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Resource Framework for Religious Education in Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Westminster
Produced by: Dr. Margaret Carswell
Year B: B6 - Beginning with God
BLOCK 2 ~ Year 4 to 6
Autumn Term 1 – 2015/2016
This framework of learning is intended as the last in the liturgical year, Year B; the first in the academic year 2015/2106. This resource teaches Exodus 3:1-13 where Moses
encounters the Burning Bush before explicitly teaching beliefs drawn from this passage. It also recalls beliefs drawn from Scripture before extending learning to make links
between Scripture and Tradition. It then moves to teach how belief in the Trinity developed.
School are reminded that this framework is an exemplar resource that models the linear teaching of content according to the Attainment Levels. As always, you are expected to
engage with the suggestions this resource contains, make choices and adapt and apply the activities to suit your own school situation. In determining the content to teach you
must first decide on the Strand and Attainment level you wish to achieve and choose teaching and learning activities that will teach the content required for achievement of the
level. When time is limited, your guiding principle is, as it is with all good education, less content, taught more richly and deeply. Quantity should never supersede quality.
This framework is formatted to allow you to annotate your teaching, including changes made for differentiation, as you work through the material. Should you wish to have
copies of the planning grids, made from this framework by Dee Abbott and Romy Hoster, please contact them at Christ the King Catholic Primary School, Tollington Park,
Islington, N4 3QW - [email protected] or [email protected]
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Key Teachings from the Catholic Tradition. Taken from the RECD ~ (Numbers in brackets refer to the reference numbers in the Catechism of the Catholic Church)
Revelation:
1.1.1. The Nature of Revelation: How Do We Know About God? (1-3, 27-35)
The human appetite for God A (1-3, 27-30, 44-45, 1718)
Within all people there is a longing for God
b This longing comes from God, who desires and initiates a relationship with each person
c Only in God can lasting joy and peace be found in this life and in the next
B God revealed in different ways (31-35)
1.1.2. The Nature of Revelation: God’s gift of himself (74-100)
A Scripture, Tradition, and the depositum fidei (74-100, 103-108, 134-135)
a Definitions
b Scripture is the inspired record of God’s Revelation in history
c Tradition is the living transmission of the message of the Gospel in the Church
1.1.3. Faith: the response to God’s self-Revelation (144-165)
A Faith in general (143-144, 153-165)
a Grace that enables an assent of mind, heart, and will (143)
b Willingness to believe and trust in what God has communicated to us
c Relationship with God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (150-152)
1.4.2. The Trinity: (238-248, 253-256)
A The First Person of the Trinity: God the Father (238-242)
a God the Father is the source of all that is, visible and invisible
b God is Father in relation to the Son from all eternity (240)
c God is Father to all those baptized as his adopted sons and daughters through and in the Son (232-233, 249)
d God the Father of mercy also cares for the unbaptized (1257, 1260-1261)
B The Second Person of the Trinity: God the Son (461, 422)
C The Third Person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life (243-248)
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AGE GROUP STATEMENTS FROM THE RECD
Pupils will learn about:
Revelation: (5-7)

Stories of significant people in the Old Testament (5-7)

Scriptural imagery which speaks of God (5-7)

The Sign of the Cross (5-7)
Revelation:

The Bible (7-11)

Key imagery that speaks of God in the Old Testament and the Gospels (7-11)

God’s call to people in the Old Testament (7-11)
Celebration:

Celebration:

Community prayer (7-11)
Prayers from Scripture and the Tradition (5-7)
OUTCOMES - Linked to Levels of Attainment
This unit has been written to model the linear teaching of AT 1 (i) to Level 5.
Block 1 teaches the Exodus 3:1-13 where Moses encounters the Burning Bush before explicitly teaching beliefs drawn from this passage, required for AT 1 (i) Level 3. Block 2
recalls beliefs drawn from Scripture (AT 1 (i) Level 3) before extending learning to make links between Scripture and Tradition. (AT 1 (i) Level 4). It then moves to teach how
belief in the Trinity developed for achievement of AT 1 (i) Level 5.
Teachers are reminded that completion of a ‘levelled’ activity does not automatically constitute achievemenof that level and that both ongoing and summative assessment
should be used to judge the levels at which pupils are working.
Block 1: Pupils will…
a. Retell the story of Moses and the Burning Bush (AT 1 (i) Level 2)
b. Make links between Scripture and belief in the nature of God as Trinity (AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Block 2: Pupils will…
a. Make links between scripture and the nature of God expressed in some Biblical metaphors (AT 1 (i) Level 3)
b. Make links between Scripture and belief in the Trinitarian nature of God (AT 1 (i) Level 3)
c. Describe and show understanding of God from two sources of revelation: Scripture and the Nicene Creed (AT 1 (i) Level 4)
d. Show how belief in God as Trinity developed (AT 1 (i) Level 5)
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Spiritual Outcomes:
It is hoped that pupils will develop:

An appreciation of the nature of God as greater than what we can imagine or know

A sense of the presence of God in their lives

An openness to wondering about God as ‘three in one’.
Other Curriculum Links:
English: The teaching of Metaphors; The prefix ‘Tri’
Geography: Mapping
Maths: ‘Tri’ – Triangles, pyramids, hexagons
Art: Moulding and Construction in clay
Key Terminology: Monotheism, Trinity, Exodus, YHWH, revelation, sources, Creation, Humans experience, Tradition, Scripture
BLOCK 2: What do Christians believe about God? (AT 1 (i) )
Cognitive Outcomes:
Assessment:
By the end of this framework pupils will be able to:
a. Make links between scripture and the nature of God expressed in some Biblical metaphors (AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Outcomes a, b, c and d
b. Make links between Scripture and belief in the Trinitarian nature of God (AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Development of a ‘tool kit’ to talk about God
c. Describe and show understanding of God from two sources of revelation: Scripture and the Nicene Creed
(AT 1 (i) Level 4)
d. Show how belief in God as Trinity developed (AT 1 (i) Level 5)
Spiritual Outcomes:
It is hoped that pupils will develop:



An appreciation of the nature of God as greater than what we can imagine or know
A sense of the presence of God in their lives
An openness to wondering about God as ‘three in one’.
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Focus Question: What is revelation? How do we come to know God?
Teaching & Learning Strategies
Pupil Activities including differentiation and on-going assessment
Key Information for Teachers
God is pure spirit. We can neither see nor touch God; God has no physical form or property. While this reality might make God seem hard to understand, in fact it is in complete
accord with the unknowable, incomprehensible nature of God. Although God is pure spirit, Catholics believe that God can be known – is revealed – through a number of means. Dei
Verbum, the Constitution on Divine Revelation of Vatican II (the name literally means God speaks) tells us there are four sources of revelation.
The first source is Creation. In creation we learn that God is a creative God: God’s nature is to create not destroy. In speaking of God’s creative activity it may be helpful to speak
of how God willed all of creation to avoid a literal understanding of the processes.
The second source is Scripture. Scripture is the word of God – written in human language by human authors. It is our task to try and ascertain what the authors wanted to tell us
(to reveal to us) about God. One way the writers of the Bible dealt with the unknowable nature of God was to write about God using a wide variety of metaphors.
The third source of revelation is the Tradition. In the tradition we find the revelation of God in such things as prayer, the sacraments, creeds, in actions and rituals. Scripture and
the Traditions of the church are often called the two sides of one coin as what we read is often lived in the traditions of the Church and vice versa
The final source of revelation is Human Experience. Ultimately we will come to know and believe in God when we experience God for ourselves. This usually occurs for most
people in the love that comes to them through family and friends.
It is important to note that nobody knows everything about God. Nobody can and nobody ever will. God is beyond our understanding; bigger and more amazing than we can ever
imagine. St Anselm said: Think of the most awesome and amazing thing you can – and God is beyond that.
Lesson 1:
We are learning
about Creation as
the first source of
Revelation
Explain to the pupils that they are going to be exploring the
word REVELATION.
Put the word REVELATION on the IWB.
Ask pupils:


Have you heard/seen this word before?
What do you think it means?
In chat partners use dictionaries and a thesaurus to define the word REVELATION. Pose the following
questions to guide their discussion.
o
Who are some of the people who teach you things? – No teachers to be named!
o
What sort of things do these people teach you? Can you share with your partner a time
when this person taught you something?
o
What other ways (sources) do you come to know things? (books, TV, internet, radio …)
o
What source of information do you use most? How can you tell if the source is correct?
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Introduce the religious aspect of REVELATION
1. Take one lesson for each source (Creation, Scripture, Tradition and Human Experience) by
completing the following activities. (Use KIT above):
LESSON 1:
CREATION:
Explain that people of religious faith believe in ‘something’ –
a spiritual ‘other’. Christians call this ‘spiritual other’ God.
Explain that the most fundamental belief that Christians hold
is belief in God.
o
Catholics name four sources of revelation
through which we come to know God:
Creation (the natural world), Scripture, the
Tradition and Human Experience.
Resource 2…you may choose to add to this activity with more pictures…or send pupils to the library or
internet to find their own.

Pupils to make a collage in their books using pictures from Resource 2 or different pictures
showing God’s creation

Pupils to use the following questions to write paragraphs about the first source of Revelation Creation:
o
o
o
o
o
Lesson 2:
We are learning
about Tradition as
the s econd
source of
Revelation
TRADITION:
In the Creeds, Prayers, Sacraments, Devotions and rituals of
the Church we also come to know what God is like.
Identify the link between those beliefs which appear in
Scripture and are lived by the Church AND those beliefs
which come from the traditions of the Church – eg Feast
days, the annunciation of Mary, Holy Days of Obligation, the
Rosary.
What does each of these natural environments tell us about the nature of God?
Is any particular representation of creation better than another?
Does any representation of creation contradict another representation of
creation? Eg volcanoes, storms, earthquakes as opposed to the pictures
depicted in Resource 2.
What DON’T these environments tell us about God?
What does creation teach us about God?
TRADITION:





Draw 2 columns on your IWB/White board.
Heading 1: What do Catholics believe? Heading 2: What do Catholics do?
Provide pupils with post-it notes on their tables
Ask pupils to write their ideas on what Catholics believe and what Catholics do (one idea per
post-it note)
Ask pupils to place their post-it notes under the correct heading on the IWB
Teacher to lead discussion on pupils’ ideas:
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KEY INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS:
While Scripture provides a written record of God’s
relationship with people, God is also revealed in the actions
and symbols of the living Christian community that grew after
the life of Jesus – the Church.


The sacramental life of the church, the Creeds, prayers,
devotions and rituals are examples of the traditions which
form part of the life of a Catholic.
The traditions of the Catholic Church are usually categorised
into two types. ‘Capital “T” Traditions are those which are so
central to faith that any change in them would cause a
dramatic change in matters of belief. An example of capital
“T” Tradition is belief that Jesus was God in human form.
Another capital “T” tradition is belief that the bread and wine
at communion are changed to become the body and blood of
Christ.
These traditions cannot be altered or rejected without
significant loss to the community.
The Nicene and Apostles Creeds contain a summary of many
of the “T” traditions.
Sort post-it notes into the correct columns (if needed)
Help pupils to understand where the church traditions originated from:
EG:
1. The Last Supper (recorded in the Gospels) – Catholics remember this by
celebrating the Eucharist at mass;
2. Jesus taught his disciples the “Our Father” prayer (recorded in the Gospels) –
Catholics say this prayer;
3. Ascension of Jesus (recorded in the Gospels) – Catholics remember this by
attending mass on the specified holy day of obligation;
4. Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist (recorded in the Gospels) – this is
remembered through the Sacrament of Baptism – all Catholics are baptised.
Ritual – we bless ourselves with holy water when entering or leaving the church.
5. Jesus showed us many examples of prayer – the Our Father; also in the garden
of Gethsemane; in the temple – prayer is a church tradition – prayer has
developed over time with its origins in Scripture.
Using the discussion information and post-it notes, ask pupils to write paragraphs explaining their
understanding of the link between those beliefs which appear in Scripture and are lived by the Church
AND those beliefs which come from the traditions of the Church
Small “t” traditions are those which are not essential to belief
and could change without damage to foundational beliefs.
Such small “t” traditions include the language of the liturgy,
clerical celibacy and devotional practices such as devotion to
saints, lighting candles and praying the rosary.
Lesson 3:
HUMAN EXPERIENCE:
We are learning
about Human
Experience as the
third source of
Revelation
KEY INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS:
From our first breaths until our last we live as human beings
in relationship with each other and the world around us. It is
these experiences which paradoxically provide perhaps the
most obvious opportunity to meet and know God, yet which
remain elusive to us. What is important in considering the
role of human experience as a source of revelation is whether
the experiences which make up our lives wash over us or
whether we take the time to reflect on and understand them.
HUMAN EXPERIENCE:
Resource 4 – make sure you choose picture story books that will enable pupils to complete the task.
Find a picture story book about people living and working together…and read it.
Teach the pupils this:



Christians believe that God is everywhere and with us all the time.
So the source of revelation we come into contact with most often is human experience – the
ordinary things we do every day.
The problem is that we don’t often stop to notice God there.
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An example serves to explain further. Each of us has been
hungry, cold, angry or lonely. Each of us has enjoyed the
delight of celebration and the despair or disappointment. But
these experiences are not, of themselves, an experience of
revelation. For an experience to become a source of knowing
God – a source of revelation – we must move to a deep sense
of awareness and consciousness of it. We must examine it,
clarify and consider it, so that what it might mean in the light
of faith might become apparent; so that God’s presence and
action within it might be named and acknowledged.
Lesson 4:
We are learning
about Scripture as
the fourth source
of Revelation
Pupils will be able
to make links
between scripture
and the nature of
God expressed in
some Biblical
metaphors
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
I can make links
with what two
sources say
about (reveal)
about God.
(AT 1 (i) Level 4)
SCRIPTURE:
KEY INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS:
The writers of the Bible use a great number of metaphors to
speak about God. Because the vehicles (the thing they
described God as) were drawn from their experiences they
used a range of vehicles. This means that some appear to
contradict one another: God was and is a king, midwife,
judge, warrior, lover, bear, eagle, light and wind. However,
as we can never know God fully, or know everything about
God each metaphor tells us something unique about God.
The Catechism reminds us that our language about God will
always be limited. God transcends all creatures. We must
therefore continually purify our language of everything
in it that is limited, imagebound or imperfect, if we are
not to confuse our image of God – “the inexpressible,
the incomprehensible, the invisible, the ungraspable" –
with out human representations. Our human words
always fall short of the mystery of God. CCC 42

We get so carried away with whatever we are doing we forget to notice God’s presence and
activity.
Tell the pupils that some people who study the Bible talk about reading it as if they were examining a
crime scene. (You may wish to talk to your class about what happens at a crime scene)




So, take out your imaginary magnifying glasses and your fingerprint powder
Read the book you read earlier again….but this time look for evidence that God is there!
Give pupils strips of post-it notes to stick in the story book to show evidence that God is there.
Ask pupils to:
1. Write an introductory paragraph to include the title, author and short
synopsis of the story
2. Write paragraphs to show where they found God in the story and why they
think God is there.
SCRIPTURE:




Remind pupils that the Bible is a collection of many books written by many authors, collected
and written over a very long period of reflection and time.
Explain that the authors tried to talk about and understand what God was like;
Explain that the authors looked around their world for things that were like God: not physically,
as God has no body, but things that were like God in some way – these things gave them an
insight into God.
They then called God these things: God was (like) a King, a shepherd, a rock, an eagle a mother
bear.
1. Read In God’s Name by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso.
2. Discuss the book with the pupils, with a focus on the link between experience and
metaphor.
3. Explore some of the Biblical metaphors used to describe God – see Resource 3. (If you
need to remind pupils about everyday metaphors, Resource 1 explains how metaphors
work. If pupils are hesitant about metaphors do the activities on resource 1 first.)
4. Give each pair a Bible. Explain to class: The writers of the Bible used a huge number of
metaphors to speak about God. These metaphors described God in what they said and in
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Rich Assessment Opportunity:
Pupils at AT 1 (Level 3) will be able to speak generally about
the ways that the Bibles authors wrote about God. They will
be able to use the term ‘metaphors’ and talk about which
metaphor they like or dislike, and what metaphors say about
the nature of God..





Can they use/relate two or more sources? AT 1 (i)
Level 4
Can they link what two sources say about (reveal)
about God. AT 1 (i) Level 4
A 'fertile' question/s might be: We learn about God
(God is revealed) through all four sources. (that's
the recap of what they have been taught)
What do you believe about God? (eg answer: I
believe that God is compassionate and loving)
Which source reveals that to you? Why do you think
that? Where do you see God's compassion? (eg
answer I see God's compassion in Human
Experience - in my mum and dad when they care
for me. I also see God's compassion in Jesus in
Scripture in the story of..... I also see God's
compassion in our traditions of the Church in the
Sacrament of anointing the sick. )
ALTERNATE ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY:
Have pupils make a hexagon shape (about 10cm in
diameter) out of thick paper or thin cardboard. Have pupils
choose one biblical metaphor for God and its reference (from
those they have studied) that they like and write it
decoratively in the middle of the hexagon. On a second
hexagon have them write what we learn from that metaphor
about the nature of God. Begin ‘We believe that God is…..’
Have them choose a second Biblical metaphor that they do
what they did not say.
5. Choose 1 or 2 examples from Resource 3 to model for the pupils. Look up in the Bible with
the class and discuss.
Remind them that: The way the writers of the Bible dealt with the unknowable nature of
God was to write about God using a wide variety of metaphors.
6. Teacher to choose one metaphor from any section on Resource 3; Draw 4 columns on the
IWB see Resource 10 and model how God is like and different to the ‘thing’ used to
describe God.
7. Teacher to provide each pair with 3 metaphors (choose 1 from each section in Resource 3).
Pupils to read through the scripture in their pairs, identify the metaphor and complete
Resource 10 . (Year 5 & 6 may wish to complete the task in their books without using the
template in Resource 10, i.e draw the table in their books and record on it.)
8. Stick table in books
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NOT like and repeat the exercise. Remind them that all
metaphors, even those we do not like, say something about
the nature of God: God is beyond all our imaginings!
Place all the hexagons next to one another to spell the word
GOD as a display.
Lesson 5
We are learning
about the nature
of God expressed
through
metaphors
I can make links
between scripture
and the nature of
God expressed in
some Biblical
metaphors
Teachers may wish to use the following to support
discussions:
Review outcomes of previous lesson with the class.

Year 4:



Christians believe that people are made in the image of
God, which means we are like God.
Using their learning from the previous lesson on metaphors, pupils to write paragraph/s explaining what
THEY think God is like.
Which metaphor do you think that it would be easiest to
live ‘like’? (eg if God is like a mother hen [protecting
Year 5 & 6:
her young] how easy is it to live like that?
Have pupils express a preference for some metaphors of God they have studied and explain why.
Can you find stories from the life of Jesus that show
Explore the following questions:
him modelling any metaphors of God?
How are you inspired by these metaphors for God?
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
NOTE: AT 2 connection
Belief in God helps people make sense out of life; it helps
them know that they have a purpose and place in the world.
AT 2 (i)
Discussion about their own experiences and values feelings
places pupils in AT 2 (i). Listen carefully to their
conversations for the appropriate level, likely to be Level 3, 4
or 5.
AT 2 (ii)
Belief in God sometimes helps people deal with sadness,
grief and disaster. Discussion about the big questions in life
is the stuff of AT 2 (ii). A prompt question such as ‘If you
could ask God one BIG question while God was visiting your
class, what would that question be?’ might stimulate
discussion. Listen to pupil’s responses to ascertain the level
likely to be Level 3, 4 or 5.
o
Which metaphor of God do you like most? Why?
o
Have you ever felt that God was like a …. for you?
o
Which metaphor of God do you like least? Why?
o
Have you ever felt that God was like a ….. for you?
Pupils to answer the above questions in their books in paragraphs.
You may wish to teach the following below in a separate lesson.
Having evaluated the metaphors for God, pose the following questions:






Should we adopt new ones for people today?
Think of the world today, what would we want to say about God?
What metaphor would we use?
Brainstorm as pair/group some new metaphors – make sure pupils can explain what they want
their metaphors to say about God. Eg: God is a mobile phone
Share ideas with the class
Ask pupils to write their metaphor in their books explaining what they think it says about God
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Lesson 6:
We are learning
about the nature
of God expressed
through music
and dance
1. Listen to Bernadette Farrell: God Beyond all Names.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Htrmq0g_Nk
Cross curricular lesson: An opportunity to include music and
dance


Incorporate a range of metaphors for God in your prayer
with pupils.
Look at each verse and identify the nature of God the song emphasises.
Discuss with pupils.
2. Watch a liturgical dance routine of this song. http://vimeo.com/7010229
3.
Pupils may wish to learn these actions.
4. Take photographs of pupils doing their own dance routine and stick in books – pupils to
write caption/paragraphs explaining their dance.
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PART 2
Focus Question: What is the Trinity? How did belief in the Trinity develop?
Teaching & Learning Strategies
Pupil Activities including differentiation and on-going assessment
Key Information for Teachers
Although Christians believe in one God, they believe God is a Trinity of ‘persons’ or presences: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The term ‘Trinity’ (from the word
‘tri’ meaning three) is used to describe the nature of God as three in one. Unlike Jews and Muslims who also believe in one God, Christianity is the only
religion that believes God is Trinitarian – three ‘persons’ in one God. Belief in the Trinity developed over time
The Old Testament spoke of one-ness of God: God was creator, shepherd, king, rock, mother and father. After the life of Jesus though, people began to ask
who Jesus was. Was he God as well? In 325 Constantine (the Roman Emperor) called a council at Nicaea to settle an argument about the nature of Jesus.
Arius (a priest from Alexandria) believed that God had created Jesus just like other creatures. Jesus was the finest creation of all but he was still a creation.
He certainly wasn't God! As a result, Arius believed that there was a time when Jesus did not exist.
Alexander (Bishop of Alexandria) did not agree. He believed that Jesus was actually God in human form – God incarnate. Alexander believed that Jesus was
not created by God but that Jesus was God. As a result if God had always existed so had Jesus. Alexander finally won and Jesus became the second person
of the Trinity.
Shortly after the Council at Nicaea a further council at Constantinople declared that the Spirit was also part of God. These three ‘persons’ are part of the one
God.
Father. The creative nature of God is referred to as ‘father’. Calling God Father reminds us that God is the origin and source of our being. It also reminds us
that God cares for us like an ideal father. Of course, as God has no gender, it does not mean that God is male. (CCC 239)
Son. To call Jesus ‘son’ is to claim that God and Jesus were one in the same being. ‘Consubstantial’ means of the same substance. In the translation used
before 2011 the words used were ‘of one being’.
Spirit. Jesus would have used the Hebrew word ruach (pronounced roo-arhk) when he spoke of the Spirit. Ruach is a feminine word which literally means
breath or wind. Calling God Spirit reminds us that God enables us to act with courage and wisdom; to consider what we do and to act with passion and
determination. To call God ‘spirit’ is to remember that God had no physical body. God is pure spirit (CCC370) – love, mercy and compassion.
Lesson 7:
I can define the
term Monotheism
I can recall facts on
Moses from the
Book of Exodus
Recall the term Monotheism: believing in one God.
Re-introduce the term Monotheism: believing in one God.
 Use this term.
Have pupils define Monotheism in their books.
 Have pupils define it in their books.
Explain to the pupils that we are going to be studying a story from the Old Testament from the book of
Exodus.
 Recall that belief in one God comes from an ancient
Jewish story. However, Christians believe that God is a
Trinity; three persons in one God.
Ensure the pupils understand that this story teaches one of the most basic beliefs of Jews, Christians and
Muslims: that there is only one God.
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 Begin a timeline to record learning of how understanding of
God as a Trinity has developed.
I can create a timeline to show how a
Christian belief has
developed over
time.
AT1 (i) Level 5
1. The Ancient World
Prepare to Hear the Word: Exodus 3:1-15.
 Explain that this story is a narrative written down after
hundreds of years of reflection and consideration; for many
generations it was passed on orally between members of
families and communities.
 This is a story Jesus would have learned and known well.
 This story teaches one of the most basic beliefs of Jews,
Christians and Muslims: that there is only one God.
 Use a map and find Egypt and ancient Palestine. Explain
that the event you are going to read about happened when
the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt.
 Gather pupils existing knowledge about Moses.
Contextualise the passage you are going to read by
explaining the bigger story if necessary: the birth of Moses,
his life in the Pharaohs palace, his killing of an Egyptian
soldier who was beating an Israelite and his escape into
the desert. See Exodus 1 and 2.





Use a map and find Egypt and ancient Palestine.
Explain that the event you are going to read about happened when the Israelites were in slavery in
Egypt.
You may wish to use a timeline to explain when the Israelites lived in Egypt in slavery – this will
contextualise it for the pupils.
Brainstorm with pupils their existing knowledge about Moses. What do we know about Moses?
Contextualise the passage you are going to read by explaining the bigger story if necessary: the
birth of Moses, his life in the Pharaohs palace, his killing of an Egyptian soldier who was beating
an Israelite and his escape into the desert. See Exodus 1 and 2.
Pupil activity:

Make a fact file in RE books about Moses, drawn from the larger story of his life.
Teachers to choose the most appropriate way to record a fact file about Moses with their class.
See link below for information:
http://www.biblecharts.org/oldtestament/interestingfactsaboutmoses.pdf
 Tell pupils that we call the writer of this story the ‘Yahwist’
because he called God Yahweh. We don't know who he
was! But we can tell from his writing that he was a lovely
storyteller
Lesson 8:
I understand that
the Burning Bush
story from Exodus
helped to develop
the belief in one
God
Hear and Encounter the Word

Read or tell the story: Exodus 3:1-15.

Examine the passage to determine what Moses is
concerned about. What questions does he have?
Find evidence in the text.
Focus on God
Place the text: Exodus 3:1-15 on the IWB.
In partners pupils find the text in their Bibles – check that pupils know where the book of Exodus is in the
Bible



Teacher to read through the text first with pupils following in their bibles.
Stop and explain new or challenging words/phrases
Read through the passage again as a whole class
14




Note the question that Moses asks the bush: Whom
shall I say has sent me? Explain that the Egyptians
had many Gods when the Israelites lived with them.
They believed in a God of the sun, moon, water,
earth, etc.
Look at images of some Egyptian Gods.
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.htm
l
Focus on Ex 3: 13 and 14. Because the Egyptians
believed in many gods Moses was not sure which
god was speaking to him. He also knew that the
Israelites (living in Egypt under Egyptian rule) would
want to know which god had sent him to them. As a
result Moses asks God who he should say has sent
him – what is this God’s name. God answers: I am
who I am. Read verse 14 carefully.
Write the text in Hebrew (the language of the
Israelites; read right to left – translates as the letters
HWHY) as it would have originally been written.
‫וה‬
‫יה‬

Explain that the answer God gives (which translates
as ’I am who I am’) lead Christians to believe that
there are not as many gods as the Egyptians thought,
rather that there is only one God. Christians believe
that God is God of everything – sun, moon, water,
earth, etc.

Ask pupils in partners to retell the passage to each other

Examine the passage to determine what Moses is concerned about. – group discussion – pupils
to feed back to class

What questions does he have? Find evidence in the text.
o
Draw Moses at the Burning Bush speaking with God. Prompt pupils to think about how
they will represent God in their drawing.
Focus on God

Note the question that Moses asks the bush: “Whom shall I say has sent me?”

Explain that the Egyptians had many Gods when the Israelites lived with them. They believed in a
God of the sun, moon, water, earth, etc.

Look at images of some Egyptian Gods. http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html




o
Place these on the IWB and discuss with class
o
Look at Exodus 3: 13 &14
o
Explain to the pupils that::
Because the Egyptians believed in many gods Moses was not sure which god was speaking to
him.
He also knew that the Israelites (living in Egypt under Egyptian rule) would want to know which
god had sent him to them.
As a result Moses asks God who he should say has sent him – what is this God’s name. God
answers: “ I am who I am.” Read verse 14 carefully.
On the IWB write: the text in Hebrew (the language of the Israelites; read right to left – translates
as the letters HWHY) as it would have originally been written.

‫יה וה‬
Explain that the answer God gives (which translates as ’I am who I am’) lead Christians to believe
that there are not as many gods as the Egyptians thought, rather that there is only one God.
Christians believe that God is God of everything – sun, moon, water, earth, etc.
o
o
Have pupils return to their picture and add the words God says (I am who I am) so that
the words appear as if they are coming out of the burning bush they drew earlier.
Pupils to write paragraphs explaining how the Burning Bush story in Exodus, helped
15
clarify the belief in one God. Encourage pupils to use the passages from Exodus 3: 1-15
to help them with this.
Lesson 9:
I can explain that
Jesus caused
people to think
about their
understanding of
God.
2. The lifetime of Jesus

Explain that the life of Jesus caused people to think
about their understanding of God.

Jesus did and said some amazing things. He made
reference to the Holy Spirit.


Remind pupils of the work from the previous lesson: that the development of the belief in “One
God” came from the Exodus story.
Explain that we will now be looking at this belief in the lifetime of Jesus.

Explain that the life of Jesus caused people to think about their understanding of God.

Jesus did and said some amazing things. He made reference to the Holy Spirit.
After his death and resurrection some people decided that Jesus must have been ‘the Messiah’ or
‘Christ’. Others decided he was just a wonderful man.

After his death and resurrection some people decided
that Jesus must have been ‘the Messiah’ or ‘Christ’.
Others decided he was just a wonderful man.


Explore Luke 8:4-8 as a story which demonstrates the
way people responded to Jesus in his lifetime.
 Explore Luke 8:4-8 as a story which demonstrates the way people
responded to Jesus in his lifetime.
Prepare to Hear the Word

Explain that this passage is a story – a summary
story. It summarises what is going to happen.
(Remind pupils that this story was written long
after the death of Jesus so the author knew how
people had responded.)

During his ministry Jesus told Parables to explain to people the nature of God (or how God works).
This would help people to better understand God the Father.

Place the passage on the IWB - Luke 8:4-8 (Parable of the Sower)
o In partners pupils find the text in their Bibles – check that pupils know where the book
of Luke is in the Bible
o Teacher to read through the text first with pupils following in their bibles.
o Stop and explain new or challenging words/phrases
o Read through the passage again as a whole class
o Ask pupils in partners to retell the passage to each other

Identify the play on words in the last sentence (anyone with ears – ‘ears’ of corn – to hear…)

Identify the characters: human and plant! (Include the storyteller – Jesus). Explain that this story is
an allegory. (http://dictionary.kids.net.au/word/allegory) In an allegory, each element in the story matches with
something or someone.
Hear and Encounter the Word


Put a copy of the passage on the IWB
(http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Luke+8) OR give pupils a
copy of it OR have them find it in their Bible. Have the
pupils read it carefully. Identify the play on words in
the last sentence (anyone with ears – ‘ears’ of corn –
to hear…)
Identify the characters: human and plant! (Include the
storyteller – Jesus). Explain that this story is an
allegory. (http://dictionary.kids.net.au/word/allegory) In an
16
allegory, each element in the story matches with
something or someone. Explore the story.
o
Make God the sower of the seeds. What are
the other elements? (God is sower, Jesus is
seed – God’s word, people are soil/plants.)
o
Make Jesus the sower of the seed. What are
the other elements?
o

Year 4 & 5:

Give pupils a copy of this passage to stick in their books

Ask them to interpret the story. Write paragraphs explaining what Luke wanted us to know
about God and Jesus.

Use the questions below to guide their thinking:
o
o
o
o
o
Make pupils the sower of the seed. What are
the other elements?
Interpret the story. Why did Luke include this story?
What did he want us to know?
o
About God?
o
About Jesus?
o
o
o
o
Who is the sower?
Who is the seed?
Who is the soil?
Who are the birds?
Who is Jesus talking about when he says “some seed fell along the path and
was trampled and then eaten by the birds”?
What does Jesus mean by: “And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it
withered away, because it had no moisture”?
What does Jesus mean by: “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns
grew up with it and choked it”?
What does Jesus mean by: “And some fell into good soil and grew and
yielded a hundredfold”?
Explain what you think Jesus means when he says at the end of the
parable: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Year 6:

Explore the story. THE 3 BULLET POINTS BELOW ARE VERY IMPORTANT IN HELPING THE
PUPILS TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF GOD:
o
Make God the sower of the seeds. What are the other elements? (God is sower; Jesus
is seed – God’s word; people are soil/plants.) Discuss with pupils.
o
Make Jesus the sower of the seed. What are the other elements? Discuss with pupils.
o
Make pupils the sower of the seed. What are the other elements? Discuss with pupils.
17

Why did Luke include this story? What did he want us to know?
o
About God?
o
About Jesus?
o
o
About us?
About faith?
Using the discussion ideas ask pupils to explain their understanding of the Parable of the Sower.
Lesson 10:
I understand how I
can be a “seed” for
Jesus
Respond to the Word
Write out the messages that Jesus ‘scattered’ during his
lifetime. Display these as seeds thrown on the wind.
Recall the messages from the passage studied in the previous lesson: Luke 8:4-8






Lesson 11:
We are learning
about how the
belief in the Trinity
has developed
over time.
3. 325 CE Nicaea
Give pupils seed shaped templates – encourage pupils to work together as a group and write out
the messages that Jesus ‘scattered’ during his lifetime.
Display these around the class RE display as seeds thrown on the wind.

Invite pupils to monitor their actions as ‘sowers of the seed’ over the next week/s. At the end of
day, reflect on how pupils have lived. Name actions which you and they have seen which are
positive.

Pray that we might be people who listen, learn and follow.

Explain to the pupils that after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, those people who felt that Jesus was
the Christ came together to form communities to talk about him and to live as he had taught them.

Use a map to show some of the communities Paul visited.
(http://home.hiwaay.net/~wgann/walk/pauljor1.gif)

Find the letters Paul wrote to the communities in Rome (Romans), Corinth (1 and 2 Corinthians),
Thessalonica (Thessalonians 1 and 2), Ephesus (Ephesians), Philippi (Philippians), Colossae
(Colossians).
KEY INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS:
Although Christians believe in one God, they believe God
is a Trinity of ‘persons’ or presences: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit. The term ‘Trinity’ (from the word ‘tri’ meaning
three) is used to describe the nature of God as three in
one. Unlike Jews and Muslims who also believe in one
Discuss with pupils how we could be “seeds thrown on the wind”:
What kind of message/s would we want to spread around our : school, home, community, the
world …?
Where would we want our seeds to land?
How would these seeds grow?
God, Christianity is the only religion that believes God is
Trinitarian – three ‘persons’ in one God. Belief in the
Trinity developed over time
The Old Testament spoke of one-ness of God: God was
creator, shepherd, king, rock, mother and father. After the
life of Jesus though, people began to ask who Jesus was.
Was he God as well? In 325 Constantine (the Roman
Emperor) called a council at Nicaea to settle an argument
about the nature of Jesus. Arius (a priest from Alexandria)
believed that God had created Jesus just like other
creatures. Jesus was the finest creation of all but he was
still a creation. He certainly wasn't God! As a result, Arius
believed that there was a time when Jesus did not exist.
Alexander (Bishop of Alexandria) did not agree. He
believed that Jesus was actually God in human form –
God incarnate. Alexander believed that Jesus was not
created by God but that Jesus was God. As a result if God
had always existed so had Jesus. Alexander finally won
and Jesus became the second person of the Trinity.
Shortly after the Council at Nicaea a further council at
Constantinople declared that the Spirit was also part of
God. These three ‘persons’ are part of the one God.
Father. The creative nature of God is referred to as
‘father’. Calling God Father reminds us that God is the
origin and source of our being. It also reminds us that
God cares for us like an ideal father. Of course, as God
has no gender, it does not mean that God is male. (CCC
239)
Son. To call Jesus ‘son’ is to claim that God and Jesus
were one in the same being. ‘Consubstantial’ means of the
same substance. In the translation used before 2011 the
words used were ‘of one being’.
Spirit. Jesus would have used the Hebrew word ruach
(pronounced roo-arhk) when he spoke of the Spirit. Ruach
is a feminine word which literally means breath or wind.
Calling God Spirit reminds us that God enables us to act

18
Have pupils read the first 3 or 4 verses where Paul makes a statement about what he believes
about: God: the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Discuss with pupils

Make a class list about what Paul says about the three ‘persons’ of God. Note that very early in
the community, Jesus was thought of as being God.
 Teach the pupils that: Although communities believed that Jesus
was the Messiah, in 325 (more than 300 years later) an argument
about the relationship between Jesus and God developed. Was
Jesus a wonderful creation (rather like a super human) or was he
actually God who had taken on human form to remind us of how to
live?
TEACHER WILL NEED TO TEACH THE INFORMATION CONTAINED
IN THE GREY BOX ON THE LEFT.

Explain what happened using the information below.

Find Nicaea on a map http://www.stnicholascenter.org/media/images/m/map-region.jpg

Find images of Constantine and the Council.
 See links below on images of :
o Constantine:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/jc9_wlnfvZE/Tl707K9yENI/AAAAAAAAAbo/boJk4vncamw/s1600/constantine.jpg
o The Council:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/THE_FIRST_COUNCIL_O
F_NICEA.jpg/300px-THE_FIRST_COUNCIL_OF_NICEA.jpg
19
with courage and wisdom; to consider what we do and to
act with passion and determination. To call God ‘spirit’ is
to remember that God had no physical body. God is pure
spirit (CCC370) – love, mercy and compassion.
Lesson 12:

The outcome of the debate is seen in the Nicene
Creed. (Called Nicene because it was written at
Nicaea). Give pupils a copy of the Nicene Creed
Resource 5.
o
I can describe and
show
understanding of
God expressed in
two sources of
revelation:
Scripture and the
Nicene Creed
o
(AT 1 (i) Level 4)

Find reference to the same-ness of God the
Father and Jesus the Son.
Using the information that they have learnt, ask pupils to read the letter from Constantine to Arius
and Alexander and write a reply to him. (Resource 6)

Introduce the word “Nicene Creed”: Discuss with pupils:
o
o
o
o
o




Explain that in the original creed the last line was ‘We
believe in the Holy Spirit’. The rest of the creed was
added after another council met in Constantinople in
381 to discuss the nature of God the Spirit. Read the
final sentences which describe the Spirit. As a result,
the Creed is sometimes called the NiceneConstantinopolitan creed. With the inclusion of the
Spirit, the creed now expresses the nature of God as
3 in one: a trinity.
o

Find reference to ‘one God’. Recall the term
monotheism. Challenge pupils to read the
creed and find out who won the argument.
Identify the language in the Creed which
explains that Jesus is God and not just a
creation of God.

Find reference to the Spirit…how is the spirit
‘related’ to the Father and Son?
What is a “Creed”?
Where have you heard it?
What is it?
What is it about?
Why is it important?
Provide pupils with a copy of the Nicene Creed Resource 5.
Stick in books.
Tell pupils that the outcome of the debate is seen in the Nicene Creed (Called Nicene because it
was written at Nicaea).
Together as a class read through the Creed
o
Ask pupils to highlight reference to ‘one God’.
o
Recall the term monotheism.
o
Challenge pupils to read the creed again and find out who won the argument.
(Alexander)
o
Identify and highlight the language in the Creed which explains that Jesus is God and not
just a creation of God.
o
Find references to the same-ness of God the Father and Jesus the Son.
o
Highlight them.

Explain that in the original creed the last line was ‘We believe in the Holy Spirit’.

The rest of the creed was added after another council met in Constantinople in 381 to discuss the
nature of God the Spirit.

Read the final sentences which describe the Spirit. As a result, the Creed is sometimes called the
Nicene-Constantinopolitan creed.
Include the ‘Glory Be’ in your class prayer.

20
With the inclusion of the Spirit, the creed now expresses the nature of God as 3 in one: a trinity.
o

Find reference to the Spirit…how is the spirit ‘related’ to the Father and Son? Highlight
these.
Using key phrases from the Creed ask pupils to explain in paragraphs what they have learnt about
the Nicene Creed.
HOMEWORK OPPORTUNITY:
Lesson 13
Describe and
show
understanding of
God expressed in
two sources of
revelation:
Scripture and the
Nicene Creed
Rich Assessment Opportunity:



Send a copy of the creed home for pupils to learn
Ensure class prayer times include praying the creed
Display a large version of the creed in the classroom – refer to it often

Have pupils imagine that they are talking to someone about faith in God and prepare a ‘tool kit’ to
help them explain what Christians believe about God.

Their ‘tool kit’ should contain:
AT 1 (i) Level 3:

(AT 1 (i) Level 4)
Show how belief in
God as Trinity
developed
(AT 1 (i) Level 5)
Pupils at AT 1 (i)
Level 4 will be
able to use more
than one source of
A drawing/picture of a logo that shows the nature of a single God: three persons in one God.
Pupils should annotate the logo to explain how it represents:
o
monotheism
o
each person of the Trinity
o
links to belief drawn from a Scripture passage they have studied.
AT 1 (i) Level 4

A description of an item from within the school that connects to belief in the Trinity: a statue, the
Baptismal Font, a prayer that begins with the Sign of the Cross, their Baptismal Certificate or
Confirmation lessons.

The description should include a short ‘script’ of how the item is connected to the Trinity.

Pupils will be able to use more than one source of revelation and connect belief to its expression.
21
i.e: Scripture (Exodus) and the Nicene Creed
revelation and
connect belief to
its expression.
AT 1 (i) Level 5
At Level 5 pupils
will know what
happened to belief
in the Trinity at
three points in
history (including
the life of Jesus
and now) and
track how this
belief has
developed over
time. .
Lesson 14:
We are learning
about how the
nature of God as
Trinity is
celebrated.

Opportunity for cross curricular Art/ICT lesson on the
representation of the Trinity.

List, then research, as many symbols, actions,
prayers, etc that the Church has that remind us of
belief in the nature of God as trinity. (Baptismal
formula, sign of the cross, opening prayers at Mass).
A visit to the Church might find symbols.
Additional Activity: (if time)

Celebrate the nature of God as Trinity: invite students
to choose colours they think are appropriate for each
‘person’ in the Trinity based on the information below.
Cut strips of fabric in these colours and have students
plait them into a single plait. Alternatively, weave the
three colours (using fabric or paper) into a banner or
square, showing the three ‘persons’ of God in a single
representation.
A poster or table plotting how belief in the Trinity developed. Development should cover three
periods and draw on more than one source.
o
Before Jesus – The Burning Bush
o
The life of Jesus
o
A later period – the Nicene Creed
o
Present day

Tell the pupils that we are going to be celebrating the nature of God as Trinity.

Explain that just as people have tried to use a variety of metaphors to describe God, artists have
also tried to explain the Trinity.

If possible have pupils Google images of the trinity. Lead class discussion on how the trinity has
be portrayed by artists, eg: imagery, colour, shading, components, etc

Ask pupils in pairs to discuss their ideas for portraying their version of the trinity. Share ideas as a
whole class.

Provide pupils with appropriate materials – ask them to produce their own version of the trinity.

Take photographs, print and stick in books. Pupils to write a caption.

Display artwork around the classroom/school.
Year 5 & 6:

Using the googled images of the trinity, ask pupils to choose one they like and one they do not
like. Discuss in partners.

Stick their chosen images into their RE books and write paragraphs to explain their choices.
22
Lesson 15:
I can reflect on the
nature of God

Lead students through the following meditation:
Create a prayerful atmosphere in your classroom.




Gather the pupils in a circle
Play appropriate music
Place the trinity candle in the centre
Explain to the pupils what the Trinity candle represents

In prayer, light each of the candles as you say the words together as a class:
In the name of our God who creates us, our God who came to live with
us and our God who remains with us like our breath or wind.


Invite pupils close their eyes and imagine that they are in a really peaceful place with God.
Teacher to provide various pupils with a question on a card. Pupils to ask questions in turnallowing a time of silence between each question to allow for pupil reflection.




What can you see? (SILENCE)
What do they hear? (SILENCE)
What can they touch? (SILENCE)
What can they smell? (SILENCE)
Teacher to explain that pupils will have time to think about God.






What is God like? (SILENCE)
What does God most hope for you? (SILENCE)
What special gifts did God give you when you were created? (SILENCE)
In what ways are you like God? (SILENCE)
In what ways are you different to God? (SILENCE)
What does God say to you today? (SILENCE)
When you are ready, silently thank God for your conversation today.
Teacher to bring the meditation to an end by asking pupils to join in praying the Glory Be.
23
Home-School-Parish Link
Autumn 1 – 2015
Insert school
logo here
BEGINNING WITH GOD
Religious Education
Key Idea: Beginning with God
This first unit invites pupils to consider the most fundamental aspect of faith: belief in God.
Unit Content
Pupils aged 5-7 will be taught Christian belief in one God through learning about Moses and the Burning Bush. They will
then explore a variety of images for God drawn from the Old Testament. An introduction to belief in God as Trinity
concludes this section. Pupils in this age group will also learn about the Sign of the Cross and be taught the ‘Glory Be’.
Pupils aged 7-11 will recall belief in one God and explore more fully the nature of God as Trinity. They then make
connections between Scripture and aspects of the Tradition. Pupils in this age group also learn about how belief in the
Trinity developed through study of Paul’s letters and the Nicene Creed. They too will pray the ‘Glory Be’.
Attitudes and Spiritual Dispositions
It is hoped that pupils will develop:

An appreciation of the nature of God as greater than what we can imagine or know

A sense of the presence of God in their lives

Respect for relationships of love received and given
Activities to try at home
You are the first educator of your child in faith. Your child’s learning in religious education will be more developed if you
and the school are engaged in talking about the same ideas and beliefs. Help your child by trying one or more of these
activities while this unit is being taught:

Become conscious that young children will gain their first understanding of God through
observing you! Talk about how you are like God, and different from God and how your child is like
and different from God. Take an interest in their school work.

Talk about people who have helped you come to know God. If appropriate, make a special effort
to go to Mass. Look for items in the Church which remind us of the Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit.
An idea for prayer at home
Prayer Activity
Pray the ‘Glory Be’ before meals and at bedtime.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.
Resource 1: Everyday Metaphors
Metaphors are a form of non-literal speech. That means that although they say something as if it were literally ‘true’ they
are not meant to be understood that way.
Metaphors have two parts: the thing you are talking about- it’s called the subject...and the thing you use to speak about
it…called the vehicle.
In the example, the boy is a star, ‘the boy’ is the subject (because it’s him we are really talking about), and ‘the star’ is
the vehicle – we are using it to say something about the boy. The boy is not, of course, literally a star.
Choose a common metaphor for pupils. Make sure they know what the subject is and what the vehicle is. Some
examples:
The girl is a gem.
The man is a pig.
The eye of a needle.
The shoulder of the road.
The tail-light of a car.
The foot of the mountain.
Have pupils do these exercises in their books or on paper. You may wish to model one first.
1. Draw a picture of what the subject would look like if it really were the vehicle. (For example draw
the man as if he really were a pig).
2. Now write how the subject and vehicle are different from each other….. How is a pig different from
a man? (We do this to remember that the metaphor is not really saying that the man is a pig…).
3. Now make the metaphor work: THINK. Are there any ways that the subject (the man) and vehicle (the pig)
are alike? Think of the ways we use words…sometimes we use them to mean different things from their usual – we use
them figuratively or metaphorically. (eg ‘hot’ can describe a temperature or someone attractive; ‘dog’ can mean a four
legged animal or someone unpleasant; ‘bright’ can mean shiny or intelligent; ‘blue’ can mean a colour or sad)
4. What do you think the metaphor is trying to say…….and what is it not trying to say? Write
some sentences:
The metaphor _________________ is trying to say that …….
The metaphor _________________ is NOT trying to say that……………………
5. Do another example to make sure you know how metaphors works.
Resource 2: Creation – a source of revelation
Creation: A source of Revelation
 What does each of these natural environments tell us about the nature of God?
 Is any one ‘face’ better than another?
 Do any contradict another?
 What DON’T these environments tell us about God?

What does creation teach us about God?
Get ready to report your findings back to the class.
Resource 3: Scripture – A source of revelation
The writers of the Bible used a huge number of metaphors to speak about God. These metaphors described God in
what they said and in what they did not say.
God is an…….inanimate (not living) thing
Sun – Ps. 84:11
Shield – Ps 84:11
Rock – Dt.32:4, Ps 62, Deut 32:15, Deut 32:18, Ps 42:9 Ps 94: 22. Ps 89:26
Fire – Dt. 4:24
Volcano – Ps 18:7-15
God is an…….animal
Lion – Hos. 5:14, Lam 3:10
Leopard – Hos. 13:7-8,
Bear – Lam. 3:10
Mother eagle – Dt. 32:11-12
Mother hen – Lk 13:34, Ps 17:8-9
Bird – Ps 61: 4, Ps 17: 8, Is 31:5
Mother bear – Hos 13:8
God is a…….human worker or person
Potter – Jer. 18:1-5
Builder – Is 62:5
Shepherd – Ps 23:1, Ps 95:7, Num. 27:17, Ezek. 34:15
Physician – Jer. 8:22
Midwife – Ps 22:9
Judge – Gen. 18:25, Is 33:22King – Ps. 99:1, Ps 99: 4, Ps 47:6-8, Dan 4:37
Teacher – Ps 25;8-9
Husband – Hosea 2:16
Singer – Zeph 3;17
Mother: Dt 32:18, Is 66:13, Is 42:14
Father: Mk 14:36
[If you have forgotten how metaphors work ask your teacher to get you Resource Sheet 1.]
o Choose one metaphor from each section.
o Draw 2 columns to explore how God is like and different to the vehicle (the ‘thing’ used to describe
God).
o Share your findings with others.
Conclude…what is God like?
Resource 4: Human Experience – A source of revelation
1. Start Here!
Find a picture story book about people living and working together…and read it.
2. Then Read this!
Christians believe that God is everywhere and with us all the time. So the source of revelation we come into contact with
most often is human experience – the ordinary things we do every day. The problem is that we don’t often stop to notice
God there. We get so carried away with whatever we are doing we forget to notice God’s presence and activity.
Some people who study the Bible talk about reading it as if they were examining a crime scene. So, take out your imaginary
magnifying glasses and your fingerprint powder and read the book you read earlier again….but this time look for
evidence that God is there!
Where might you find God in the story?

In the words the characters say to one another…

In the actions – what the characters are doing…

In the smiles or hugs or laughter…. even in the tears…

In the mood or feelings the book conveys…

And of course, in the message…
If God is present in our everyday experiences, what does that mean for us today?
Resource 5: The Nicene Creed (2011)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Resource 6: Letter to Arius
Constantine the Victor, Supreme Augustus, to Alexander and
Arius…how deep a wound has not only my ears but my heart
received from the report that divisions exist among
yourselves…having enquired carefully into the origin and foundation
of these differences I find their cause to be of a truly insignificant
nature, quite unworthy of such bitter contention…Restore my quiet
days and untroubled nights to me, so that joy of undimmed light,
delight in a tranquil life, may once again be mine.
Constantine.
 Read the letter that Constantine sent to Arius and Alexander in approximately 320 CE.
Constantine does not seem to think the argument is important.
 Write a letter back to Constantine from either Arius or Alexander explaining what
the problem is and why understanding of whether Jesus is God or not is much more
important than Constantine seems to think. (See template below)
Dear Constantine,
_______________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
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Resource 7: Pupil Target Sheets
Beginning with God
BLOCK 1
Attainment Targets
Recognise some religious stories
PUPIL TARGETS
(AT 1 (i) Level 1)
Topic-related Targets
I can recall some of the details of the story of
Moses and the Burning Bush, parts of the
story (characters, setting and sequence) will
be missing. Exodus 3:1-13
Retell some special stories about religious events
and people
(AT 1 (i) Level 2)
(AT 1 (i) Level 1)
I can retell the story of Moses and the Burning Bush –
characters, events and setting correctly. Exodus 3:1-13
(AT 1 (i) Level 2)
Make links between religious stories and beliefs
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Make links between Scripture and belief in the nature of
God as Trinity
AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Pray
Beginning with God
BLOCK 2
Attainment Targets
Retell some special stories about religious events
and people
(AT 1 (i) Level 2)
Make links between religious stories and beliefs
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Make links between religious stories and beliefs
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
Describe and show understanding of religious
sources, beliefs, ideas, feelings and experiences;
making links between them
(AT 1 (i) Level 4)
Identify sources of religious belief and explain how
distinctive religious beliefs arise
(AT 1 (i) Level 5)
PUPIL TARGETS
Topic-related Targets
I can retell the story of Moses and the Burning Bush –
characters, events and setting correctly. Exodus 3:113
(AT 1 (i) Level 2)
I can make links between scripture and the nature of
God expressed in some Biblical metaphors
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
I can make links between Scripture and belief in the
Trinitarian nature of God
(AT 1 (i) Level 3)
I can describe and show understanding of God from
two sources of revelation: Scripture and the Nicene
Creed
(AT 1 (i) Level 4)
I can use 2 or more sources of revelation to show how
belief in God as Trinity has developed over time
(AT 1 (i) Level 5)
Pray
Resource 8: The Sign of the Cross (Block 1)
Before we pray we make the sign of the cross!
Making the sign of the cross helps us to remember that we are coming to God to talk
with Him and ask His blessing on what we do or say
In the name of the
_________________
__________________
Amen
and of the
_________________
and of the
_________________
Resource 9: The Glory be to the Father (Block 1)
Glory be to the
________________
and to the
______________
______________
and to the
__________
Resource 10: Metaphors of God
Bible Reference
1
2
3
Metaphor
How is God like this metaphor
How is God different from this metaphor
References
Children’s Literature
Carle, Eric 1974 The Very Hungry Caterpillar Harmonsworth: Penguin
De Lynam, A.G. 2000 When the World Was New London Lion Publishing
Gold, August. Where Does God live?
Sasso, Sandy. God’s Paintbrush
Sasso, Sandy. In God’s name
Teacher Resources
VIDEO
CD ROM
BOOKS
Merrell, Judith. 2001, New Ideas for Creative Prayer, Scripture Union, England.
O’Brien, K. and White, D. 2001, The Thinking Platform: Strategies to foster Whole Brain Thinking in the Cooperative
Classroom, K.D. Publications, Marayong.
O’Brien, K., White, D. and Todd, S. 2003, Into the Deep: Strategies to foster ‘DEEP’ Thinking in the Religious Education
Classroom, K.D. Publications, Marayong.
Ryan, Maurice. 2003, Expressions: A Religion Series for Catholic Primary Schools, Social Science Press, Australia.
Lectionary for Masses with Children.
USEFUL WEB SITES
http://stage.cecnsw.catholic.edu.au/reled/reled3.asp
NSW Catholic Education site
http://www.liturgyplanning.com
Useful resource for teaching children about prayer and meditation
http://www.ccel.org/wwsb
A wide range of biblical resources ,contains useful links to other sites
http://www.mssscrafts.com
A site that explores how to make biblical characters from a variety of materials
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts
Website for a variety of craft activities that could be used to make characters
http://www.sourcesofrevelation.com
Website with Sources of Revelation posters.
http://www.teachscripture.com
Website of the Composite model (Hear the Word) and Scripture activities
http://thebibledoctor.com
Website with definitions of words used in the Bible.
MUSIC
Farrell, Bernadette. God Beyond all Names https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Htrmq0g_Nk