It depends how you cut it?

To think about being ‘stars inside’ in the way that we treat other people.

by Gordon and Ronni Lamont

Suitable for Whole School (Pri)

Aims

To think about being ‘stars inside’ in the way that we treat other people.

Preparation and materials

• You will need two large apples, a sharp knife and a chopping board.

Assembly

1. Ask: who knows what’s in the middle of an apple? Value all responses such as pips, more apple, a core. Focus on the apple core.
   
   Talk about the word ‘core’, meaning heart, middle or inside. Give other examples such as the earth’s core, sample core (drilling), and then talk about how the word can also mean ‘our innermost selves’, as in the phrase ‘It shocked me to the core.’
2. Take one of the apples and say, Let’s take a look at this apple’s core. Cut the apple from the stalk to the base, revealing the core in cross-section. Show this to the children, ensuring that all get a good look. Explain that now we’ve seen the inside of an apple and we know what an apple is at its core.
3. Now take the second apple and say, Like good scientists we’re going to look a second time to make sure, not just take one result. This time cut the apple making your incision around the equator so that the core is dissected. You will now see that the core forms a symmetrical star shape. Show this to the children – the core is now a star.
4. Suggest that we can be like this in our core. Every day in the choices we make, the things we do, the decisions we make, the way we talk to people and so on; every day we can choose, if we want, to be like the second apple core. We can choose to be a star if we want to. Not a movie star or a singing star but a star in our core.

Time for reflection

Reflection

How will you be a ‘star at your core’?

What things will you say and do to help others and be positive and helpful?

Prayer

Help us to think of others and their needs.

Help us to be stars at our cores!
Amen.

Song/music

‘Give us hope, Lord’ (Come and Praise, 87)