Acts of Service

Year Level

Year 0-1 (Ages 5-6)

Duration

30 minutes

Class Size

20 students

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Learning Area

Religious Education

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Unit

One Family, Many Faces (Lesson 13 of 20)

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Lesson Description

Students will explore the value of helping others as a part of being in God’s family by planning a simple, achievable acts of service project benefiting their local community. This reinforces the idea of kindness, compassion, and taking positive action to support others.

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand what it means to be part of God's family by helping and serving others.
• Plan a simple act of service that they can do to help people in their local community.
• Work together to share ideas and decide on a way to show kindness to others.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Talk about how acts of service help others and show belonging to God's family.
• Share ideas for small ways they can serve or help people around them.
• Participate in planning a group activity that serves their local community.
• Express their ideas using drawings, words, or sharing in discussion.

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Curriculum Links

New Zealand Curriculum Refresh Alignment:

• Values: Encouraging and modelling care, empathy, and respect for others (p.10)
• Key Competencies:
  • Relating to others: Expressing empathy and understanding for others in the family and community.
  • Participating and contributing: Planning and contributing positively to the community through acts of service.
  • Managing self: Listening, focusing, and taking responsibility in a group activity and making decisions.
• Social Sciences / Religious Education:
  • Developing a sense of belonging to groups and community.
  • Understanding how personal actions affect others positively.
• English (Years 0-1):
  • Sharing ideas through oral language and simple drawings or writing【7:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】

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Key Competencies Focus

Competency	How it's developed in this lesson
Relating to others	Sharing ideas, listening to peers' suggestions
Participating & contributing	Planning and deciding together a service project
Managing self	Following instructions, focusing on the task
Using language, symbols, and texts	Expressing ideas verbally and through drawing

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Lesson Outline

Materials Needed

• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers
• Picture storybook about kindness/service (optional)
• Paper and crayons/coloured pencils for drawing ideas
• A simple “Acts of Service” planning sheet with pictures to guide discussions

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1. Introduction – 5 minutes

• Gather students together.
• Begin with a brief story or discussion about being part of God’s family — where everyone helps and cares for each other.
• Explain that today we will be thinking about ways we can help the people in our community — like neighbours, friends, or family.

Teacher Script Example: “Being part of God's family means we look after each other. Today, we will think about ways we can show kindness by helping people around us.”

WALT reminder: "We are learning to plan a kind action to help others."

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2. Discussion & Idea Sharing – 10 minutes

• Ask the students what kind things they have done or would like to do to help others.

• Prompt ideas like:

  • Picking up rubbish in the school yard or local park
  • Helping a neighbour carry shopping
  • Sharing toys or food
  • Making cards for people who might be lonely or sick

• Write ideas on chart paper or whiteboard with simple pictures.

Success criteria focus: Students express ideas and listen to others.

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3. Planning Activity – 10 minutes

• Guide the class to choose one or two simple acts of service they can do as a group.

• Use a visual planning sheet to help scaffold the steps:

  1. What will we do?
  2. Who will we help?
  3. What do we need to do it?
  4. When will we do it?

• Work in small groups or pairs, allowing students to draw or verbally share how they imagine doing the service.

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4. Sharing Plans and Reflecting – 5 minutes

• Invite pairs or groups to share their service plan or drawings.
• Reinforce that their chosen act of service is a special way to show they belong to God’s big family.
• Encourage excitement about doing the service project together soon.

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Assessment and Reflection

• Formative assessment: Observe students’ participation in discussion, idea sharing, and planning.
• Check if students can communicate their understanding of helping others as part of God’s family.
• Use teacher notes on individual contributions to inform next steps and personalised support.

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Teacher Notes

• Use clear, simple language appropriate for Year 0-1 students.
• Reinforce manaakitanga (caring for others) and acknowledge any cultural connections to service and community.
• Incorporate te reo Māori greetings or relevant vocabulary where possible (e.g., whānau, manaakitanga).
• Allow flexibility in the service project based on local context and student interests.

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This lesson plan integrates key competencies, values, and curriculum alignment from the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh and reflects a holistic approach that supports student wellbeing and social development within Religious Education for early learners in New Zealand【0:3,6,16†New Zealand Curriculum.html】【7,8,12,14,17†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.