Unit title	Year	Background notes
How do Christians try to follow Jesus’ example?	6	In this unit, pupils will explore how Christians and Christian groups have tried to follow in the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth. Two episodes in the life story of Jesus will be used as a basis for exploration. Pupils will also be given the opportunity to identify what the priorities are in their own lives. The unit ends with a research project on charities with Christian origins. This unit develops Year 5 work on the importance of Jesus to Christians and links with QCA unit 5D How do the beliefs of Christians affect their actions?

Key questions	Concept/s	Learning outcomes	Suggested activities	Resources
What are the priorities in my life?	Values Beliefs Priorities	To be able to evaluate the priorities in their own lives	· Taking 9 trigger words, each written on a card – Prayer, Family, Friends, Fun, Possessions, Learning, Playing, Community, Environment - each pupil tries to prioritise the cards in the Diamond 9 shape and then copies the words onto the base sheet · Share the results with a partner. Are your priorities different from your partner’s? In the whole class, see if there is any agreement about the most important diamond. Hear reasons why the different children have chosen their top one. Are there any trigger words that have been missed out?	Diamond 9 base sheet and cards
How might the story of Jesus overturning the moneychangers’ tables affect how Christians live their lives today?	Anger Justice	To know an important story told by Christians about Jesus’ life To understand that, when faced with injustice, many Christians would be influenced by Jesus’ example To be able to identify instances of when they would be prepared to stand up and be counted	· Share times when they have been angry. How did they express their anger? Draw a distinction between being angry because of something that is not your fault (eg someone calling you names) and between things that affect others (eg seeing a display of children’s work which someone has damaged deliberately, or cruelty to animals) · Explain that Christians remember a story in which Jesus showed anger because of what was happening in the Temple in Jerusalem. Tell the story and ask what sort of anger Jesus was expressing. Why didn’t he ask the people to stop what they were doing before turning over the tables? What was the meaning of Jesus’ words? What does the story tell Christians about Jesus? · Imagine a Christian today visiting a church building and finding something there that made him/her angry eg someone talking loudly on a mobile. In pairs, develop the situation and say how the Christian might react or act out the scene. Record responses in writing or pictures	John’s Gospel 2:13-18/ Mark’s Gospel 11:11-18 Scholastic Curriculum Bank, Bk 2, pp56-57
How might the story of Jesus telling a man to sell all his possessions affect how Christians might live their lives today?	Wealth Possessions Wisdom	To be able to explore some of Jesus’ key teachings To be able to evaluate the importance of wealth and possessions in their own lives To be able to use images to express Christian beliefs about wealth and possessions	· Show a selection of sayings about wealth and possessions. Which ones seem most true to their experience? What are the meanings of the sayings? Choose one of the sayings and write why it sounds true to them. Then pupils can generate their own ‘wise sayings’ about wealth and possessions that can be displayed in speech bubbles in the classroom (on a ‘wall of wisdom’?) · Tell the New Testament story of Jesus meeting a rich young man. Imagine that you have just heard Jesus give his response/teaching about selling possessions and finding treasure in heaven. In pairs, one person must explain what they heard Jesus say. The other person could be in role as a rich person who loves his/her possessions. Show the role play and see whether the rich person changes after hearing about how Jesus responded to the rich young man · Draw a poster or collage using images that contrast material wealth with other kinds of riches eg limousines and mansions with images of love, friendship or heaven	See list of sayings below Matthew’s Gospel 19:16-26 (Compare Jesus’ saying in the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 6:19-21) Retelling of this story in: Bible Stories for Classroom and Assembly: The New Testament by Priestley & Horton, pp109-112 (RMEP ISBN 0900274549)
How does the work of some organisations exemplify Christian beliefs?	Charity Values	To understand that charity work is based on values To identify Christian beliefs and responses in the work of some charities with a Christian origin	· Imagine that there is a children’s charity. It is set up by a Christian organisation. What would the charity try to do for children? What values would it have? Share ideas · Look at a picture of a statue of Dr Barnardo in Barkingside and discuss what impressions it gives of his life · Listen to the story of Dr Barnardo and how the charity began. This is shown on the website. Look at the vision of the charity from the website - ‘that the lives of all children and young people should be free from poverty, abuse and discrimination’ - and discuss how this reflects Christian teachings · Either research a Christian charity - eg Christian Aid, Tearfund, Help the Aged, The Children’s Society, Oxfam - using ICT and make a presentation to the class. This could lead to supporting a charity/ies in some way · or working in a group, create a charity of your own which reflects Christian values. Invent a name and write a vision statement for the charity. Draw a poster for the charity which shows what it is for and how people can help	See Ragged School Museum website www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk/ See Barnardo’s website in list below See list of websites below

Notes on relevant websites

www.the-childrens-society.org.uk/ Home page of The Children’s Society (formerly the Church of England’s Children’s Society)

www.christian-aid.org.uk/ Home page of Christian Aid

www.oxfam.org.uk/ Home page of Oxfam

www.barnardos.org.uk Home page of Barnardos

www.tearfund.org/homepage Home page of Tearfund (Christian action with the world’s poor)

Address of Barnardos in Redbridge

Scotch House, Tanners Lane, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex IG6 1QG Tel 020 8551 0011

Selection of proverbs and sayings about wealth and possessions

‘Money doesn’t buy friends; it hires them’

(Yorkshire saying)

‘There are no pockets in a shroud’

(Spanish saying)

‘Contentment is wealth’

(Lao Tzu)

‘The love of money is the root of all evil’

(Christian saying)

‘Money is like sea-water: the more people drink, the thirstier they become’

(Roman proverb)

‘It is not the outside riches but the inside ones that produce happiness’

(Shaker saying)

‘A great fortune is a great slavery’

(Anon)