Lots of Apples!

Harvest and body image

by Kirstine Davis

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To consider that each of us is special on the inside.

Preparation and materials

• You will need various apples of different colours and shapes, including a bruised one (the worse the apple looks, the better!). For example, a Granny Smith apple, a Pink Lady apple, a cooking apple and a bruised apple.

• You will also need a chopping board and a small knife – please remember health and safety issues.

• You will also need a homemade object such as a knitted hat or a cake.

Assembly

1. Ask the children to name the different seasons of the year. Ask them which season we are currently enjoying. Some of the children may think that it is still summer, if the weather is good and the sun is shining! However, traditionally, September is the start of autumn. Ask the children what happens in the autumn. Allow the children to talk about the changes to the trees and so on before asking if anyone can explain what happens on farms in the autumn. Point out that, at this time of year, farmers are looking forward to harvesting their crops.

2. Ask the children if any of them have trees in their garden. Hopefully, one of the children will mention an apple tree. Explain that today’s assembly is all about apples.

3. Show the children the different apples and ask if anyone knows their names. As you show the apples, make comments such as, ‘This is my favourite kind of apple. It is called a Pink Lady apple. You can see that it looks beautiful and I know it will taste really sweet.’
   ‘This one is a Granny Smith apple. It is a glossy green colour and I know that it will be very crunchy when I bite into it.’
   ‘This one is a bit little, but it still smells lovely . . . and this one is rather bashed. It doesn’t look as good as the others, does it?’

4. Ask the children if they know that there is a secret inside an apple. Ask them to guess what the secret could be.

5. Carefully cut the good apples in half across the middle and show the children the ‘star’ shape on the inside. Ask a younger child to tell you what the shape is.

6. Ask the children if they think the bruised apple will also have a star inside it. Cut the apple to reveal the star.

7. Explain that it doesn’t matter what these apples look like on the outside; they all have a star inside. Point out that this is a bit like people! We all look a bit different – some have brown eyes and some have blue, some have blond hair and others have black. However, in many ways, we are all the same on the inside because we are all ‘stars’ inside. We all have unique and special talents that make us who we are. Sometimes, people can look very different on the outside, possibly because bad things have happened to them. In a way, they may seem like the bruised apple, but these people are still special on the inside.

8. Show the children the homemade object. Ask them questions about it, such as whether they like it, would they wear it and so on. Explain who made the object for you and why you like it. Point out that we can make many things. We can make furniture from instructions; we can follow a recipe to make a cake; and we could follow a pattern to make a piece of clothing. However, we could never make an apple!

9. Ask the children how an apple is formed.

   Listen to a range of responses.

   Explain that, to grow an apple, you need seeds, soil, water and sunlight. In the same way, people need certain things to grow healthily. We need food, water and shelter to help us grow physically. We also need care from loving families and friends to help us grow emotionally.
   
   Christians believe that we also need to grow spiritually. This means to grow on the inside into beautiful and special people. In the Bible, it talks about the ‘fruit of the Spirit’, which is described as love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. These are very special things to grow in our lives. We can help them to grow by making friends who want to have these qualities, too, by reading good books, by watching TV programmes that are appropriate for our ages and by being careful which computer games we play.

Time for reflection

Let’s think about the ‘star’ that is inside each of us – the special part of us that makes us the people we are.

How do we treat people who look different?

Do we do things that help ourselves and others to grow into better people?

Do our actions help us to grow stronger on the inside?

Are we growing in love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control?

Prayer
Dear God,
Please help us to see what people are like on the inside and not to judge by appearances.
Please help us to realize that everyone is special.
Please help us to fill our minds and lives with good things.
Please help us to love others and to care for the world around us.
Amen.

Song/music

‘Autumn days’ (Come and Praise, 4)