Progression in the Bible strand
Nursery
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesHear stories about people from the Bible / Hear very simple versions of a variety of stories about the lives of people in the Bible, including the story of the Nativity. Establish links between these stories and other topics across the areas of learning e.g. people who help us and the story of the Good Samaritan. Focus on the central character /s of the story. Explore the stories through action songs, games, story sacks, computer generated books. Use Teddy Horsley resources to support these stories. Let the children see and hold the Bible as a special book. Encourage the children to take simplified versions of the Bible, or simplified Bible stories, home as a ‘book in a bag’ or ‘home reading book’ with accompanying activities, finger puppets/ toy characters from the story etc. / In very simple terms, can the children talk about people from some of the Bible stories they have heard?
Progression in the Bible strand
Reception
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesBegin to know that the Bible is a special book which means something in our lives at school, at home and in church. / Show the children different Bibles e.g. The Good News Bible, The Lion Story Teller Bible, The Children’s Bible, other simple illustrated Bibles, a Bible written in Welsh, Bibles in other languages, miniature Bibles etc. Discuss why all these different versions of the Bible are special. Look at, and talk about some of the special stories in the Bible. Look at pictures of Jesus and other characters in some of the illustrated Bibles. Make a display of these Bibles. Encourage the pupils to take a simplified Bible home as a ‘book in a bag’ with accompanying activities or a ‘home reading book’. Encourage the children to become more familiar with stories of the Bible through use of Godly play, drama, role play, action songs, story sacks, big books and, wherever possible, more structured activities. / Can the children understand that the Bible is a special book which contains many special stories?
Can the children understand that the special stories in the Bible help us in our lives?
Begin to know that the Bible tells us about peoples’ lives / Hear the story of Noah (Gen. 6.8f) and his family (a story sack or model of the ark could be used to support the story telling here). Retell the events such as the building of the boat, collecting the animals and being saved from the flood. / Can the children understand that God gave Noah a special job to do and that God wanted Noah, his family and the animals to be safe?
Begin to know Bible stories about belonging / Hear the story of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15). A story sack could be used to tell the story or the story could be told through Godly play. Ask the children to think about how sad the lost sheep was and how happy to be found again and why the shepherd looked for the sheep. / Can the children explain simply how the sheep or shepherd might have felt?
Can the children understand that the shepherd found the sheep?
Begin to know Bible stories about sharing / Tell the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Break up rolls of bread to show how far the rolls can be shared. Relate the story to the children’s own experiences of sharing. Ask children to write or copy thank you onto pictures from the story. / Can the children understand that the little boy in the story shared and cared for others?
Begin to know the importance of saying thank you / Remind children about sharing in the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Why did Jesus say thank you for the loaves and fish given by the little boy? Why do we say thank you? How do we feel when people don’t’ say thank you to us? What should we say thank you for today? Say thank you for one of our favourite things. Say ‘Thank you God for….’ Prayers. / Can the children understand that God wants us to say thank you?
Assessment in the Bible strand
Nursery and Reception
Most children willKnowledge / Be aware that there are special books and the Bible is one of them.
Begin to know that the Bible contains many good stories to be enjoyed.
Begin to know the words Bible and Nativity.
Begin to be aware that the Bible contains stories which are linked to the themes of belonging, thanking and sharing.
Skills / Be able to listen to Bible stories.
Begin to be able to relate, in simple terms, the broad thrust of at least one of the stories heard, especially the story of the Nativity.
Begin to be able to identify and explain, simply, events illustrated in pictures of the stories heard.
Begin to ask questions about the stories heard.
Attitudes / Respond to the stories with own ideas and feelings.
Progression in the Bible Strand
Year 1
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo understand the Bible as a special book and to see, hold and look at an illustrated Bible / Discuss special things (e.g. people we love, precious things/belongings, unusual places)
Look at a range of Bibles (including bibles in Welsh, family Bibles, unusual Bibles, Bibles brought from home)
Find a Bible in the school library
Find a Bible(s) during a visit to church
Use a Bible during literacy sessions
To understand the Bible as precious because it shows us how to live / Explain that the Bible is precious because it can show us how to live.
Illustrate this by reading stories such as The Sower, The Mustard Seed, The Lost Coin
To hear Bible stories / Use a variety of methods to familiarise pupils with bible stories (readings, retell, pictures, story boards, mime, videos, story ‘sacks’, interactive CD-Roms)e.g. the story of Jonah
To talk about Bible stories together / Pupils can talk about stories in pairs, groups or as a class; the purpose is to engage their attention and imagination: ask how people in the stories felt and what they thought
To know some Bible stories, especially those speaking of the value of children / Tell the story of Moses and the way his mother cared for him and how he was brought up (Ex. 2)
Tell the story of the Samuel or Jairus’ daughter
Assessment in the Bible Strand
Year 1
Most pupils will / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will / Some pupils will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Know how to recognise a Bible and realise that it is a special book containing a variety of stories
Know the Bible can teach people how to live
Understand that the Bible teaches the value of children / Be able to recognise a Bible and realise that it is a special book containing a variety of stories
Know the Bible can teach
people how to live
Begin to understand that the Bible teaches the value of children / Know how to recognise a Bible and realise that it is a special book containing a great variety of stories
Know the Bible can teach people how to live
Understand how the Bible teaches the value of children
Skills / Be able to re-tell Bible stories / Be able to recall some Bible stories / Be able to retell a number of Bible stories
Attitudes / Begin to realise that the Bible is to be both enjoyed, treasured and respected
Progression in the Bible Strand
Year 2
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo hear about and talk about the life of an Old Testament character / Use a variety of methods/ approached to read/ tell Old Testament stories such as Joseph and /or Abraham (e.g. story boards, big books/enlarged text, videos, CD Rom)
To recognise the variety of characters in the Bible compared with modern times / Show a picture of modern Britain: identify different groups (policemen, firemen, mayors, judges, traffic wardens)
Use pictures to show the different people who appear in the New Testament: fishermen, tax collectors, Pharisees, Romans, disciples, ordinary people; discuss what they all did and how they lived;
Write ‘A day in the life of’ stories and share with the class
To begin to understand the Bible as a guide to the way we treat other people / Re-tell an appropriate Bible story such as the Unforgiving People(forgiveness, Mt. 18.23f
Ask pupils to dramatise or illustrate the story; you may want to make a video of a class drama based on the story; you could provide a partially drawn pictures for pupils to complete; you could modernise the stories replacing people in them with modern equivalents.
To begin to understand Bible references to the use and development of gifts / Read the Parable of the Talents (Mt.25.14f); what is it about? Who gives the money to the servants (the master)? What should they do with it (increase it)? Is this a story about money? What is a talent? How should we use our natural abilities?
What might this story mean for us? (e.g. learn a musical instrument, become good at a new sport, be thankful if we are good at things, not be lazy); in general, celebrate what we can do now as gifts in the eyes of God.
To know more about how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales / Familiarise the children with the story of Mary Jones as a determined little girl who saved her money and braved a long journey to buy her Bible
When have you been brave?
When have you saved for something that you really wanted?
Assessment of the Bible Strand
Year 2
Most pupils will / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will / Some pupils will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Know something about the background to the New Testament characters
Be able to describe what Jesus said about caring for others
Know about stories which illustrate how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales / Know something about the daily life of some New Testament characters
Be able to describe simply what Jesus said about caring for others
Know something of stories which illustrate how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales / Know something about the background to the New Testament characters
Be able to describe and explain what Jesus said about caring for others
Know about and be able to explain stories in detail which illustrate how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales
Skills / Be able to re-tell a range of Bible stories and stories about how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales explain their meaning / Be able to recall some Bible stories and stories about how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales and explain their meaning / Be able to re-tell a range of Bible stories and stories about how the Bible was treasured and taught in Wales in detail and explain their meaning
Attitudes / Begin to understand that the Bible can influence the whole of life, including the pupils’ own
Progression in the Bible Strand
Year 3
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo hear Bible stories / Tell the story of Moses’ upbringing, his escape from Egypt, his subsequent confrontation with Pharaoh and the freeing of the slaves
Tell Bible stories to the class (especially stories that the current generation might not know) e.g. Noah’s flood and Jonah
Discuss the symbolism of the rainbow in the story of Noah and the concept of promises in both stories (possibly, link this with P.S.E. and work on citizenship)
Show the Bible stories on video
Ask children to re-enact Bible stories with impromptu drama or mime
Turn the Bible stories into wall displays, plays or poems
Let the children write their own ‘promise prayers’ in response to the work on Noah and Jonah
To talk about Bible stories together / Reflect on Bible stories in big or small groups
Take well known Bible stories(especially parables) and discuss with the children what the stories might teach or mean (e.g. The parable of the Good Samaritan in Lk. 10.30-37 or the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Lk.15.11-32)
To respond to Bible stories / Draw pictures, make up poems, write dramas based on Bible events, characters or stories
Allow children to express themselves and encourage them to engage with the biblical text imaginatively and creatively
Pupils can learn from the Bible: they can see that it is a book about people who are in many ways like us – they sang songs and wept tears; they can appreciate that these people expected God to act in their lives; they knew about right and wrong; they built houses and planted fields; they had jobs; they married and had children; they were young and became old
Assessment of the Bible Strand
Year 3
Most children will / Some children will not have made so much progress and will / Some children will have progressed furtherKnowledge / Become familiar with the details and possible meaning of a range of Bible stories. / Become familiar with the details and possible meaning of selected Bible stories. / Become familiar with details of a wide range of Bible stories and know that they have different meanings
Skills / Be able to convey the force and meaning of a range of Bible stories through different media / Be able to convey the force and meaning of selected Bible stories in a form appropriate to their abilities / Be able to convey the force and meaning of a range of Bible stories in several forms
Attitudes / Realise that the Bible is a book about recognisable people
Progression in the Bible Strand
Year 4
Learning objectives / Possible learning objectivesTo see how the life of a major Bible character is unfolded in the text / Notice how the stories of Moses and Abraham reference to the problems and temptations they faced, their travels, their relationship with God expressed through prayer, their friends, family, achievements and failures and so on.
To understand the basic textual divisions into Testaments, books, chapters and verses within the Bible and the Apocrypha / Examine the way in which the Bible is divided into books. Discuss how they are grouped: history, law, prophecy etc. Examine chapter and verse divisions. Discuss why page numbers are not used and that the chapter and verse numbers system was added for lectionaries, and for the convenience of finding text quickly in such a big book.
To work from a Bible and comprehend the reality of journeys made by Jesus / Work with a map of Israel showing where Jesus travelled from Nazareth to Jerusalem; note at least one journey through Samaria (Jn. 4.3,4); draw a map showing his journey after the Last Supper to the place of crucifixion (Mt.26.20-30; 57, 58, 27.1, 32,33).
If available, use a CD-Rom to allow pupils to engage interactively with the land.
Assessment of the Bible Strand