Ideas for lesson planning WW1 St John’s Gospels
Lesson title: Ideas for lesson
planning for a lesson looking at
stories from soldiers who were
given WW1 St John’s Gospels
Date:
Year/age group: KS2 and KS3
Time:
School:
Learning objectives
o to learn about how St John’s Gospel was distributed by SGM during
World War 1
o to examine some first-hand accounts of soldiers from World War 1
o to understand how receiving the gospels affected the recipients
Time
steer:
Note:
(It is anticipated teachers will choose activities suitable for their
age group and for the time they have available to them.)
10
Scene setting.
Display a photograph/artist’s impression of a World War 1 trench
(several on Google images) and ask some quick enquiry questions what? where? why? who?
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10
Key stage 2: Divide the class into 5 groups. Give each group one of
the 5 senses. Appoint a scribe for each group. Ask them to make a list
– in the trenches what did the soldiers smell? What did they hear?
What did they touch? What did they taste? What did they see? After a
(short) set time each group can share their ideas with the class.
CS Lewis (author of The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe), wrote of his
experience of the trenches, “the frights, the cold, the smell of high
explosives, the horribly smashed men still moving about like halfcrushed beetles.”
10
Key stage 3: Read Harry Patch’s account of life in the trenches www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwone/last_tommy_gallery_03.shtml‎
Harry Patch (aged 106 at time of writing) describes life in the trenches.
Ask pupils to make a list of the conditions he describes (six feet deep, 3
feet wide, mud, water, slept on firing step, filth, shells bursting all
around you, smelly men, lice, fear, men shot as cowards, rats as big as
cats, lack of sleep, crawled – couldn’t stand up, the wounded you
couldn’t help, you never knew when a bullet would hit you.)
15
15
10
5
Key stage 2/3: String a line of ‘barbed wire’ (use string or plastic
barbed wire is available on Amazon!) across the classroom. Give each
pupil a torn piece of cardboard (or zig zag shape) Tell them to write on
the card a word which describes how the WW1 soldiers felt. (hopeless,
alone, scared, horrified, cold, wet, homesick etc.) Peg the words on the
‘barbed’ wire.
What do you think soldiers’ longed for in the midst of WW1? (Key
stage 2/3) (Hope, faith, comfort, peace, courage, the miraculous, life,
someone to talk to, home, a different world, heaven.) Tell pupils to write
their suggestions on another piece of card. Peg them on the ‘barbed
wire’.
‘More than my own courage’ Key stage 2/3 Insert 3 (Side 2) One
soldier from WW1 explained that he needed, ‘more than his own
courage’ during the war. Can you think of some situations today that
people might need ‘more than their own courage’ to face?
Bible bag
– quick questions. (Key stage 2) Put the replica WW1
Bible into a cloth drawstring bag or similar. See if the class can guess
what is in the bag with each group being allowed to decide between
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them 2 quick questions about what is in the bag. If they haven’t
guessed choose one member of each group to ‘feel’ the bag; they then
return to their group and are allowed to submit one further question or
guess. Then reveal the Bible.
5
St John’s Gospel (Key stage 2/3) If possible give each group a copy
or copies of the 1914 Bible or use the online version at
http://www.sgmlifewords.com/uk/resources/details/ww1-johns-gospel
Ask each group/pupil to write down on a piece of paper how many
copies of the Bible they think were given out by Scripture Gift Mission
to soldiers, refugees, prisoners and civilians during World War 1. See
who was closest to 43 million!
Examine the Bible (WW1 St John’s Gospels) (Key stage 2/3)
10
a) Front cover
Do you know what the word ‘gospel’ means? (good news)
When is it from? How old is it?
What is ‘active service’?
What are those receiving a copy asked to do with it? Are there people
who still read the Bible every day?
10
b) Inside front cover
What was Lord Roberts’ message?
Why do you think Lord Roberts writing is rather wobbly or even untidy?
(He was 81 when the war started and he wrote his message. However,
he still travelled to the front to support the soldiers. He died in
November 1914 at the age of 82 of pneumonia)
Why do you think the Bibles were so important to Lord Roberts? What
is important to you?
10
c) Page 5
Where were these Bibles given out?
How were the Bibles carefully designed?
Why do you think Lord Roberts wanted the soldiers and others involved
in the war to have a copy? (He was a hero of the Boer War – he knew
what war was like. He knew the men and women would need comfort
and strength)
10
d) Insert B (sides 1 & 2)
How else did soldiers find comfort and strength? (prayer, belief in
eternal life, family, letters) How do people find comfort and strength
today?
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Why do you think people pray when they are frightened, even if they
have never prayed before?
WW1 St John’s Gospel (Key stage 2/3)
15
Some of the themes in John’s Gospel are light, eternal life/heaven,
resurrection & forgiveness. There is the story of Jesus facing his own
death (John 17 onwards), the story of Peter – whose courage fails
(John 18: 15 – 27) and he denies knowing Jesus three times, yet is
forgiven (John 21:1 – 19) and the story of Thomas (John 20: 24- 29)
who finds the resurrection difficult to believe. (For key stage 2 you may
wish to look at these stories in a children’s Bible.) Discuss why these
themes/stories would be meaningful to the WW1 soldiers.
15
Art (Key stage 2/3)
Look at the art work in the Gospel (newly commissioned for the reprint).
Take a verse from St John’s Gospel and produce your own artwork.
Suggested verses - “The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John
3:16
“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live,
even though they die.” John 11:25
“Because I live, you also will live.” John 14:19
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as
the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be
afraid.” John 14:27
“Greater love has no-one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends” John 15:13
“In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But
take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
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15
Singing Jim (Key stage 2/3)
Read the story of ‘Singing Jim’. (Insert C Side 1 & 2)
What did Jim sing? Why did he sing? Where did he sing?
What do you sing? Why do you sing? Where do you sing?
Listen to recordings of some of the songs printed in the Bibles – for
example listen to Emeli Sande’s version of ‘Abide with Me’ (Youtube Emeli Sande Abide with Me Olympic Ceremony) that she sang at the
opening ceremony of 2012 Read the words. Why do you think these
songs were chosen? Have a go at singing this or another of the hymns.
If you were Singing Jim, which would have been your favourite song?
Make a display - Look at one hymn and write down a line you think a
soldier would have found comfort from and add to your display a line
from a song today that means something to you.
How did the Bible change Singing Jim? Do you think Jim was
influenced by John 15:13? Do you think people today believe the Bible
has/can changed them? Why do you think the other soldiers requested
more Bibles after Singing Jim’s death?
Drama (Key stage 2/3)
15
Get groups of pupils to write and act out a short piece of drama about
Singing Jim. Challenge them to include John 15:13 in their drama.
Acting parts might include a Narrator(s), Singing Jim, the wounded
soldier, Jim’s wife etc.
Choose a pupil to be a WW1 soldier (Singing Jim?) Interview/question
him about what his Bible meant to him during the war.
Creative Writing Ideas (Key stage 2/3)
20
o Lord Roberts’ Message Write down the 2 sentences you would
have written to the soldiers if you had been in Lord Roberts’
position. Read them out to the class.
o Singing Jim - what do you think the other soldiers thought of
him? Fill in speech bubbles/thoughts bubbles or as a group write
a conversation between Singing Jim’s friends/fellow soldiers
about him after his death. Read/act it out.
o ‘More than my own courage’ Read this soldier’s account at
(Insert 3 Side 2) Imagine you are this soldier and write a letter
home.
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o Bible & Battles. Write a first person account of life in the
trenches and explore how the Bible sustained a soldier in the
midst of such horror.
Decision Form Debate (Key stage 3) (Penultimate page reverse)
10
Why was this page added? Do you think it was a good idea?
Hold a debate with motions for and against adding this page. Take a
vote.
Suggestions for further activities
10/20
o Read St John’s Gospel and find out more about Jesus and the
disciple, John.
o Find out more about Lord Roberts.
o Find out about others who have recognised the importance of
the Bible e.g. William Tyndale, The Gideons, Brother Andrew
(God’s Smuggler)
o Visit a WW1 memorial or grave in a local church yard.
o Plan an assembly for the rest of the school on Lord Roberts’
Bible
o Watch DVD of ‘War Horse’
o Read/watch DVD of ‘War Game’ by Michael Foreman and learn
about the Christmas Truce of 1914.
o Read ‘Private Peaceful’ by Michael Morpurgo (Keystage 3?)
o Find out about the work of army chaplains today.
o Write on Post-it thoughts bubbles or speech bubbles to a
photographs of the trenches.
Acknowledgement for the creation of these Lesson Plan ideas and its development is gratefully given
to Fiona Walton, Christians and Sheffield Schools & RE teacher at Birkdale School, Sheffield
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