Year 6 - Religious education
Iona: a historic Christian pilgrimage
Pilgrimage: why are people still drawn to ancient places?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will revist the idea of pilgrimage. They will investigate case studies of the sites of Iona, the Ganges and Glastonbury. From this they will learn that there has been a Christian or Hindu presence there for centuries. They will note how there is both continuity and change.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe how and why Iona became an ancient centre of pilgrimage.
Key Notes
- Iona is an island off the west coast of Scotland.
- Celtic monks travelled to remote places to establish monasteries.
- Colomba travelled to Iona and founded a monastery there in 563 AD.
- The monastery and later abbey became a centre of pilgrimage for many centuries.
Vocabulary To Learn
- Celtic: referring to an ancient people related to the Irish, Scots and Welsh
- monastery: a building lived in by a community of monks who follow religious vows
- monk: a member of a religious order who has taken vows to dedicate themselves to God
- thin place: a Celtic idea of a place where the boundary between heaven and earth is almost not there
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Christianity spread in a similar way across Europe.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Iona is an island off the west coast of Scotland. Celtic monks travelled to remote places to establish monasteries.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Celtic'
referring to an ancient people related to the Irish, Scots and Welsh.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Christianity spread in a similar way across Europe. Correction: Celtic people developed distinctive practices and artefacts such as Celtic crosses.
More Lessons In This Unit
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