatness of God's love is not connected with the glory of this world. The mystery of the incarnation.

Preparing gifts, learning songs, poems, rehearsing a play for the Nativity of Christ.

Children's holiday.

Lesson forms

Storytelling, reading, Socratic conversation, drawing on holiday themes: Bethlehem night, etc., acting out Christmas stories.

3. About the life and teachings of Christ.

Childhood of Jesus Christ. Candlemas. Flight to Egypt. Life in Nazareth. Baptism.

The care of Jesus Christ for people (marriage in Cana of Galilee, healing of the paralytic, feeding with bread...).

The Transfiguration of the Lord is the manifestation of Divine glory and the guarantee of the future glorification of man and all creation.

IV topic. Forgiveness and openness to each other as the beginning of the path to the joy of meeting the Resurrection of Christ and joining the Church of God

1. Family. Violations of love in the family. Parable of the Prodigal Son. The all-forgiving love of a father is an image of God’s love for people. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Cor 13:7).

2. Our willingness to not be strangers to each other. Forgiveness Sunday. Great Lent.

Lesson forms

Reading, conversation.

V topic. Temple. Basic concepts about worship

1. Personal prayer.

What is prayer? - Conversation, conversation, appeal to God.

What kind of relationships between people is the conversation related to? - Communication between father and son, elder and younger.

Why do we turn to elders? What relationships are important? - Trust, love, attention, reverence.

What does the verb “to pray” mean? Is it only with a request that we turn to God? What other feelings are we ready to express to someone who loves us? - Stories about your thoughts, feelings, needs, joys, expressions of your love.

What is important in communication between two people? - Listening and speaking skills. Do we always understand the interlocutor’s answer? How to hear God's answer?

The Lord sees and hears us wherever we are. Are the time and place of prayer important? Environment?

Approach the concept of the unity of the manifestation of feelings, mind and one’s own will in prayer; the distinction of petition, thanksgiving, repentance, praise; understanding that our desires do not always coincide with what God wants; that there may be a place and time when it is especially good to pray to the Heavenly Father.

Prayer in your own words.

Prayers: “Lord, bless!”, “Lord, have mercy!”, “Glory to God!”, “Lord, save and preserve!”.

Prayers for family and friends.

Lord's Prayer.

Lesson forms

Story, reading, Socratic conversation, making your own children's prayer book (designing the cover, writing down prayers, decorating the text with ornaments).

2. Congregational prayer. Temple.

In a loving family, children often gather around their father. The father rejoices at every child who comes and to everyone gathered. The Lord also rejoices in communion with each of us, but He also rejoices in the common congregational communion with Him of His entire family, the entire Church. “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.”

A temple is a place of congregational prayer.

Church services are a conciliar communion with God in love for Him and for each other.

Temple (appearance, structure, decoration). Priests and their vestments.

Lesson forms

A story, a Socratic conversation, a visit to the temple.

3. Prayer and icon.

Event of the Annunciation (story about the event; comparison of icons and paintings dedicated to it).

Lesson forms

Story, work with illustrative material.

4. Worship and sacrament.

The existence of a certain course and order in the prayer life of the Church. The presence of the main and preparatory in it.

Can we see everything that exists? What is “mystery” and “sacrament”?

What do bread and wine mean to a person? What meaning does food have for us?

What miracles did Christ perform on bread and wine?

Last Supper. Sacrament of Communion.

5. First concepts of liturgy.

The sacrament of transmuting bread and wine into the Body and Blood of the Lord is performed at the liturgy - the most important divine service of Christians.

Explanation of the words "liturgy" and "Eucharist". Liturgy is the first service that ancient Christians began to perform after the Resurrection of Christ on Pentecost. Brief historical information about the liturgy. Main parts of the service. Who are the catechumens and what do the faithful mean? Why do only the faithful gather in the temple to perform the sacrament?

Lesson forms

Story, Socratic conversation, visual arts, participation in worship.

VI topic. Victory of life

1. Events from the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem to the Resurrection of the Lord.

The Mystery of the Resurrection of Christ. The Lord came to save, spiritualize and change the life of each of us.

2. Appearances of Christ after the Resurrection. The Ascension of the Lord and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. The Church is the gate of eternal Life. Personal path of a person in the Church.

Lesson forms

Story, Socratic conversation, visual arts, preparation for Easter.

Second year of study

I topic. Man, God, world

1. Human creative activity.

The inherent human ability to be creative. The world is a source of inspiration and a material basis for man-made things. The law of human creative action (first thought, then action; first an idea, then its embodiment; first contemplation, then creativity).

Lesson forms

Working with visual material, storytelling, Socratic conversation, listening to music, literary creativity, drawing, modeling, handicrafts.

2. Creation and creativity.

The slides are parallels, examples of how what exists in nature can serve as a model for human creative activity. Co-creation, the community of man and nature. How can you imagine the human author of the work you saw? Who is the Creator of things not made by hands? What can we learn about Him from His creation?

God calls His creation out of nothingness. The creative word of God. Divine seal marking human knowledge and art. The law of true creativity. Meanings of the biblical word "created" in Hebrew.

Trips, excursions based on lesson topics.

Lesson forms

Slide film, Socratic conversation.

3. God is the Creator of the human soul.

Laws of the human soul. Manifestations of her divine nature. Conformity to God and the calling to God-likeness. Internal prerequisites for evil and sin in primordial man and the world created by God. Human freedom of will as a manifestation of God's Love. Self-will. The emergence of evil in the world. God did not create evil.

Lesson forms

Slide film, story, Socratic conversation, drawing.

4. The greatness of the Lord's creations.

Creation of the invisible world. Inanimate matter. The emergence of life. Flora and fauna. The crown of God's creation. Comparing the biblical narrative with what modern science says. Man is a mediator between God and the world.

Lesson forms

Slide film about the origin of life on earth, conversation, drawing on a common sheet on the topic “Our world is God’s creation.”

5. God is Father, Almighty, Creator.

Showing unlimited love for us, God allowed us to call Him Father in prayerful appeals to Him. By His omnipotent will He supports the existence of the world He created and all the orders in it. 1st member of the Creed.

Lesson forms

Socratic conversation, story, visual creativity.

II topic. Glorification of the Creator

1. Introduction to the Psalter.

Authorship of the Psalter. The Psalter is a huge picturesque canvas of human life. Analysis of passages of psalms expressing what worries the hearts of those faithful to God: grief over iniquities on earth, hope for the victory of light over darkness, repentance for personal sins, thirst for salvation from above.

Lesson forms

Story, reading, drawing.

2. The history of the creation of the world in worship.

Reading and analysis of Psalm 103. Excerpts from psalms used in evening worship.

Children's participation in the evening service in the temple.

Lesson forms

Reading, storytelling, listening to tape recordings of individual parts of the evening service, preparing for reading and singing in church.

III topic. The Nearness of God

1. Communion with God in a unanimous presence with “an undivided mind, an undivided heart and an undivided will.”

Deepening the concepts of prayer and fasting. Order of prayer using the example of the Psalter. A combination of prayer in your own words with canonical prayer. Prayer rule. Personal obligations during the Nativity Fast.

Lesson forms

Story, conversation, listening to recordings of liturgical prayers.

2. Revelation and knowledge of the Epiphany in the world.

The main events from the life of the Savior and the Mother of God (from those known from last year). Nativity of the Mother of God. Introduction to the temple. Annunciation. Nativity. Childhood of Jesus Christ. Candlemas. Flight to Egypt. Family life in Nazareth. Baptism of Jesus Christ.

Lesson forms

Looking at a children's illustrated Bible, telling a story, reading, drawing.

3. Christmas.

Preparation of the Christmas mystery as a new experience of the Christmas event and deepening the concept of a church holiday. Preparing holiday gifts.

Children's holiday.

Lesson forms

Reading Christmas stories, dramatization, learning songs, poems, visual arts.

IV topic. The love of God, which delivers man from evil and bestows the fullness of all good, is a call to our mercy, hope, faith and love

1. About the moral teaching of the New Testament in comparison with the Old Testament teaching.

Remember what a covenant is (First Year, Topic II). Legal-contractual equality of Old Testament man with God. In every law that is from God there is good. Law of conscience. Commandments about love for God and neighbor in the Law of Moses. Evangelical succession of the law: So in everything, whatever you want people to do to you, do likewise to them (Matthew 7:12).

The meaning of the law in the New Testament. The life of Jesus Christ on earth is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.

Lesson forms

Story, conversation, visual arts.

2. Christ's call to love by examples of love.

Love is a free feeling that can only be called upon. The miracle at Cana of Galilee is an increase in joy; casting out demons, healing the sick, raising the dead - deliverance from suffering and the mortal consequences of sin; miracles over nature are the manifestation of Love, restoring man’s power over the elements, lost after the Fall.

The sacrament of the Church is Christ's ongoing miracle-working.

3. Virtues are God's gifts to man.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17).

Faith. Hope. Knowledge. Wisdom. Honesty. Humility. Obedience. Patience. Fearlessness. Loyalty. Self-control. Kindness. Gratitude.

4. Desire for the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of Heaven and its origin in the heart of man [treasures hidden in the field (Matt 13:44), pearl of great price (Matt 13:45); house built on rock (Matthew 7:24); the parables of the mustard seed (Matt 13:44; Mk 4:31), the leaven (Matt 13:33), “let the little children come to me” (Mk 10:14), the Beatitudes (Matt 5:3).

Loyalty to God [about the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:1)].

Active love for one's neighbor [(Matthew 25:32); about St. Dr. Haase, about prmts. Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna and about mother Maria (Skobtsova)].

Non-judgment [about the bitch and the beam (Mt 7:3; Lk 6:41)].

Forgiving your neighbor (Matthew 18:21).

Repentance [parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32)].

Compassionate love [parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25:31–46)].

5. Commemoration of the dead. Parents' Saturdays.

V topic. Conciliar service to God

1. The temple is a reminder to a person of his highest calling.

Lesson form

Slide film.

2. Daily cycle of worship. Excerpts from psalms often used in worship. Liturgy. Its main parts. The main thing in each of them.

Lesson form

Storytelling, reading, acquaintance with specialized literature.

3. An icon is a form of expression of the inner harmony of a person, reconciled with God, with himself and with the world.

Lesson form

Slide film.

VI topic. Christian Faith and Confession

1. Life of the Savior. Christ is the God-man.

2–7 members of the Creed.

Lesson form

Slide film.

2. The sermon of the apostles. The life of the first Christians. 8–12 members of the Creed.

Lesson form

A story, reading, summarizing the basic concepts on the themes of the year that are expressed in the Creed, a “quiz” of questions that help reveal the content of the Creed.

Third year of study

I topic. Image of history

1. What is history?

The concept of history, translation of the word “history”. History is a story about a past event. Can we immediately explain an event when we see it? What stories are we familiar with?

(Make a story about the life of your group, illustrating it with drawings made in class, photographs, poems, songs brought in. Use chronicles of “settlements” in Sunday school summer camps.)

2. Mythopoetic language of the Bible.

What is the difference between a fairy tale and a short story? How is life described in a fairy tale? What is a fable? What is its meaning? How long do fairy tales and fables last? Fairy tales and fables are examples of parables. Why do we use parables? The example of King David and the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 12).

(Write a fairy tale and make illustrations for it.)

What is poetic language? How is it different from the usual one? Is there always rhyme in a poetic text? rhythm? An example of a poetic text ((Proverbs of Solomon 8: 22–31); S.S. Averintsev. Poem about Saint Barbara. New World. 1989, No. 10, p. 151.) How is a poetic text born? What is inspiration? His sources. Can there always be Divine revelation behind what is revealed and based on visions? Which person is it available to?

Divine revelation about the creation of the world and man. How are scientific ideas about the world changing? Why does the biblical picture of the world not age? How old is she? Poetic parallelism in the description of the days of creation. The meaning of the creation of the world. The beginning of creation.

(Drawing on the themes of images of the creation of the world.)

3. Sacred history.

The beginning of human history. Sacred history is the experience of Divine revelation accumulated by humanity. Remember what stories have already been talked about (lesson 1). No story can be separate. The center of world history is the history of salvation and the relationship of the world and man with God.

II topic. History as the expectation of the Savior in the Old Testament

1. An inexhaustible thirst for forgiveness and liberation of humanity from evil and sin.

Evil in the world created by God. The Flood and the Tower of Babel. Noah's obedience. A thread of generations faithful to God.

2. Father of believers.

Abraham and his faithfulness to God. God's promise to the patriarch and his descendants. Keeping the Promise. Isaac and his sons. Joseph's story.

3. Giving the law to the people of God to limit the growing evil in the world.

Moses. His life in Egypt. The appearance of God in the Burning Bush. Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. A forty-year journey through the desert. Construction of the tabernacle. Giving of the Ten Commandments.

4. The times of the prophets.

King David's love for God. The wisdom of King Solomon.

The essence of the ministry of the prophets. Hope in God and His salvation through the Savior of the world - the Messiah.

Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel.

5. Judea at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Geographical and historical information.

(Story, conversation, slide films, built on associative perception and using images of Old Testament scenes in classic paintings; visual creativity on the topic of what was heard with the desire to imagine oneself in this situation; with the help of the teacher, a homemade map is drawn up, on which the places of all the events taking place are marked .)

III topic. History as Revelation in the New Testament

1. Epiphany in Christ.

Nativity of the Virgin Mary. Introduction to the Temple. Annunciation. Meeting between Mary and Elizabeth.

Nativity.

Meeting of the Lord. Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt. Massacre of the innocents. Return to Nazareth. Travel to Jerusalem.

John the Baptist. Christmas of St. John the Baptist, his life, his sermon.

Baptism of Jesus Christ.

Temptation of the Lord in the desert.

2. The evangelistic stage of the life of Jesus - the Son of Man and the Son of God.

First sermon in Nazareth.

The calling of the first disciples. Election of the 12 and 70 apostles.

Sermon on the Mount.

Lord's Prayer. Teaching about the Kingdom of God.

Relationship to God and neighbor.

Miracles of Christ.

Confession of Faith by the Apostle Peter. Transfiguration.

Prediction about the death of Jerusalem and the end of the world. Parable of the 10 virgins. Teachings of Jesus Christ about the Last Judgment.

The Raising of Lazarus. Meeting of the High Priests and Pharisees.

3. Redemptive suffering and death of the Lord. Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.

Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. Curse of the fig tree. Expulsion of traders from the temple.

Last Supper. Betrayal of Judas.

Night in Gethsemane.

The trial of Jesus Christ.

Crucifixion and death of the Savior.

The removal of the Lord's body from the cross and the guarding of the tomb.

Resurrection of Christ.

The appearance of the risen Savior.

His Ascension into Heaven.

Simultaneously with classes on topic III, preparations are being made for the celebration of Christmas, and topics IV and V are also considered.

IV topic. Forgiveness in the Old Testament. Forgiveness of sins is a great gift to the man of the New Testament

Repentance as a return to life created and given to us by God. Old Testament and New Testament examples of repentance.

Whose sins you forgive, their sins are forgiven (John 20:23). Sacrament of repentance.

Confession and preparation for it.

About prayer.

Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian.

V topic. History of worship and its features

1. History of the temple and worship.

The first temple of God is the created world. The purpose of man is to seek God and be in communion with Him. The Fall destroyed man's constant connection with God. The era of searching for God and meeting Him.

The construction of a temple is a manifestation of not only human, but also God’s will. The Tabernacle of Meeting of Moses. Consecration of the new tabernacle. Her device. Worship in it. The Ark of the Covenant of God in Jerusalem during the reign of David. Temple of Solomon. The structure of the Old Testament temple (Holy of Holies, Holy Place, Porch. Courts: priestly, Israelis, women, pagans). Purpose of the temple. The disappearance of the Ark of the Covenant. "Ark" of the New Testament. Man is the temple of God.

The first meetings of Christians.

Order of worship.

2. Events of Old Testament and New Testament history in the paintings of churches.

[Excursions to temples.]

3. Events of Old Testament history in the evening service, irmos and troparia of the Matins canon; gospel narratives that became famous “songs” of worship.

4. The concept of litany.

5. Liturgy: its eternal meaning, parts of the liturgy.

6. The concept of the annual circle of worship, the weekly and daily circle.

VI topic. The beginning of Church history

1. The beginning of the earthly Church.

2. Divine services of the first centuries.

3. Persecution of Christians.

4. Fathers and defenders of the faith. The history of the Church is the history of its holiness.

5. Some concepts about the structure of the Church (succession over time, local unity in the modern world).

6. Church earthly and heavenly.

Fourth year of study

I topic. Introduction to Tradition

Insight and experience. What is revelation? What does it take for one person to open up to another? What kinds of revelations are there? How does a person gain knowledge of something? What does it serve?

What kind of person is accessible to Divine revelation? Why is knowledge of God possible only for man?

Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture are the experience of Divine revelation and knowledge of God accumulated by humanity. Is this experience complete? What do the words of A. Khomyakov mean: Only he can understand a prophet who is a prophet himself?

What sacred things have been passed on to us by other people?

The Holy Scripture of the Church is the Bible;

Dogmatic decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, sacraments of the Church, canonical decrees, the works of the holy fathers, their lives, theological works and sermons;

Liturgical texts and rituals;

Church art.

The inequality of church tradition, its agreement with the living experience of the Church.

II topic. Bible - Word of God

1. History of creation. The Bible in the modern world (various editions, translations, circulations).

2. Books of the New Testament (Four Gospels. Acts of the Holy Apostles. Apostolic Epistles. Revelation of St. John the Theologian). Their history and brief description.

3. The books of the Old Testament (legislative, historical, teaching and prophetic) are the threshold of the coming of Christ.

4. Reading the Bible.

Readings from the books of the New Testament (Saturday, Sunday, holidays - in accordance with the annual cycle). Analysis and understanding of the meaning of what you read, the connection of reading with today's life, personal problems.

Reading skills in Church Slavonic and translation into Russian.

Regular home reading of the Old Testament books (from the Bible retold for older children) in the following order:

1) educational books (as help to a person in understanding obedience to the commandments of God, glorifying God and the path to prayer to Him);

2) legal books (as a majestic, wonderful picture of the origin of the earth and the universe and the history of the development of the ancient world, life, character and beliefs of ancient people, the special relationship established between God and the chosen people);

3) prophetic books (as a sermon of fidelity to the One Creator, predictions about the coming to earth of the Redeemer of the world - Christ and about the future destinies of humanity and the world).

Answers to questions about what you read. An attempt to disassemble and connect the texts with the New Testament in order to reveal the meaning of the Old Testament readings through the New Testament and to comprehend the latter through the Old Testament. Help children make connections between the texts of the Holy Scriptures themselves. Introduce reference literature.

III topic. True. Order. Rule. Chin

1. The concept of the dogmatic teaching of the Church. Resolutions of the Ecumenical Councils. Dogmas of the Orthodox Church.

2. The sanctifying meaning of the sacraments.

The concept of sacrament. Church sacrament. Sacrament and magical action. Failure to understand the meaning of the sacrament deprives a person of participation in it. A Brief Explanation of the Seven Sacraments. The meaning of the sacraments in your own life.

3. Canons.

The concept of church canon law. The meaning and forms of the canon with the development of church tradition. A rule prohibiting trade in the Sacraments of the Church.

4. The lives of the saints are evidence of the authenticity of the Christian Gospel.

Holy Fathers of the Church. Patristic teaching. The nature of the exploits of the saints. Selected Lives.

5. Worship is public and private. Circle of worship (daily, weekly, annual).

The usual circle of church services.

Divine services of the day. General meaning and explanation. Knowledge of terms (troparion, kontakion, litany, parimia, kathisma, polyeleos, etc.).

Weekly circle. Singing individual voices.

Cyclicality of time and uniqueness. New Year's Eve. The beginning of the church year. Divine services of the year. Posts. Twelfth holidays.

The concept of private worship.

6. Liturgical texts in church practice.

The origin of liturgical texts and chants. Their authors.

Prayer rule. Compulsion to prayer.

Prayer services. Memorial service.

Liturgical books.

Theology of the icon, its connection with worship.

Akathist as an example of church hymnography.

IV topic. The Church is the assembly of the called, chosen from the world

1. The Eucharist as a Sacrament. Follow-up of the worship service.

2. Great saints of the 1st century.

3. History of persecution of Christians. The meaning of martyrdom.

4. Monasticism. Monasticism. Monasticism in the world. Monastic communities of the laity. Missionary work.

5. Lay ministry in the church

Groups D-2 and N-1.

Teacher: Soboleva Maria Lvovna

Elective subject program:
Art and visual circle

Art education is one of the most important ways to develop a child’s personality, his spirituality, and creative potential.

It is necessary at an early age to establish a harmonious understanding of the world and a correct attitude towards reality, which is possible only on the basis of moral values and spiritual foundations. It is important to reveal to children the purpose of art, as serving a person to elevate his spirit, the original purpose of the artist is to create works that serve, first of all, as spiritual food, representing the totality of beauty and highly moral, good meaning.

Art classes in Sunday School are closely related to the lessons of the Law of God and the church calendar. Topics close to children 5-8 years old are also offered (for example: winter landscape, pets).

Purpose of the item

Development of moral and aesthetic responsiveness to the beautiful in life and art, providing freedom for artistic and creative solutions to the general educational task.

Tasks

Consolidation of material studied in religious subjects.
Development of associative thinking, fantasy, imagination.
Formation of knowledge about the names of primary and composite colors, their emotional characteristics.
Formation of an emotional atmosphere in the classroom, an atmosphere of love and camaraderie, gradually drawing children into awareness of the topic, joint dialogue, reasoning, etc.
Establishing strong connections with the outside world, with a person (with oneself), involving children’s personal experiences (emotional, visual, everyday).
Using the method of decorating the classroom interior with children's works, designing exhibitions.
Using the free choice method in a system of restrictions (topic content, color, shape, design, etc.).
Developing perseverance, patience, accuracy, and mutual assistance skills.

Thematic planning

My family
Autumn flowers. Let's draw asters.
Autumn landscape. Application made of colored paper
Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Decorative drawing. Decorate a scarf with patterns
Animal world. Paper handling
Still life - fruit
Pets. We sculpt from plasticine
Christmas: Angels appearing to the shepherds. Working with paper.
Pets
Magi. Application
Christmas time, sleigh rides
Garland of snowflakes
Christmas tree decorations
Drawing a landscape Christmas night
Snowflakes (decorative drawing).
Cross Decorative Drawing
We draw with cereals. Winter landscape
The theme of kindness - a portrait of a kind person
Presentation of the Lord Pigeon chicks, applique using wool.
Friendship is a portrait of my friend
Our temple. Painting with paints
Postcard gift for dad
Postcard gift for mom
First spring flowers
Easter patterns (painting eggs)
Easter card.
Easter gift (team work)
General lesson

Literature

Abramova M. A. Conversations and didactic games in fine arts lessons: 1 - 4 grades. / Skrebtsova M. A. - M.: Humanit. Ed. VLADOS Center, 2003.
Dreznina M. G. “Every child is an artist.” M., 2002
Lykova I. A. “Art activities in kindergarten: planning, lesson notes, methodological recommendations. Senior group". M., 2006
Lykova I. A. “Visual activities in kindergarten: planning, lesson notes, methodological recommendations, school preparatory group.” M., 2006
Shalina L. S. Lessons for the little ones / L. S. Shalina //Young artist. - 1991. - No. 6. - p. 45.

He serves the Lord with prayer and tells children about the beauty of God's world with the help of paints. Hierodeacon Paisiy (Novozhenov) from the Holy Dormition Monastery in the city of Staritsa near Tver is an amazing person. The author of books and films on spiritual topics, he is engaged in icon painting, makes watercolor illustrations for children's books and runs an art studio at the monastery educational center “Obraz”. The drawings of Father Paisius' students are lively and pure, touching the soul, causing tenderness and joy. A conversation with him about how and what the monk-artist teaches the children.

- Father Paisiy, where do the guys come to the monastery circle from? Are these the children of parishioners?

The great joy is that my current students are absolutely secular children. These are ordinary schoolchildren who do not go to church, children who are not from Orthodox families. There are even a few Muslim girls. To be honest, I don't know how this happened. This is some kind of miracle! Just think: secular children come to a monastery to see a monastic teacher. Sami! Not because their parents brought them. This is a wonderful opportunity to tell the children about God and Orthodoxy.

The most difficult option for me is mixed groups. Children aged 6-14 years study in them. There are exactly 50 children, they are divided into two groups of 25 students. The students are mostly schoolchildren in grades 4-7, but there are older and younger artists.

- How did you recruit current students? And how long have you been teaching art?

In 2003, I started teaching fine arts at the Palace of Culture. I liked this work so much and inspired me so much that now I can’t imagine my life apart from teaching. Since then, I have been constantly involved in organizing clubs, studios, Sunday schools and electives - in Sergiev Posad, Rzhev, Tver. Now in Staritsa, in the monastery where I was sent six months ago.

When I arrived in this city, the first thing I did was go to the schools - we have three of them. I walked through the classes, in each of them I opened a large folder with the best children's drawings of previous students and showed it to the children. He invited everyone to the art studio at the monastery. A lot of schoolchildren came - as many as 44 people! Then they started bringing friends, brothers and sisters, and in the end we have 50 children.

Once upon a time, when I was in second grade, a young art teacher from an art school came to class, showed me her graphic works, and invited me to school. I liked the drawings so much that I went to study. And now I use this technique myself.

- Father, how are you conducting your classes? What do you pay attention to?

The most important and most difficult thing is to create the right learning atmosphere. On the one hand, the teacher needs to try to make it interesting for children - so that a good, cheerful, friendly environment is formed in the classroom. It is also important to structure lessons so that students acquire skills and knowledge, and reveal talents.

I constantly tell them that they must develop their talents, be purposeful, work every day on self-development, try to determine their inclinations. And there are already small glimpses. One day a little girl came up to me, her name is Mashenka, and said in a whisper: “Father Paisiy, it seems I have my own talent.” Let me explain what I'm talking about. What I draw on the board, this student redraws exactly. The other kids mostly improvise on the theme “what Father Paisius showed us,” and this, of course, also has its own meaning. Unique things are obtained, sometimes even in the style of Picasso. And this girl very accurately follows what is shown on the board, correctly conveys the proportions and contours, and even guesses the angle of the line. It was as if my drawing had been transferred to her piece of paper - only in a smaller form. Before that, I constantly said: you have a special talent, develop it. She only giggled in response. And then I thought of it in my little head.

By convincing children that they are gifted, I do not provoke pride, but teach them to take a responsible attitude towards their talents

Here I would like to clarify: by convincing the children of their talents, I do not provoke pride in them, but teach them a responsible attitude towards their talents. Gifts are from God. And we cannot neglect them, but, on the contrary, we must increase them. Therefore, I constantly instill in children that time is precious, that life is built from a young age.

Sometimes I take the book “The Tale of Lost Time” by Evgeniy Schwartz and read excerpts from it aloud while they draw. So that the children can develop a deeper understanding of the preciousness of time, especially in adolescence, when their future life is being formed. Sometimes, unnoticed by others, I lean over someone, helping to draw, and quietly say some useful word.

- How do you deal with mischievous people?

If something bad is clearly manifested in one of the children, without making fun of him in front of the whole class, I give advice in private. Even big spoilers must be tolerated. Reasonable, of course. But you shouldn’t cut off a diseased branch ahead of time, while there is still hope of healing. I have a good example on this topic. A student came to me - with the most bad behavior. In winter, when I left school, he would throw a lump of snow at me, the teacher and the clergyman, in the back. And he did a lot of other bad things. Both the principal and the teachers constantly pointed him out to me and prepared him to be expelled from Sunday school.

I thought: well, I’ll put up with him a little longer. I was sure that the boy was doing this out of stupidity, not out of malice. After all, I felt giftedness and passion in him. I think it was because he was very emotional, hyperactive. I called him for conversations, told him what he needed to hear about his behavior, tried to reach the very depths of his heart. And, you know, soon there was victory. Here, perhaps, it was not our conversations that were the reason, maybe some life circumstances, but soon the boy became more serious. This, of course, is the Lord working on those who show hope. This spoiler became the best student. Better even than those who were considered the most well-behaved. And now he is studying in his third year at the Moscow seminary. Good guy, taller than me.

Students in front of the teacher are in full view. In the studio you can see very clearly what bad habits someone has. It seems to them that I don’t notice them, I’m standing half-turned, but I see everything. I understand who is a spoiler, who is cunning, who is ready to offend others, who is despondent because there is discord in the family between parents. Today they all lack the kindness of adults, some kind of tenderness.

- How can we teach children themselves to be kinder if there is not enough kindness around them?

How? I don't know. But I never offend children or scold them. I hope that this spirit of kindness will be communicated to them without teaching, passed on as a state. You can teach through both silence and sympathy, listening to their childhood experiences about who in the yard said and did what and what to do now.

In extreme cases, if they start to indulge too much, I use the “complaining” technique. Like a good old grandmother who repeats: “Oh, what should we do now?!”, I begin to walk around them and complain. They realize that they have crossed boundaries and calm down.

I hope the guys will remember how to get out of unpleasant situations by covering the mistakes of others with love

And when someone knocks over a jar of gouache onto the snow-white floor, I don’t look at them with frenzy, saying, “What have you done!”... Out of habit, they freeze and look at me, eyes wide open. Because they know the equivalent of punishment in such cases from the experience of a comprehensive school. But this is where I have a chance to show how the teacher takes their blame. I immediately calm them down, carry a bucket and start washing the floor. And they join joyfully and, like obedient angels, wipe everything clean. And this is how we keep each other on our toes. I really hope that when they become adults, they will remember how to get out of unpleasant situations without scandals and screams, but by covering up the mistakes of others with love.

Every time the guys stop drawing and start talking about something, laughing, joking, it seems to me that the strict order of the lesson is being violated. At these moments I remember the engraving by Pieter Bruegel: “If the teacher is a donkey at school.” It depicts a donkey in a teacher’s caftan, and around him children are chaotically doing whatever they want. This is, of course, unacceptable. The lesson must be systematic, with discipline. But without bending, without tightening the nuts. Colleagues often tell me: “Be stricter with your children.” But what does “stricter” mean?

More than half of the students do not have fathers because their parents are divorced. This is a tragedy for a child. One boy doesn’t even have a mother, she abandoned him, the guy has a grandmother. Another boy’s mother died in an accident... Well, how can we be strict with these guys, what kind of statutory discipline should we impose?!

Sunday school is a good time, and it will be remembered for the rest of your life.

Sunday school is a different mood, a fun lesson in good communication. This time should be especially memorable and enjoyable. It is not necessary to provide a lot of information here, to arrange drills and cramming on the topic “what color should the lectern be.” The main thing in Sunday schools is to teach the spirit of a moral good life. Even if sometimes classes are carried out in a funny way, but with all this, a cultural space is created, a creative cultural and ethical field that shapes the souls of children. This good time will be remembered by the children for the rest of their lives. And it doesn’t matter that in such a lesson the student may not write anything down on the white sheet of the notebook. The child contemplated life itself and rejoiced in it, looked at the faces of his comrades and laughed heartily, and his memory turned out to be a notebook, a wonderful day remained in it, and this memory will support him in the future in all the hardships.

What I mentioned in several examples above are some of my principles that I came to while working with children.

- Father Paisiy, what is the global goal of your pedagogy?

I am sure that art can transform a person’s soul, instill a sense of justice, and encourage people to perform noble deeds. Through daily improvement in the sciences and arts, students come to understand the laws of spiritual life. Subsequently, someone will become a doctor, someone a teacher, and someone a scientist, but everyone will gratefully remember their teachers of music and drawing, who inspired them to the feat of life, who managed to instill in them an understanding of the beauty of the world and the greatness of the human soul.

- Where did you learn painting yourself?

Before the icon painting school, I was lucky enough to study as a painter-teacher at the Tver Art School named after Alexei Gavrilovich Venetsianov. Before becoming a monk, he studied at the surprisingly interesting icon painting school at the Moscow Theological Academy in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The Lavra is a unique place for Russian Orthodox culture. Outstanding creative people gather here: the most experienced icon painters, masters of restoration and gold seamstresses, regents, philologists-editors, composers, directors, photographers, missionaries, talented teachers, professors, art critics, writers, thoughtful monks and prayer books.

For five years we studied ancient Russian painting, made lists of the most ancient icons of the Pereslavl Museum, the Rostov Kremlin, the Novgorod Museum, the icon hall of the Tretyakov Gallery, and visited ancient monasteries located in the “Golden Ring” of Russia. All this gave a good idea of the essence of Russian Orthodox art and instilled an understanding of the truly lofty and beautiful. The icon painting school taught traditional icon painting techniques, monumental painting - frescoes, and icon restoration. Everything that I learned and saw there is very helpful in my work on manuals on Orthodox culture.

The training time became an invaluable time to get acquainted with the thousand-year heritage of the culture of Holy Rus', its temples and paintings - from Staraya Ladoga to Yaroslavl. We talked with the Lavra elders - schemamonks and elder archimandrites, and talked with interesting people. And to the best of our ability, we drew spiritual wisdom from them.

I believe that it is in such educational institutions that correct education is realized, when, along with intellectual development, a relatively healthy spiritual life takes place.

- And when you started teaching children how to draw, did everything work out right away?

Of course, at first I made a lot of mistakes. But through this experience I understood better: it is necessary to thoroughly study the methodology and history of pedagogy. For this reason, four years ago I decided to enter Tver University at the Department of Theology of the Faculty of Education. And now I’m glad I did it. This was extremely necessary in order to take a more competent approach to preparing lessons for schoolchildren.

Currently I am working on a program for teaching fine arts in Sunday schools. For now the work is in limbo. In my opinion, before hastily publishing theoretical manuals, they need to be tested, refined, taking into account realities, and only then released.

Teaching in Sunday schools is, in principle, not an easy task. Fine arts teachers, for example, need knowledge in the field of world artistic culture and church art. The theory received in universities needs to be translated into categories that children can understand. One day, one of the guys in class asked why the distances in the landscape always seem blue, because the trees that grow there are green. I remembered the interesting book “Painting” by J. Vibert, which talked about the refraction of light, the types of rays, their length and the nature of passage through various media. I started telling the children about all this. Little guys, 7-9 years old, looked at me in bewilderment. And I kept talking, could not fully express my thoughts clearly, in the end I was completely confused and barely completed the explanation. The students looked at me dumbfounded. I realized that I had confused them with complex explanations and they were unlikely to catch anything.

It is necessary to speak to children not only in the language of words they understand, but also in the language of concepts accessible to their perception.

This incident made me take a more serious approach to the issue of adapting the theory of fine art. We need to speak to children not only in the language of words they understand, but also in the language of concepts that are accessible to their perception.

However, it is not always possible to find teaching aids on the desired topic. Therefore, I am already accustomed to the fact that I often have to develop certain lessons myself. I am sure that over many years of teaching, many of my fellow teachers come up with interesting ideas and techniques. I would like to find a platform where I could meet with colleagues and discuss current problems in teaching “Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture”, “World Artistic Culture”, fine arts, and the history of Christian art. I don’t consider myself a professional in the field of teaching at all, but I am looking for like-minded people with whom I can discuss the problems of this area.

From the notes of Father Paisius

I told the kids about the history of our monastery, about how 900 years ago two monks came here, developed the territory, and built a wooden cell. He also told about how the fire happened in the monastery. In essence, the stories of the founding of all Russian monasteries are similar. Without fail, the first monks, when they arrived, quickly built small temples, and fires were always a typical occurrence. It is interesting that the children, these little sensitive analysts, surprisingly perceptively depicted everything they heard step by step.

The first drawing was dedicated to a skinny ascetic monk with a pickaxe in his hand. He sullenly hammered away at the limestone mountain. There is a lot of limestone in Staritsa, and there was a large mining of white stone here. One of the boys asked: “Can it rain?” How accurate! This is also an image of temptations and difficulties that are always present during the founding of monasteries.

Another boy drew several lightning bolts in the sky, and one of them hit the monk right in the head. Skufya saved him. The strong monk continued his work as before, and the boy explained that in those days there was no lightning rod. I allowed the presence of such energy. After all, grace is also a kind of Divine energy that helps in deeds. However, I became wary: “What will they come up with next?”

The girls reduced all the severity to nothing. The sun shone in their drawings, the earth blossomed after the rain. One girl asked: “Can there be a dog there?” She carefully depicted a spotted Dalmatian puppy next to the black figurine of the hermit. I would never have thought of this. Soon all the girls' drawings depicted Dalmatians, flowers, roses, and birds. In general, in the end we founded a cheerful monastery.

When I go and knock on the wooden beater, calling for service, I see several dozen wonderful sparrows perching on the electrical wires, they are not afraid of my knock, they look with curiosity and chirp. Looking at them, I think that the monks are the wires of a power plant through which spiritual energy moves to the cities. The wires are simple in appearance, and small birds can sit safely on them, but at the same time, the power that passes through them then moves apart bridges, illuminates the streets, and turns on the lights in thousands of apartments. I knock on my beat, remain silent and think: how to connect the broken bridges between God and hundreds of our compatriots who do not know Jesus Christ? How can we illuminate the dark streets of false teachings with the light of Christ, in the darkness of which so many people are wandering today?

When I started teaching drawing at Sunday school, I was faced with two problems: the lack of teachers with the appropriate specialty and the availability of a specific topic. Therefore, drawing lessons in Sunday schools often come down to, at best, attempts to realistically depict temples and scenes from life; at worst, children sit puffing over printouts of coloring books on the same topics.

I think it is not necessary to reduce the topics of all fine arts lessons in Sunday school to local topics, but the thread of the Christian way of life should not be missed either. Therefore, I thought it would be useful to share our work.

There are two extremes to which a Sunday school teacher can go: excessive dryness, making the lesson too scientific, and excessive familiarity, letting the process run wild. It is necessary to provide specific knowledge, but it is also very important to think together and listen to children. It is important to learn and teach to see the beauty of God's world in simple everyday things. And I am very glad that I have never been able to “give a theory” smoothly and point by point. This means there is a process of comprehension. It’s very good when children ask questions, but it happens that concepts, no matter how well-known and seemingly obvious, are not discussed and become overgrown in a child’s head with a large number of myths and fantasies. I remember reading a story about a boy who heard the first words of the Lord’s Prayer as “Our eyes.” They say that the Lord is such big eyes that look at us from heaven.

Therefore, today let us dwell on a purely ecclesiastical, sublime and mysterious phenomenon - monasticism. Children of believing fathers and mothers visit monasteries: parents go to venerate a shrine, bathe in a holy spring, and seek spiritual advice from people who strictly pray. And they take the kids with them. Do children understand everything correctly? This will be revealed as you work. We will create a collective image using the appliqué technique.

First of all, let's look at a photograph of a monastery (here of the Zadonsk Nativity of the Theotokos) in order to understand the external structure of the temple and bell tower.

Source: smotra.ru

Let's discuss the main features of monastic life: that there are monasteries for women and men, that monks do not get married in order to spend a lot of time in prayer and often attend services, for which there is always a church in the monastery. The monk’s clothes are special, long, tightly buttoned. The lower garment is a cassock, the upper one is a mantle. Under the clothes on the body, the monks have a paraman - a cloth with the image of the Calvary cross, worn on four cords so that the cords on the chest also form a cross. Paraman recalls the cross that the monk took upon himself, wishing to follow Christ. The monk's headdress is called a hood and has the appearance of a cylinder and a black veil attached to it, divided into three parts that go down the shoulders and back to the waist. To count prayers, the monk has a rosary - a cord closed in a ring with beads strung on it.

That's enough for a start, so let's get started with the creative process. We will need:

- a large sheet of tinted paper for drawing with pastels or packaging,

- white office paper,

- packaging cardboard,

- from colored paper we take black and “gold” (or you can also use foil from a chocolate bar),

-glue stick and PVA,

- felt-tip pens,

-silver gel pen.

Now on a large sheet we need to determine the horizon line and fill the “ground” part with snow, because it’s winter now! Often in Sunday school there is a group of children of different ages, so we use the principle of division of labor. Let the kids pretend to be snow: we ask them to tear white paper into strips and spread it with a glue stick. We glue the strips onto the base horizontally, leaving a smaller part of the sheet for the sky. At this time, with the help of the older children, we remove the top layer of paper from the packaging cardboard and obtain an excellent “building material” for the temple and bell tower, the domes of which are “gilded” using colored paper of the appropriate color. The architectural elements are quite heavy, so we use PVA glue to fix them on the sheet.

The most interesting thing remains: portraits of people in the foreground. For inspiration, we show the children a photograph of ceramics from the Novoglutvinsky convent depicting nuns.

Everyone who is not yet tired makes human figures. We take black paper and cut out blanks for the figures, and draw faces and hands on white paper, cut them out and glue them to the base. All crosses, as well as rosaries, are made with a silver pen. In order to somehow fill the gaps between our main volumes, we draw trees on the ground, and send clouds from pieces of white paper across the sky.

Having never reached a final decision on whether to draw monks or nuns, the children give me both. Okay, mothers to the left, fathers to the right! I observe another discrepancy: one girl nevertheless depicted a small bundle on her chest to her nun, looking like a child in a sling. What to do, I explain that there are orphanages at monasteries, and in such cases nuns take part in raising children. An explanation was also found for the two monks present in the nunnery. They came to visit for the holiday. One of them has a pectoral cross, which means this monk is also a priest - a hieromonk. One of the mothers also has the same cross - this is the abbess of the monastery. She came out the most cheerful, although flushed from the cold. She probably did the most work on the street! Eh, it's hard to be a boss!..

So the adults have gathered and are discussing which of the monasteries our image looks like.

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Explanatory note

The teaching of drawing in our school is somewhat contrary to the currently generally accepted methodology. The school has three main goals:

Do not ruin the natural gift of a student capable of drawing;
- teach how to draw and develop the artistic taste of children who do not have any innate inclination to draw;
- prepare students for further professional training without causing harm.

At our school, children learn artistic perception of the world in literature lessons, folklore games, labor training, and calligraphy. In art classes he is taught to draw and love this activity. From 6 to 12 years of age, children are offered, in a specifically developed sequence, a simplified (non-professional) method of detailed sketching of various objects of animate and inanimate nature. The child completes the drawing with his own frame. In addition to this work, children learn to draw from memory, but only those objects that have been drawn in detail.

The need for independent creativity is satisfied in reading and history lessons, when children are asked to illustrate various stories (6 hours a week).

Older children spend most of their art lessons copying artists' works.

The works to be copied have been carefully selected. They should show the author's personal kindness and love for the world around them. By “pulling” himself up to the author’s vision of the world, the child sometimes overcomes his own negative inclinations.

By the age of 12, many children acquire a strong interest in artistic creativity, a desire to capture what they see on their own, a delicate taste, a sense of composition, and color.
At the age of 13, with this baggage you can already move on to vocational training.

A school may have an icon-painting class, a class of masters of decorative arts, painting and graphics.

But if the school’s capabilities do not allow further additional training, then we can be satisfied that the children at least have developed the skills and desire to draw.

Thus, the goal of active education has been achieved: love and ability for the subject have been cultivated.

I year of study
Explanatory note

In the first year of study, drawing lessons are closely intertwined with other academic subjects.

During reading lessons, children color drawings made by the artist in an alphabet coloring book. During history lessons, children illustrate the teacher's story (homework); illustrate learned poems; a lot of drawings are done in science lessons; in Church Slavonic, the Cyrillic alphabet (alphabet) is drawn rather than written.

Thus, children's desire for independent creativity is satisfied.
Therefore, in drawing lessons, children are taught how to draw a specific object. At the same time, given the young age of the students, not a professional approach is used (it can only cause boredom and despair), but a simplified method. Children perform a step-by-step contour drawing of, for example, a ladybug.

While drawing, you need to use riddles, songs, and fairy tales about the creature being depicted. If you tell something good about the object being captured while working, then it will be much better. The child must love what he depicts. You should get maximum effort from your child, especially when coloring. Children, at their own discretion, add whatever their heart desires to the drawn object. The drawing is “taken” into a frame, which the child can come up with himself if he is first shown 5-6 possible options for framing the work.

It has been noticed that children who are open to the world fill the space around the depicted object with a large number of bugs, flowers, etc. Their frames are intricate, everything is painted brightly, colorfully and carefully. In other words, there is a desire to involve other creatures in the work of creative Love (and in the Christian understanding, the act of Creation).

Indifferent to life, lethargic or very selfish children leave the space around a poorly drawn object deserted. Certain mental anomalies are also visible in sharp angular lines; the desire to make depicted objects smaller indicates not only visual defects. The choice of color is also characteristic. A craving for dark colors (purple, blue, black) is always alarming: expect an inadequate reaction from a child in an ordinary everyday situation. Pale, fawn shades do not always indicate spiritual sophistication, but more often that the baby has the soul of an old man. He is lethargic, apathetic, and does not like fun children's games.
Copying drawings devoid of these shortcomings forces the child to strain his mental strength as much as possible, introducing himself to the generosity of the artist’s soul, to his spiritual health.

And vice versa, by forcing only a child with moral problems to express himself, you once again record and aggravate the illness of his soul.
Drawing lessons in our school, to one degree or another, heal the child's soul.

1. Carrying out contour drawings of plant objects. (Mushroom, acorn, cherries, apple, bunch of rowan, pine cone, spruce twig, leaves).
2. Making frames with floral patterns.
3. Making frames with geometric patterns.
4. Making contour drawings of various insects. (Ladybug, fly, ant, beetle, butterfly, bee).
5.Performing contour drawings of pets. (Cat, pig, dog, cow, lamb).
6.Performing contour drawings of animals. (Bunny, bear, fox, hedgehog, mouse).
7. Making contour drawings of birds. (Chicken, cockerel, hen, gosling, duckling, sparrow, owl, swan).
8.Performing contour drawings of fish. (Whale, crucian carp, ruff, pike).
9. Performing contour drawings of inanimate objects. (Sun, bagel, cup, samovar, stove, dress, mittens, fur coat, boots).
10.Coloring with colored pencils.
11.Drawing from memory of previously depicted objects of living and inanimate nature.
12.Performing drawings with a complex composition consisting of several previously drawn objects.
All contour drawings are done from the board, in detail, behind the teacher.

Methodical features

All types of work are not performed in strict sequence, but interspersed with each other. Drawings are made in one plane. For a six-year-old child, contour and color similarity are important. To prevent drawing objects of living and inanimate nature from becoming a boring activity for a child, these objects are given some anthropomorphism, for example: a bear has pants on, a cockerel has boots, a chicken has a bow on its head, the rays of the sun are braided, mushrooms and acorns have braids. , apples have eyes, mouths, arms and legs, etc. As already mentioned, you need to tell a fairy tale, or ask a riddle, or sing a song about the object being drawn.
If the material is not selected, then in your own words talk about the benefits that the depicted animals, plants, etc. bring to people and nature. When drawing a lamb, you can ask children a number of questions and tell them the answers. For example: What do we make from lamb wool? What could be better than felt boots in our busy winter? What are mittens made of? Who knows how feta cheese melts in your mouth?

When drawing a birch leaf, remember how much good a birch tree gives people: firewood, birch bark, tar, bathhouse brooms, etc.

Let me remind you once again: love initiates every work. The child must love what
what he depicts.

Riddles offered to children should be figurative, and several riddles can be asked about one subject.

By the end of the first year, children should be able to:

1. Draw in detail, following the teacher, a number of objects of living and inanimate nature, make a contour drawing.
2. Carefully color your outline drawing with colored pencils.
3.Draw a frame with a floral or geometric pattern for your drawing.
4. Draw individual objects of living and inanimate nature from memory (about 10 pieces).
5. Draw a picture with a complex composition, where there are several objects that the child can draw from memory.
6. Use colored pencils and trace the contour lines with a bright felt-tip pen. Coloring with a felt-tip pen is prohibited.

II year of study
Explanatory note

The second year of study duplicates the classes of the first year. As before, children learn contour drawing and coloring with colored pencils. The composition of the drawing becomes more complex, the poses of the depicted birds and insects change, i.e. a different contour drawing is done.

Ill year of study (8-9 years).
Explanatory note.

In the third year of study, the work of years I and II continues. The scope of drawn objects expands, the composition becomes more complex, and the variability of frames increases.

Lessons are accompanied by reading works of fiction (read by the teacher).

By the end of the third year, children should be able to:

1.Draw a rather complex composition from the board after the teacher
drawings.
2.Draw about 30-40 objects in different positions from memory
(pose).
3.Create an intricate pattern for the frame.

IV year of study (9-10 years)
Explanatory note

In the fourth year of study, detailed sketches from the board are supplemented by drawings of postcards and various pictures. At this stage, an individual approach is important. It is necessary to take into account the innate drawing abilities of individual students and give them more complex pictures to draw. Since the teacher knows his students well (the children have another teacher in almost all subjects), he must feel what the child wants to draw at the moment: a plant or a home interior, or an illustration for a fairy tale.

In the fourth year, work on a three-dimensional image begins. The first three-dimensional drawings are flowers and the temple of God.

The teacher shows how to convey volume using color on the board with colored chalks (you can also use white ones) using the example of a rose.

In the fourth year of study, children are offered a detailed drawing of initial letters from ancient Russian handwritten books. (“Gospel”, “Apostle”), screensavers and frames are copied from the same books.

By this time, in Church Slavonic lessons, children had learned to write short texts, so it is possible to take this skill to a fundamentally new level in drawing lessons. After all, writing Cyrillic letters is an art.

Also in the fourth year of study, the first design work is done. Children make their own little illustrated books of proverbs or ABC pages.

1. Work on a three-dimensional drawing. Conveying volume using color.
Image of flowers (poppy, rose, rose hip, peony, pansy). Detailed drawing by the teacher.
2. Image of the temple. Three-dimensional drawing (Church of the Intercession on the Nerl, Novgorod St. Sophia Cathedral). Detailed drawing by the teacher.
3. Drawing three-dimensional pictures.
4. Drawing photographs.
5. Drawing from memory.
6. Work on the Cyrillic alphabet.
7. Work on the design of your books or just pages.
8. Copying initial letters, frames, headpieces from Old Russian manuscripts.
9. Drawing contour drawings (in detail).

Methodical features

Starting this year, an individual approach is possible. All children should begin to learn how to convey volume using color. But those students who, after repeated attempts, cannot do it beautifully, can continue to draw pictures with a flat image. This remark applies to both design work and the drawing of complex capital letters and sketches.

Children who have innate drawing abilities are the first to master these types of work. Others can try again in the middle or at the end of the year, or postpone these activities until the next class.

All students periodically draw from memory, come up with Cyrillic letters, come up with their own frames for drawings, and copy individual objects of living and inanimate nature after the teacher.

By the end of the fourth year, children should be able to:

1. Make contour drawings from memory of about 30 living and nonliving objects
nature (in different positions).
2. Color carefully with colored pencils.
3. Choose your own colors when coloring with a pencil.
4. Carry out a three-dimensional drawing of a rose, poppy, peony, pansy.
5. Draw some initials after the teacher, copying from the board
letters from old handwritten books, copy frames, screensavers.

V year of study (10-11 years old)
Explanatory note

In the fifth year of study, the work of the fourth year continues.
Working with a pen is fundamentally new. Students complete some pen and ink drawings using shading.
Drawing lessons are supported by calligraphy lessons, during which children write Cyrillic letters and sayings from the Holy Scriptures with a pen.

The fifth year of study completely coincides with the content of the fourth year. The only difference is that new postcards with three-dimensional images are used for sketching; as before, preference is given to images of beautiful flowers and temples. Last year's postcards are distributed to students who were unable to cope with a three-dimensional drawing before.
By the end of the 5th year, children should learn to perform the same work as by the end of the 4th grade, but at a higher level.
Individual students must make little books. (“ABC”, “Proverbs”, “Studies from the Holy Scriptures”, books with folklore texts).

VI year of study (11-12 years old)

In the sixth year of study, the most capable children begin to work in watercolors. Coloring with colored pencils for 5 years and working with pen and ink prepared the children to quickly master the watercolor technique.
In the sixth year, work continues on drawing pictures (postcards), which are replaced by photographs for some children. Copying photographs prepares children for sketch work in the open air. Drawings are made from memory, and the ability to work with ink and pen is improved. Children learn to illustrate books.

By the end of the sixth year of study, students should be able to:

1. Make sketches from memory of about 40 objects of living and inanimate nature.
2. Use color to convey volume.
3. Draw in pen and ink using shading. Make your own handwritten book and decorate it artistically.
4. Some students should be able to draw photographic images.
5. Some students should be able to use watercolors.

VII year of study (12-13 years old)

In the seventh year of study, professional drawing training begins. If the school’s capabilities do not allow it to have an icon-painting class, a class for decorative painting, graphics, etc., the work that was carried out in the sixth grade can continue for up to 15 years.

Work program for additional education of the Sunday school "iso". Art and visual circle Drawing lessons in an Orthodox school

Part one

Target

Forms of classroom lessons

Possible areas of thematic classes

Part two

First year of study (possible starting age 9–11 years)

I topic. God is the Creator of the world and man

II topic. Covenant (a person’s connection with God through loyalty to Him and God’s promises)

III topic. Divine providence for the salvation of man

IV topic. Forgiveness and openness to each other as the beginning of the path to the joy of meeting the Resurrection of Christ and joining the Church of God

V topic. Temple. Basic concepts about worship

VI topic. Victory of life

Second year of study

I topic. Man, God, world

II topic. Glorification of the Creator

III topic. The Nearness of God

IV topic. The love of God, which delivers man from evil and bestows the fullness of all good, is a call to our mercy, hope, faith and love

V topic. Conciliar service to God

Third year of study

I topic. Image of history

II topic. History as the expectation of the Savior in the Old Testament

III topic. History as Revelation in the New Testament

IV topic. Forgiveness in the Old Testament. Forgiveness of sins is a great gift to the man of the New Testament

V topic. History of worship and its features

VI topic. The beginning of Church history

Fourth year of study

I topic. Introduction to Tradition

II topic. Bible - Word of God

III topic. True. Order. Rule. Chin

IV topic. The Church is the assembly of the called, chosen from the world

Elective subject program: Art and visual circle

Purpose of the item

Tasks

Thematic planning

Literature

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First year of study
(possible starting age 9–11 years)

Elective subject program:
Art and visual circle