Progression in the Jesus Strand
Progression in the Jesus strand
Nursery
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesTalk about Jesus / Talk about people who care for us as being special people in our lives. Links with a topic on people who care for us could be made here. Talk about Jesus as a special person who cares for us.
Talk about Jesus as a baby who was born as a baby who then grew up into a child just like us. Tell the children where Jesus was born. Talk about the places where the children were born. Links with a topic on ourselves may be made here. Make a display of pupils’ birth photos, first baby shoes, Christening clothes, hospital name bracelets etc.
Talk about the childhood activities the children do and the activities Jesus might have experienced e.g. playing, singing, drawing, listening to stories, praying etc. / Can the children talk, in very simple terms, about Jesus being born and growing up just like them?
Begin to appreciate the concept of a special person / Show pictures of Jesus doing special things e.g. healing the sick, telling stories, talking to people, caring for people. Talk about Jesus during the preparations for Christmas. Explain that this is a very special time of preparation for a very special baby. / Can the children recognise what special things Jesus is doing in a picture from an illustrated Bible or simple bible story book?
Can the children recognise the special baby in the Nativity story as Jesus?
Progression in the Jesus strand
Reception
Learning objectives / Possible learning activities / Assessment opportunitiesBegin to understand that Jesus was part of a family. / Talk about families and what they are (be sensitive to the different families within the class). Talk about family members. Progress to talk about the childhood of Jesus and the things he might have seen as a boy e.g. the countryside, animals such as sheep, goats, camels, fishermen, carpenters, farmers etc. Compare the children’s family lives with the family life of Jesus i.e. playing, going to school, going on holiday (compare Jesus’ journey to the temple with us going on holiday), getting lost etc. / Can the children draw and/or name one of their own family members?
Can the children draw and/or name a member of Jesus’ family?
Begin to understand that we too are special like Jesus / Ask the children to describe themselves. Explain that we are all special because we are all different. Talk about the fact that we all like different things e.g. foods, television programmes, cartoon characters, story books, colours, clothes etc.
Around a picture of themselves, ask the children to draw their favourite things. / Do the children display any self-awareness?
Begin to understand that the stories Jesus told showed us how to be kind, caring and brave / Discuss the things that Jesus did which were kind, caring or brave. Teach the song ‘Jesus’ hands were kind hands. Tell stories such as The Paralysed Man (Mark 2.1-12). Ask the children to draw around one hand and then draw or write onto it some kind things they could do. Tell and talk about the parables Jesus told to teach people about kindness such as The Widow’s Offering (Luke 21.1-4) or the Good Samaritan (Luke 10.25-37). Explore them through Godly play, story sacks, through role play or song. / Are the children aware of the kind things Jesus did for others?
Can the children talk simply about times when they themselves or/and Jesus showed kindness, care or bravery?
Begin to understand that Jesus wants us to behave like him / Ask the children to think about some of the stories Jesus told about being kind to which they have recently listened. Talk about why we must be kind to other people and to animals. Talk about ways in which we can help others. Ask the children to draw someone they were kind to yesterday. / Do the children show evidence of wanting to be kind to others like Jesus?
Assessment in the Jesus strand
Nursery and Reception
Most children willKnowledge / Begin to be aware that Jesus was a special person
Begin to recognise pictures of Jesus in a book
Begin to know and talk about the birth and childhood of Christ
Begin to be aware of some of the stories Jesus told
Skills / Begin to ask questions and respond to some of the stories about Jesus as a child, begin to ask questions and respond to some of the stories which Jesus told
Attitudes / Begin to relate the stories of Jesus to their own lives
Begin to think about the qualities of Jesus and link them to their own life experiences
Progression in the Jesus strand
Year 1
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo look at pictures of Jesus and to talk together about Jesus as a special person. / Show pictures of Jesus and his life (not the crucifixion) using different artistic and cultural representations.
Ask pupils which pictures they like most and how they think that Jesus might have looked.
Encourage pupils to talk about Jesus in a variety of ways: the purpose is to engage their attention and imagination: ask how people might have felt when they met such a special person as Jesus.
To hear about the birth and life of Jesus. / Use readings from Bibles written for younger children, retelling the story, and video media (use either Welsh or English resources as appropriate).
To know about the special ways in which Jesus treated people. / Draw on pupils’ previous knowledge of stories which show Jesus caring for others e.g. the story of Bartimaeus (Mark 10. 46-52). Ask pupils to close their eyes and imagine what it is like not to see. Play tapes of sounds and ask them to identify them. Tell the pupils the story of the blind beggar from Jericho who had to rely on his sense of hearing because he could not see. Set the scene- how he lived, how he was treated, why he had to beg.
Invite a blind person to bring his/ her guide dog to school to meet the children.
Other stories which show Jesus caring for others could be the story of the paralysed man or the feeding of the five thousand.
Assessment in the Jesus strand
Year 1
Most pupils will / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will / Some pupils will have progressed much further and willKnowledge / Know that Jesus has been depicted in various ways.
Begin to understand and talk about the special person Jesus was. / Know that Jesus has been depicted in various ways.
Begin to understand and talk a little about the special person Jesus was. / Know that Jesus has been depicted in various ways.
Begin to understand more and talk in more detail about the special person Jesus was.
Skills / Begin to respond to the life of Jesus in words, drawings and writing. / Begin to respond to the life of Jesus in words and drawings. / Begin to respond to the life of Jesus in words, drawing and writing in more detail.
Attitudes / Begin to understand that those who met Jesus thought that Jesus was special.
Progression in the Jesus strand
Year 2
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo look at illustrations of Jesus / Show pictures of Jesus in different artistic and cultural representations (including the crucifixion and resurrection).
Discuss why the representations are different. Ask pupils to decide which are the happiest and saddest of the pictures. Pupils could try to copy one of the pictures and/ or write a simple poem based on one of the pictures.
To understand what comprises a story, a story with a moral and a parable. / Show the children different types of story books. Explain that we find stories in lots of books including the Bible.
Tell stories which have a moral ending (e.g. one of Aesop’s fables or a Teddy Horsley story). Explain that these stories have a special meaning.
Explain that there are special stories in the Bible which Jesus told, which have a special meaning, and that these special stories are called parables.
Show how the parables of Jesus convey meaning (e.g. the Good Samaritan shows us how we should treat other people in trouble by being a neighbour to them): ask pupils to write a simple story illustrating the idea that we should help others whether we like them or not.
To understand what a miracle is. / Explain that the miracles of Jesus are the things he did, not the things he said; distinguish between miracles and magic.
Emphasise that miracles did not happen like magic tricks but they happened
for a good reason because of God’s power.
To know about the way Jesus treated people. / Show two apples, one red and the other green. Cut them open and show that, inside, they are both the same. Explain that Jesus showed his love for everyone despite their colour, gender, age or disability and cared for those who no one else cared for. Explain that sometimes people get on together and sometimes they don’t. Discuss reasons why people may have disagreements and arguments (relate to pupils’ experiences).
Talk about the dislike for the Samaritans in Jesus’ time, refer to the story of Zacchaeus
(Luke 19.1-9 ) and the time when Jesus healed the leper (Matthew 8.24). Make pupils aware of the different organisations which help people in similar circumstances today i.e. Christian Aid, Save The Children, Oxfam, UNICEF etc. Look at posters, leaflets about their work. If possible, plan a simple fund raising activity with the children.
To learn to pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ / Explain that the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ was a special prayer that Jesus taught the disciples. Teach the children to pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ in English/ Welsh using the Lion Big Book of Prayers, an enlarged text, or using the interactive whiteboard.
If appropriate, explain the meaning of the prayer in very simple terms.
Assessment in the Jesus strand
Year 2
Most pupils will begin to / Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will have begun to / Some pupils will have progressed further and will have begun toKnowledge / Know that Jesus’ birth, life death and resurrection were depicted in various ways.
Know some examples of stories, parables and miracles
Know that Jesus had a special mission to care for those for whom no one else would care. / Know that Jesus’ birth, life death and resurrection were depicted in various ways.
Know an example of a story, a parable and a miracle.
Know a little about Jesus’ special mission to care for those for whom no one else would care. / Know that Jesus’ birth, life death and resurrection were depicted in various ways.
Know some examples of stories, parables and miracles and explain a little of the differences between them.
Know that Jesus had a special mission to care for those for whom no one else would care and give a few examples.
Skills / Remember the Lord’s Prayer in English / Welsh and talk about its meaning / Remember some of the Lord’s prayer in English / Welsh and begin to understand its meaning. / Remember the Lord’s Prayer in English / Welsh and talk about its meaning and importance.
Attitudes / Begin to apply Jesus’ teaching on the treatment of others and on prayer to their own lives
Progression in the Jesus Strand
Year3
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo know about the childhood and life of Jesus / Compare and contrast childhood now and childhood in the time of Jesus i.e. going on trips and holidays, playing, leisure activities, going to church etc.
Talk about education in the time of Jesus. Refer to Luke 2.41-52. Jesus visited the temple in Jerusalem and was interested in what was taught there; he asked and answered questions; he took part in the Passover festival (v 41); he probably learnt carpentry from Joseph; he probably went to the local school in the synagogue and learnt to read there.
Tell the story of Jesus’ life to the class. If possible, show videos depicting events in his life. Try to build a narrative framework from birth, through ministry to death and resurrection.
Turn stories about the life of Jesus into wall displays (e.g. pictures /simple stories/ timelines about milestones in Jesus’ life).
To hear about the background to the life of Jesus. / Talk about the kind of world that Jesus grew up in; soldiers in the streets because the Romans ruled (even in Britain) and schools attached to the synagogues; design a wall display contrasting the world of today with the world of Jesus.
To understand the call of the disciples and the mission of Jesus.
To talk about why people believed in Jesus and responded to him. / Ask pupils what they would like to be when they grow up; read Matthew 4.18-22 and talk about the jobs the disciples had before they met Jesus and why they followed Jesus; did life become more interesting or more boring when they followed Jesus (more exciting); did they see the miracles of Jesus? (yes); did they understand all that he did and said? (no); do we remember them today? (yes)
Pick examples of two or three people in the Gospels who became followers of Jesus (e.g. Peter and the fishermen in Luke 5; Zacchaeus the Tax collector in Luke 19).
Assessment in the Jesus strand
Year 3
Most children will / Some children will not have made so much progress and will / Some children will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Be able to describe the main events in the life of Jesus and say why people felt that he was special.
Know about the disciples of Jesus and be able to talk about why they followed him. / Be able to describe some events in the life of Jesus and say why people wanted to follow him.
Know something about the disciples of Jesus and be able to talk simply about why they followed him. / Be able to describe the main events in the life of Jesus and discuss, in more detail, why people thought that he was special.
Know about the disciples of Jesus and be able to explain why they followed him.
Skills / Begin to be able to see a pattern in the life of Jesus.
Be able to present the background of the life of Jesus in various media e.g. paintings, drawings, models, role play etc. / Begin to be able to see some of the pattern in the life of Jesus.
Be able to present some elements of the background to the life of Jesus in different media e.g. paintings, drawings, models, role play etc. / Begin to be able to see a pattern in the life of Jesus and explain it in simple terms.
Be able to present the background to the life of Jesus creatively in various media e.g. paintings, drawings, models, role play etc.
Attitudes / Begin to realise why Jesus is believed to be a special person.
Progression in the Jesus strand
Year 4
Learning objectives / Possible learning activitiesTo know Old Testament passages that Jesus would have heard. / Discuss how Jesus learned the Old Testament (from his mother? From attending the synagogue? From reading)
Look at some of the Old Testament passages quoted by Jesus (e.g. Luke 4.4 / Deuteronomy 8.3; Matthew 22.32 / Exodus 3.6; Luke 4.24-27; 1Kings 17.9f).
To understand the basic teaching of Jesus in relation to other people and to God. / Talk about rules in school. Imagine what would happen if there were no rules (chaos); talk about various types of rules (in games, for road safety, in grammar); talk about what sort of general rules might govern the way in which we treat others.
Look at the great commandments (Matthew 22.36-39) – loving God and neighbour; think about the way that people love themselves (look after themselves) and talk about what happens if we take a similar attitude to others.
Look at Matthew 7.12 ‘Do to others what you would have them do to you’ and try to work out what this would mean in practice; does this rule cover all other rules of behaviour?; how does this rule affect the way we treat people who are younger and weaker than we are?
To understand why Christians celebrate Easter / Read one of the resurrection narratives and talk about Jesus coming to life after the crucifixion; look at the reactions of the followers of Jesus, sadness is replaced by joy, doubt by faith (Thomas in John 20.24f); connect this with words or music in Easter hymns; write poems or plays illustrating the feelings of the women at the tomb on the first Easter Sunday. Focus on the reason why we celebrate Easter; something so wonderful (the resurrection) resulting from something so terrible (the crucifixion).
Assessment in the Jesus strand
Year 4
Most children will / Some children will not have made so much progress and will / Some children will have progressed further and willKnowledge / Know that the Old Testament influenced Jesus.
Know the basis of Jesus’ teaching was the love of God and neighbour.
Be able to discuss a narrative of the resurrection. / Begin to know that the Old Testament was important to Jesus.
Know something of the basis of Jesus’ teaching was love of God and neighbour.
Be able to tell the story of the resurrection. / Know more of how the Old Testament influenced Jesus.
Know more about the basis of Jesus’ teaching was love of God and neighbour.
Be able to discuss, with perception, a narrative of the resurrection.
Skills / Be able to convey the impact of the resurrection imaginatively through appropriate media. / Be able to convey the impact of the resurrection imaginatively through a medium appropriate to their ability. / Be able to express the impact of the resurrection imaginatively through various media.
Attitudes / Be able to appreciate the special nature of Jesus’ teaching and see, through examples such as the Great commandments, how it might affect their own lives.
Progression in the Jesus Strand