Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
TITLE:
Do the teachings of
Jesus stand the test of
time?
YEAR GROUP: 8
Nottingham City and
County City SACRE
RE Syllabus:
Non-statutory
exemplification
30/05/2009 Writing group/ Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE
Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
Nottingham City and County SACRE RE Syllabus: Nonstatutory exemplification
TITLE: Do the teachings of Jesus stand the test of time?
YEAR GROUP: 8
About this unit:
Year Group: 8
This unit enables pupils to understand the life and teachings of Jesus and his meaning and
significance for believers today. It looks at the impact of those individuals whose actions
are motivated by religious beliefs, such as Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, or Oscar
Romero.
The focus is on Christian responses to Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and
other teachings on justice, love, service and forgiveness, as well as examples of how
these teachings have been put into practice in today’s world.
Pupils should think for themselves about questions to do with justice, commitment and
love applied in everyday life.
Pupils are encouraged to consider what can be learned from the teachings and life of
Jesus, as exemplified in the lives of Christians today. They can use examples of
significant people but also local individuals known to them, referring to their own
experiences, beliefs and values.
Where this unit fits in :
This unit will help teachers to implement the Nottingham City and County Agreed Syllabus for RE
by providing them with well worked examples of teaching and learning about the theme of Christian
practice and lifestyle, by using the concepts of love, justice, forgiveness and service and the
examples of Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Oscar Romero etc.
This unit contributes to the continuity and progression of pupils’ learning by building on KS2 and
KS3 work on the life and significance of Jesus theologically, building upon this learning by focusing
on the impact of these beliefs on individuals, communities and the world.
The unit anticipates a further study of the life and teachings of Jesus, and the impact of belief on
the lives of believers in GCSE specifications.
Estimated teaching time for this unit: 7-8 hours. It is recognised that this unit may provide
more teaching ideas than a class will cover in 7 hours. Teachers are invited to plan their own use
of some of the learning ideas below, ensuring depth of learning rather than covering everything.
KEY STRANDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT
AT 1: Learning about Religion
 Beliefs, Values and Teachings
 Religious practices and ways of life
 Ways of expressing meaning
AT 2: Learning from Religion
 Questions of Identity, Diversity and Belonging
 Questions of Meaning, Purpose and Truth
 Questions of Values and Commitments
ATTITUDES FOCUS: Pupils will explore attitudes of:
 Respect for all by developing a willingness to learn from the values of compassion, justice and
forgiveness from the life and teachings of Jesus
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009


Open mindedness by engaging in positive discussion and debate on our key values in this
life.
Appreciation and wonder by developing their capacity to respond to issues facing a modern
world.
The unit will provide these opportunities:
 Pupils have opportunities to consider the concepts of compassion, justice, love, service and
forgiveness.
 Pupils have opportunities to consider a diverse range of views about questions of commitment
and value from the study of teachings of Jesus and the responses of Christians today.
 Pupils will be able to think about their own experiences and views in relation to questions of
love, forgiveness, sacrifice, justice and commitment.
Experiences and opportunities provided by this unit include the opportunity to encounter people
with a range of convictions; to discuss, question and evaluate ethical issues, reflecting carefully
upon their own beliefs and responses.

Background information for the teacher:
The focus for this unit is on how Jesus’ teachings are exemplified in the lives of Christians in the
past and today. The challenge of Jesus’ commandments are acknowledged by believers, who see
them as high ideals towards which they aspire. Many atheists and agnostics also acknowledge the
value of Jesus’ approach to justice and service, even though they reject his claims to deity. The
unit should examine the difficulty of putting these teachings into practice in the contemporary
world.
Vocabulary +
concepts
Resources
In this unit, pupils
will have an
opportunity to use
words and phrases
related to:
Teachers might use:

“The Test of Time” teacher activity book. Beadle, Blaylock, Mackley and Draycott.
BBC/Bible Society 2000. ISBN 0 564 04156 4

a PPT showing images from the media depicting such events

Christian Aid’s resource pack “Changing Lives in Kenya” provides plenty of activities
as well as a video.

Link with Geography/Citizenship – development issues./ racism issues

BBC video Curriculum Bites 1 “Challenging Christianity” portrays the life of Oscar
Romero.

Judge for yourself – Martin Luther King Christine Hatt. 2008. ISBN 978 0 237 536242

Matthew 5.1-12 in different translations (http://www.biblegateway.com/)

Jesus: Who is He? Ed Rosemary Rivett, RE Today, Developing Secondary RE series.
ISBN 1 904024 25 4

Curriculum Bites 1 & 2 BBC DVD. Accompanying resources from RE Today
Web:
Specific religions:
Christianity
Reconciliation
Beatitude
Agape / charity
The language of
shared human
experience
Service
Justice
Non-violence
Commitment
Love
Forgiveness

The city and county of Nottingham supports this unit with some resources at
www.rsresources.org.uk Loans of artefacts and resources are easily arranged.

The National Association of Teachers of RE (NATRE) has two excellent web starting
points for these issues: www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts enables pupils to view and judge
numerous works of pupil art on key Biblical stories and spiritual ideas from young people.
Online searchable sacred texts from different religions at: www.ishwar.com
Try www.reonline.org.uk for a good general gateway to RE materials.
http://www.biblegateway.com/ gives searchable access to lots of different translations of
the Bible.



Contributions to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils:
 Opportunities for spiritual development come from addressing the challenge of love and service in
their own lives
 Opportunities for moral development come from exploring the worth of the ethical ideals of Jesus
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
EXPECTATIONS:
At the end of this unit
Pupils working at level 4
will be able to
 Show understanding
of Jesus’ teachings
about forgiveness and
justice in the Sermon
on the Mount
 Ask and suggest
answers to
questions arising
from Jesus’
commands e.g. to
love your enemies.
 Describe some
similarities and
differences between
Christian beliefs and
non-religious ideas
about how to live.
 Consider how it would
affect their own lives
and their community if
people put Jesus’
teachings on love and
service into practice.
Pupils working at level 5 will be able
to:
 explain the impact of the teaching
of Jesus on the lives of Christians in
relation to forgiveness, justice, love
and service.
 express their own insights into
the relevance of these values for
today.
 formulate questions and suggest
answers about forgiveness, justice,
love and service, relating them to
their own and other peoples’ lives.
 explain how individuals have
been motivated by their religious
beliefs and values and evaluate the
effectiveness of the actions of these
individuals.
Pupils working at level 6 will be able
to:
 using religious and philosophical
vocabulary give informed
accounts of the key
beliefs/teachings which have
motivated individuals in their
struggle against injustice.
 explain why the impact of Jesus’
teaching on individuals,
communities and societies varies.
 use reasoning and examples to
express insights into the
relationship between Jesus’
teachings, Christian beliefs and
world issues.
 evaluate the relevance of nonviolent action as a means for
changing the world today.
ASSESSMENT SUGGESTIONS
A formal assessment of each pupils is neither required nor desirable for every RE unit. Continuing
use of assessment for learning methods is best.
Teachers can assess this work by setting a learning task towards the end of the unit. This is
preferable to leaving the task to the very end, since pupils can then act on peer assessment advice
and teacher guidance to improve their understanding and responses. The task aims to elicit
engaged and reflective responses to the material studied throughout the unit across the ability
range.
Set pupils the question: “Why are men of peace seen as being so dangerous?”
Following their exploration of how the lives of Martin Luther King Jnr and Oscar Romero were
based upon the life and teachings of Jesus, pupils should recognise that ultimately they shared in a
similar fate. They should write and / or present a reflective piece examining the ways in which the
message of Jesus still rubs people up the wrong way. Why do people object to his message of
love and justice? How far are pupils prepared to go in standing up for justice?
Pupils should include a section which shows what they have learned from the example of one of
the Christians they have studied. They might like to identify an example of injustice in the world
today and ways in which they could do something to bring justice.
30/05/2009 Writing group/ Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE
Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
Key
questions
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
TEACHING AND LEARNING
LEARNING
OUTCOMES (can
be written as
success criteria)
What impact
could Jesus’
teachings
have on
today’s
world?
Pupils should be
able to:
 explain the
teaching of
Jesus in
relation to
forgiveness,
justice, love
and service.
 express their
own insights
into the
relevance of
these values
for today.
Introductory activities
 Provide pupils with pictures showing conflict, injustice etc. In pairs they
address these issues – How do the pictures make them feel? What questions
do the pictures raise in their minds? Feedback to another pair, then feedback
to the whole group.
 Make a list of the questions that have been raised. Give a question to each
pair. What answer can they suggest for the question they have been given?
I can:
I can ask questions
and suggest answers
about issues of
justice (L4)
How might
Christians
live their
lives in
response to
Pupils should be
able to:
Explain how a
commitment to
Jesus’ teaching

Points to note
Possible homework: Answer this question – “ What could be done to right the
wrongs that you have seen?”
Christianity
 Provide a selection of quotes from the Sermon on the Mount. The following
questions to be answered: What do the quotes mean? How might they be
applied today? Did Jesus set realistic goals or are they unachievable?
 Rank these teachings in terms of a) their personal difficulty and b) the impact
they would have on individuals or communities.

You might have time to explore Jesus’ use of hyperbole to make a point, e.g.
Matthew 7:5 On the other hand, his language stresses the seriousness of his
teachings. Remember that Christians interpret these passages differently.
Try giving several passages and examining a liberal, metaphorical Christian
view through to a more literal Christian reading. Pupils can assess which
reading makes more impact on people’s lives.

Identify Matthew 7:12 as “The Golden Rule”. If you could sum up how you
should treat others in one sentence, what would your “Golden Rule” be?
Why? How far do you live up to your own standards? Why do people fail to
live up to the Golden Rule?
Introductory questions:
 What do you understand by commitment – what or who are committed
to? Why?
 Who is committed to you and why. In what ways can we can tell who you
I can express my own
insights into the
relevance of Jesus’
teaching for today
(L5)
I can explain what
commitment means
to me (L4)
Lat Blaylock / Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE 30/05/2009
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
the
teachings of
Jesus in the
Sermon on
the Mount
service
has affected a
person’s lifestyle.

are committed to?
Use the BBC programme “The Test of Time – Commitment” to follow through
the case studies of Debbie Santiago and James Mawdsley. (There are
plenty of activities in the programme notes that provide starters and
follow-up tasks.) Pupils could research the situation in Burma/Myanmar
using these websites: http://democracyforburma.wordpress.com/ ,
http://www.prayforburma.org/ and
http://www.cswusa.com/countries/burma.htm
I can explain the
impact of Jesus’
teaching on the lives
of Christians in
relation to justice and
service (L5)

Is
forgiveness
important
today?
Reflect on the
value of
forgiveness, its
benefits and the
challenges of
forgiving
Pupils could choose either character and produce a PowerPoint presentation/
inspirational poster on the person chosen. They should address the following
questions – What motivated these individuals to do what they did? How did
they try to put Jesus’ teachings into practice? Which of the teachings in the
Sermon on the Mount would have applied to their situation? What sacrifices
have these individuals had to make?
Introduction – paired or individual task which is then shared in small groups.
 Have you been forgiven by someone and how did you feel?
 Have you forgiven someone and how did you feel?
 Describe 10 situations* in which someone needs to be forgiven eg. someone
steals your dinner money, a drunk driver injures a relative, someone kisses
your girl/boyfriend. Individually: pupils rank how difficult it is to forgive in each
situation (eg. score from 1-10). In pairs: compare answers, explain reasoning.
Whole group: identify answers to these questions – What do you find hard to
forgive? Is there anything you could never forgive? Why?
I can explain how
commitment brings
about sacrifices
I can identify the
impact of forgiveness
for the individual and
community [L5]
*To stimulate
discussion make a
PPT showing
images from the
media depicting
such events
 What are the benefits of forgiveness? Give three benefits for the person
doing the forgiving and for the person being forgiven. What reasons might
some give for not forgiving others?
 Possible homework – Think of at least three situations in the world today
where you feel forgiveness is needed. Explain what the situation is and how
forgiveness would improve/resolve the situation. How would someone’s
inability to forgive affect their life in the future? …..
Lat Blaylock / Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE 30/05/2009
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
How do
you forgive
others?
To understand the
impact of
forgiveness
How do
Christians
apply Jesus’
teaching on
love and
service to
others?
To understand
how groups try to
put the teaching of
Jesus into practice
in the world today.

Introduction – homework review on places/ in situations where forgiveness is
need today

Use “The Test of Time – Forgiveness” to examine the case studies of Joe
Seramane and Peter and Linda Biehl. (As before, plenty of activities are
provided in the programme notes). Pupils can devise and act out either of
these role plays – Joe meets one of his former guards/The Biehls meet one
of their daughter’s killers – What would they say? How would they explain
their need to forgive? Follow- up: collect ideas about how the person who had
been forgiven would feel. Write 150 words explaining how Joe and the
Biehls were motivated by their Christian faith and how their actions apply
Christian teaching about forgiveness

Provide pupils with resources, internet links etc to research the work of
Christian charities working in the developing world e.g. Tear Fund, Christian
Aid, CAFOD. In groups they can feedback their results to their class. In order
to provide a focus for their research they must answer these key questions –
How is the charity seeking to change peoples’ lives for the better? Why do
they think that this is important? What difficulties do they face? What might
the cost be for people who work for the charity? Which of Jesus’ teachings
are they trying to put into practice?

This could lead to an extended piece of writing which could be used to
assess levels achieved. Pupils could write responses to the following
questions: What do you feel are the main injustices in the world today and
why? What did Jesus have to say about love, justice and forgiveness?
Describe some examples where Christians have tried to carry out his
teachings. Which person/group that you have studied most impressed you
and why? If Jesus’ teaching was adopted by the whole of society would the
world be a better place? Why or why not? What difference might it make to
your life if you took the idea of love, justice and forgiveness as seriously as
Jesus? Why don’t more Christians give up their jobs to serve the poor?
I can explain the
impact of Jesus’
teaching in the lives
of Christians in
relation to
forgiveness [L5]
I can explain how a
Christian charity puts
the teaching of Jesus
in action. [L5]
I can use reasoning
and examples to
express insights into
the relationship
between Christian
beliefs about love
and justice, my own
beliefs and world
issues. [L6]
Christian Aid’s
resource pack
“Changing Lives in
Kenya” provides
plenty of activities
as well as a video.
Link with
Geography/Citizen
ship –
development
issues.
http://learn.christia
naid.org.uk/Teach
ersResources/sec
ondary/changing_li
ves.aspx
Lat Blaylock / Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE 30/05/2009
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009

How has an
individual
been
inspired by
Jesus’
teachings?
To be able to
reflect on how a
person has put
teachings from the
Sermon on the
Mount into
practice.






In pairs: pupils make a list of 2-4 beliefs which they hold to most strongly.
Each pair links to another pair to form group of 4 – compare key beliefs –
identify any shared ideas. Feedback to rest of class. Which beliefs are most
popular? Now they must choose the belief they consider the most important.
Reflective writing (possible homework) – Imagine that everyone around you
disagreed with this belief. How far would you be prepared to go to stand up
for what you hold is true? Explain why.
In groups, pupils can research the lives of Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu
or Oscar Romero. Key questions – Which injustices were they trying to
address? Which methods did they use to overcome these injustices?
Reintroduce the quotes from the Sermon on the Mount. Discuss – Which of
Jesus’ teachings would have inspired the actions of the figure you have
studied? Were there any other influences that motivated them in their
struggles? e.g. The influence of Gandhi upon Martin Luther King’s belief in
non-violent resistance. (Consider how Martin Luther King is taught in History
as part of the civil rights movement. Is it possible to explore his impact
without considering his Christian faith?)
For pupils working on Martin Luther King or Oscar Romero: investigate this
question – Why was he assassinated? Each pupil investigates from the
perspective of one person in the story (e.g. a family member, a friend, the
Church, the government).
Set pupils the question: “Why are men of peace seen as being so
dangerous?” Following their exploration of how the lives of Martin Luther
King Jnr and Oscar Romero were based upon the life and teachings of
Jesus, pupils should recognise that ultimately they shared in a similar fate.
They should write and / or present a reflective piece examining the ways in
which the message of Jesus still rubs people up the wrong way. Why do
people object to his message of love and justice? How far are pupils
prepared to go in standing up for justice?
Pupils should include a section which shows what they have learned from the
example of one of the Christians they have studied. They might like to identify
an example of injustice in the world today and ways in which they could do
something to bring justice.
Pupils could sum up the results of their research with this extended piece of
writing or oral presentation accompanied by ICT (audio/PPT/digital video
clips) – How successful was the person you studied in achieving the goals
that he set himself? (e.g. for Martin Luther King, provide an extract from his “I
have a dream” speech – how far has his vision become a reality? What
methods did he use to achieve these goals? Would the concept of nonviolent protest work in (i) our school. (ii) our country, (iii) the world?)
I can explain how
individuals have been
motivated by religious
beliefs and values
I can explain ways in
which these
individuals and others
like them have
influenced or inspired
me to do something
to challenge injustice
[L5], or explain with
reasoning and
examples why I
disagree with their
views [L6].
BBC video
Curriculum Bites 1
“Challenging
Christianity”
portrays the life of
Oscar Romero.
Link with
History/Citizenship
– racism.
Judge for yourself
– Martin Luther
King Christine
Hatt. 2008. ISBN
978 0 237 536242
I can evaluate the
effectiveness of the
actions of these
individuals, showing
how and why their
impact has varied.
[L6]
I can show that I
have reflected upon
the challenges of
being a Christian in
the contemporary
world, expressing my
own responses to
these challenges.
[L6]
Lat Blaylock / Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE 30/05/2009
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Nottingham City and County RE Guidance 2009
Lat Blaylock / Nottingham City and County SACRE / Units of Work in RE 30/05/2009
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