How to use this site    About Us    Submissions    Feedback    Donate    Links   

Assemblies.org.uk - School Assemblies for every season for everyone

Decorative image - Primary

Email Twitter Facebook

-
X
-

Trees and the Easter Story

An Easter poem

by Jan Edmunds (revised, originally published in 2007)

Suitable for Key Stage 2

Aims

To consider the importance of trees and their part in the Easter story.

Preparation and materials

  • Optional: you may wish to use the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Trees and the Easter Story), in which case you will need the means to display them. You can run the slides as a slide show in the background during the assembly.

  • Optional: you may wish to display the poem in the ‘Assembly’, Step 3, in which case you will need the means to do so.

Assembly

  1. Explain that you are going to tell the children about the things that live the longest in the world. Ask them whether they can guess what these things might be.

  2. Ask the children whether they have ever seen any unusual or amazing trees.

    Listen to a range of responses.

    Point out that every tree is amazing and emphasize the importance of planting trees and looking after them.

  3. Explain to the children that you are going to read them a poem about our wonderful trees that links them to some Christian beliefs about Easter.

    You may wish to stop after each verse to discuss what the verse means. When you have considered the poems meaning, you may wish to encourage the children to read the poem with you from beginning to end.

    Trees
    by Jan Edmunds

    The beauty of trees is a joy to behold.
    For millions of years, they have watched life unfold.
    They give shelter to creatures and help them survive.
    They clean up the air to keep us alive.

    Their wood’s used for houses, in tables and chairs.
    It’s made into windows, our doors or our stairs.
    Carpenter Joseph taught Jesus his trade.
    Ploughs, yokes and mangers by him were made.

    The disciples went fishing in boats made of wood.
    When calming the storm in a boat, Jesus stood.
    Leaves of the palm tree were spread on the ground.
    For Jesus in triumph they were waved all around.

    Soon after, he hung from a cross made of wood.
    On a hill far away with two others it stood.
    The third day after, he rose up again.
    Like the plants in the winter, through wind and through rain,
    Trees rest and are bare ‘til the spring comes around.
    Then they burst into blossom and new life is found.

    From trees we can learn a lesson or two:
    That life can be hard for me or for you.
    But when we feel down, there’s some hope we can take.
    Winter will pass, spring will awake:
    An adventure unknown, a new journey to make.

  4. Encourage some discussion about the poem with the children. If you wish, use the list of questions below to aid discussion.

    - Which small creatures shelter in trees?
    - Can you think of ten things that are made out of wood?
    - Who was Joseph?
    - What did the disciples do?
    - Why did Jesus calm the storm?
    - When did the people wave palm branches at Jesus?
    - What is the story of Jesus’ death and rising again at Easter?

Time for reflection

Read out again the following verse.

From trees we can learn a lesson or two:
That life can be hard for me or for you.
But when we feel down, there’s some hope we can take.
Winter will pass, spring will awake:
An adventure unknown, a new journey to make.

Encourage the children to think about why difficulties can help us to learn important lessons in life. Make it clear that if the children are going through a tough time, there is always someone at school to whom they can talk.

Finish off by asking the children what adventures they are looking forward to this year.

Prayer
Dear God,
Help us to remember the message of Easter:
That when things seem very difficult,
We can find new light and new hope.
Amen.

Song/music

‘Celebrate (Songs for Every Easter by Mark and Helen Johnson, Out of the Ark Music). An excerpt is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovUPYvJ22PY (0.55 minutes long)

Publication date: April 2020   (Vol.22 No.4)    Published by SPCK, London, UK.
Print this page