Ancient Writings

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Unit: Exploring the Bible's Story

Lesson 3 of 4: Ancient Writings of the Old Testament

Duration: 30 minutes
Class: Year 5 (25 students)
Subject: Religious Education

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the historical context of the Old Testament writings, recognising that these texts were ancient even in Jesus’ time.
• Explore how the Old Testament writings have been preserved over thousands of years.
• Appreciate the importance of these writings to faith traditions, especially Christianity and Judaism.
• Develop skills to investigate ancient texts with curiosity and respect.

This lesson aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh frameworks:

• Religious Education Achievement Objectives (Year 5 level):
  • Explore the story of the Bible as a collection of ancient writings from diverse times and places.
  • Understand key narratives and their cultural and spiritual significance.
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Investigating ancient texts and their preservation.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Exploring narrative texts, discussing ideas and historical context.
  • Relating to others: Respecting different faith perspectives on the Old Testament.

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Curriculum Links

• Learning Area: Religious Education – Year 5 (aligned with NZ Curriculum principles for cultural understanding and literacy skills).
• English: Reading and Viewing (understanding and discussing texts, exploring cultural and historical contexts).
• Social Sciences: Understanding the past – Exploring how stories and records give insight to the past.
• Supports Values such as Respect and Diversity, and Principles including Cultural Diversity and Community Engagement .

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Materials Needed

• Copies (physical or digital) of simplified extracts from Old Testament texts, for example, selected Psalms or Genesis stories presented in accessible language.
• Timeline poster illustrating historical periods relevant to the Old Testament (e.g., approximate dates of writing, ancient Middle Eastern cultures).
• Images or replicas of ancient scrolls or manuscripts.
• Whiteboard/flip chart and markers.
• Student worksheet for note-taking and reflections.

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Lesson Outline (30 minutes)

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Engage: Begin by asking students what they think "ancient" means. Discuss briefly the concept of ancient writings and how old the Old Testament texts are (older than the time of Jesus, thousands of years old).
• Show the timeline poster highlighting when the Old Testament was written relative to today and Jesus’ time.
• Explain that the Old Testament is a collection of stories, laws, poems, and teachings that have been kept safe for many generations.

2. Exploring the Texts (10 minutes)

• Read and Investigate: Share a simple, pre-selected Old Testament passage. Preferably, choose a narrative or psalm that reflects the character of ancient writings.
• Discuss with questions such as:
  • What kind of stories or messages do you think these texts share?
  • Why do you think people wanted to keep these writings safe over such a long time?
• Show images/props of ancient scrolls or manuscripts to connect physically with the concept of preservation.
• Highlight how these writings were copied carefully by hand before printing was invented.

3. Group Activity: Preservation and Importance (10 minutes)

• Divide the class into 5 groups of 5 students.
• Provide each group with a short fact or picture card about one aspect of the Old Testament’s history/preservation or its importance (e.g., role in faith, ancient languages, how scrolls were made, stories passed down orally, why these texts matter today).
• Each group discusses their card and prepares a 1-minute explanation to share with the class.
• Groups present their findings. Teacher facilitates and adds clarification as needed.

4. Reflection and Wrap-up (5 minutes)

• Discuss as a class:
  • How do we benefit from stories and writings that are so old?
  • Why is it important to understand the context of these writings?
• Ask students to write or draw one new thing they learned about the Old Testament and why it might be important to people today.
• Briefly preview next lesson: exploring key stories and teachings from the Old Testament.

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Assessment

• Formative: Observe group discussions for understanding and respectful engagement with the historical and spiritual value of texts.
• Review students’ written/drawn reflections to assess their grasp of the historicity and importance of the Old Testament writings.
• Use questioning during the lesson to check comprehension (e.g., “Why were these writings important to keep?”).

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters or visual prompts for students who need support in group discussion or reflection writing.
• Allow students to express reflections either as drawings or oral explanations depending on their writing confidence.
• Use clear, simple language and repeat key ideas to support English language learners and students with learning needs.

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Extension Ideas

• Invite students to bring a story from their own family history and share why it matters to them—drawing parallels to the importance of Old Testament stories.
• Use drama or role-play to reenact scenes or situations related to how these ancient writings were preserved and shared.

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This lesson plan is designed to be engaging, interactive, and culturally responsive, supporting the NZ Curriculum values and competencies through exploration of important ancient texts and their relevance today【4:4-19†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】 .