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How much are animals worth compared to humans?
Students will:
STARTER 1. Ask the students to vote on a series of alternatives: Which would you rather be given: a five pound note, or a ten pound book token? Which is better: a dog, or a cat? Which is more enjoyable: RE Lessons, or Maths lessons? Which is better: the Arctic Monkeys or James Blunt? Which is more valuable: a ticket to see your favourite band in concert, or a DVD of the concert? Which would you save first from a burning building: a puppy, or a human baby? Explain that in the exercise, the students were being forced to choose between two options, and were assessing the relative merits of each in order to make their choice. In this lesson you are going to be looking at a fictional scenario where people are also choosing between two conflicting interests, and as a result are revealing their attitudes towards the relationship between humans and animals. In the lesson you will be looking at Christian attitudes towards animals and animal welfare. MAIN ACTIVITIES 2. Introduce the clip from the film Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Dreamworks/Aardman 2005, certificate PG). Click below to buy the DVD or video online: Buy the DVD from Amazon.co.uk Buy the video from Amazon.co.uk The clip itself comes from the beginning of the film, so you don't need to do much scene setting, but ask the students to pay particular attention to the different attitudes shown towards the thief who is caught in the act. Start time: 0.01.50 (during chapter 1 on the DVD) End time: 0.07.30 Clip length: Five minutes and 40 seconds The clip starts with a policeman walking his beat at night. It ends with Gromit watching the 'Breakfast' light flashing stop the film before it cuts to Wallace's bedroom. Ask the students what they think the woman who commented '...I hope they give them pests what's coming to them' had in mind for the rabbits. Do they think that she would be pleased or dismayed by the way the rabbits were treated at Wallace and Gromit's house? Do the students think that it is reasonable for the villagers to get rid of the rabbits in order to enjoy their vegetable show which is more important, the show or the rights of the rabbits to roam freely? 3. Now introduce a second clip from the film. Wallace and Gromit have been called out to deal with a rabbit problem at Tottington Hall, the venue for a prestigious annual vegetable show. Ask the students to pay particular attention to the attitudes shown by Lady Tottington (Helena Bonham-Carter) and Victor (Ralph Fiennes) concerning the disposal of the rabbits. Start time: 0.12.15 (start of chapter 3 on the DVD) End time: 0.16.39 Clip length: Four minutes and 24 seconds Ask the students to summarise the different attitudes towards the rabbit. Draw out the contrast between Lady Tottington's desire for a humane approach to removing them, and Victor's belief that the job is only half done until the rabbits have been killed. Ask the students, working in small groups, to produce a list of reasons to support each point of view between 3 to 6 reasons for each side of the argument. Once the students have had time to compile their lists, ask them to report back to the whole class, and allow some time for students to discuss their own responses to the two arguments. 4. Now ask the students whether they think that a Christian would be more likely to agree with Victor's argument or Lady Tottington's. Ask them to explain what factors they based their opinion on. Ask the students to read the following Bible passages, making notes on what each one tells them about Christian attitudes towards animals, then ask if their perception of a Christian attitude to animals has changed in the light of them. Genesis 1:26-30; Genesis 9:1-4 and 8-10; Deuteronomy 5:12-14; Proverbs 12:10; Romans 14:5-12 and 19-21; Luke 12:22-24. When students feed their answers back, help them to apply what they have found by asking specifically how these verses relate to the problem of the Tottington rabbits. Here are some notes on the passages which you may find helpful if some students require assistance, or when you ask them to feedback their answers: Genesis 1:2630 God makes man and woman in his image this is a unique description in the Bible, which only applies to humanity, not to animals or any other created being (e.g. not to angels). God gives humans dominion over creation, explicitly including animals. Interestingly, it seems that eating animals for food was a development that came after the Fall, rather than God's original plan for humanity. Genesis 9:14, 8-10 But that doesn't mean that Christians believe eating meat is wrong per se here God specifically allows the eating of any animals for his people. Notice also that God's covenant is not just with the humans, but with birds, livestock, etc as well. Although humanity is the pinnacle of God's creation, that doesn't mean that he isn't bothered about the rest of it. Deuteronomy 5:12-14 Notice that even the animals are to be given a day of rest. This suggests that human dominion over animals should not mean a lack of concern for the welfare of the animals. Proverbs 12:10 Taking care of animals is something which is associated with the righteous e.g. the people who live as God wants them to. Romans 14:512, 19-21 The role of individual conscience for Christians is advanced here. As we have seen, eating meat is not considered wrong per se for Christians, although some Christians may find good reasons not to do so. This passage suggests that Christians should be free to follow their own conscience on this matter, although they are also instructed to do so in a way that won't cause problems for those who take a different position on the issue. Luke 12:22-24 The passage is not saying that birds are unimportant it does, after all, say that God feeds them. Rather, it is arguing that God regards humans as more valuable than birds, and that he will provide for human needs, hence the instruction not to worry. 5. If you want to reinforce the learning about what Christians believe about animals, you could ask all or some of the following questions for the class to discuss together: What instructions does the Bible say that God gave to humans concerning animals? What uses are animals put to in the Bible? Does the Bible seem to regard the relative importance of animals and humans? Draw out that while the Bible clearly regards humans as being more important than animals (humans, uniquely, are made in the image of God; God tells Adam and Eve that they are to 'rule over' the animal world Genesis 1:28), this does not mean that humans are at liberty to treat animals however they want to. Christians believe that God has entrusted his creation (including other living creatures, such as animals, birds and fish) to humanity, and that humans are stewards of what God has made. This means that rather than being absolute rulers over the world, humans are ruling it on behalf of God, rather like someone who runs a shop but is answerable to the owner of the shop. Another comparison which students may find easier to relate to would be of a student left in charge of a classroom while the teacher leaves the room for a time. If the teacher were subsequently to discover that the student abused their position of trust and authority, bullying other students or damaging the equipment in the classroom, the trusted student could expect to be in trouble once the teacher returned. Although Christians believe that God has entrusted the world, including its animal life, into humans' hands, he also expects us to look after them properly. You can find a summary of the Church of England's official position regarding animal welfare issues at www.cofe.anglican.org/info/socialpublic/environment/animalwelfare.html SUMMARY / ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 6. The first clip includes the character of the local vicar, the Reverend Clement Hedges (Nicholas Smith), who seems to side more with Victor than with Lady Tottington, Wallace and Gromit. Ask students to write a short sermon for him to deliver at the local church, explaining a Christian attitude towards animals and applying it to the rabbit situation in the film. Students are free to make the Rev. Hedges change his position from that shown in the film, if they feel doing so would make him a better representative of Christian belief.
A copy of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and the means to play it Bibles Worksheets
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