Faith and Society

Lesson Overview

Unit: Faith and Social Impact
Lesson Number: 1 of 14
Year Level: 10
Duration: 45 minutes
Curriculum Area: Social Sciences (Level 5 – NCEA Alignment)
Big Idea: The role of faith in shaping societies and social movements

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Define faith and recognise its role in shaping individuals and societies.
2. Identify examples of how faith-based groups have influenced social change.
3. Discuss the importance of social justice and human rights in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction – Understanding Faith (10 mins)

Activity: Quick-Write & Class Discussion

• Write the word FAITH on the board. Ask students to complete the sentence in their books:
  "Faith is important in society because..."
• Pair & Share: Students turn to a partner and share their definitions/thoughts for two minutes.
• Whole-class discussion: Ask volunteers to share their ideas.
• Facilitate discussion by guiding students towards broader interpretations beyond religion (e.g., belief in justice, human rights, equality).
• Introduce the core question of the unit:
  "How does faith influence social change?"

2. Case Study Exploration – Faith in Action (15 mins)

Activity: Matching Social Movements to Their Faith-Based Roots

• Teacher-Led Discussion: Present three real-world examples where faith-based organisations have influenced social justice in New Zealand and globally:
  • Parihaka Movement (Māori peaceful resistance) – Led by Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai, deeply rooted in spiritual beliefs.
  • The Abolition of Slavery (Christian Activists like William Wilberforce) – Faith-inspired human rights activism.
  • Te Puea Hērangi’s advocacy for Tainui (Māori health, welfare, and land rights) – Influenced by whakapono (beliefs) and responsibilities to whānau.
• Pair Work: Distribute a set of movement cards (one sentence descriptions of the movements) and faith influence cards (quotes or facts about their belief system).
• Students work in pairs to match the social movement with its corresponding faith/belief influence.
• Discuss findings as a whole group.

3. Class Debate – The Role of Faith in Social Justice (15 mins)

Activity: 'Corners Debate'

• Pose the statement: "Faith is essential for achieving social justice."
• Designate 3 areas in the classroom as:
  • Agree Strongly
  • Disagree Strongly
  • Somewhere in the Middle
• Students move to the area that represents their opinion.
• Ask each group to discuss why they chose their position (2 mins).
• Call on group representatives to share one key argument for or against the statement.
• Encourage respectful debate and challenge students to think critically about diverse perspectives.

4. Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 mins)

Activity: Exit Ticket

• On a sticky note (or digitally if available), students complete the sentence starter:
  “One way faith has influenced social change is…”
• Collect responses as students leave. Use this to gauge understanding and inform the next lesson.

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Teacher Notes

Assessment Opportunities

• Informal assessment through participation in discussions and the debate.
• Exit Tickets to measure individual understanding.

Differentiation Strategies

• Group struggling students with confident explainers during the card-matching activity.
• Provide sentence starters for those who need extra support during discussions (e.g., "I think faith is important in society because…").
• Encourage deeper thinking by asking early finishers to find another historical example of faith-driven social change.

Future Learning

This lesson sets the foundation for future discussions on specific historical and contemporary examples of faith and activism, including case studies of major religious and non-religious organisations advocating for human rights, equality, and environmental justice in Aotearoa and beyond.