Christianity and Society

Lesson 10 of 18 — Unit: Exploring Christian Beliefs

Subject: Religious Education
Year Level: Year 11
Curriculum Area: Social Sciences — Religious Studies
Curriculum Level: Level 6
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 25 students

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Big Idea Focus

Religion influences and is influenced by society.
This lesson aligns with the Big Idea from the NCEA Religious Studies Learning Matrix, exploring how religion plays a role in shaping society and being shaped by societal values, ethics, and decisions.

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Significant Learning Outcomes

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

✅ Describe key moments where Christianity has impacted society in history.
✅ Identify influences of Christianity on modern moral and ethical values in New Zealand.
✅ Critically examine the mutual relationship between Christianity and contemporary social norms.
✅ Reflect on the relevance and implications of Christian ethics in their own worldview.

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🧭 Lesson Overview (60 minutes)

Activity	Time	Purpose
1. Whakawhanaungatanga – Welcome Circle	5 min	Establish connection and context
2. Provocation Video & Prompt	5 min	Stimulate engagement with historical themes
3. Group Timeline Challenge	15 min	Explore key historical events involving Christianity
4. Societal Impacts Jigsaw	15 min	Deep dive into Christianity’s role in shaping moral views
5. Ethics in Aotearoa Debate	15 min	Apply learning to current NZ moral questions
6. Lesson Reflection & Exit Card	5 min	Consolidate understanding and personal reflection

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🔍 Lesson Detail

1. Whakawhanaungatanga — Welcome Circle (5 mins)

Set a safe and inclusive atmosphere building learner connection.

Activity: In a circle, each student shares one value or rule they think society expects people to follow (e.g., honesty, caring for others). The teacher briefly links this to questions: Where do these values come from? How might they link to Christianity?

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2. Provocation: Visual Prompt + Video Clip (5 mins)

Play a short, captioned video montage (no sound) of major Christian-influenced moments in history (e.g., hospitals being established, abolition of slavery, Treaty support). Use stills from history for students to observe quietly.

Prompt Questions (on projector):

• What do these images have in common?
• Who is being helped?
• Who holds power or influence?

Transition: “Let’s unpack this history together.”

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3. Group Task: Timeline Challenge (15 mins)

Objective: Explore the major ways Christianity influenced society historically.

Instructions:
Break the class into 5 groups of 5. Provide printed event cards (e.g., “Council of Nicaea,” “Christian Missions in Aotearoa,” “Martin Luther's 95 Theses”, “Christian welfare organisations in NZ”).

Each group:

• Places their events on a shared classroom wall timeline.
• Adds 1–2 post-it notes of impact (moral, ethical, social) per event.
• Shares 1 event briefly with the class.

Teacher Role: Support connections back to New Zealand context and curriculum.

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4. Societal Impacts Jigsaw (15 mins)

Objective: Examine current ways Christianity influences modern values in Aotearoa.

Jigsaw Stations (Set up before class):

• Law: Sabbath/Sunday trading, moral law foundations
• Politics: Christian MPs, prayer in Parliament
• Health: Christian views in hospice/palliative care
• Education: Religious instruction in schools
• Charity: Christian-run foodbanks and shelters

Students rotate through stations in original groups. Each student records one key idea from each station on handouts.

At each station include prompt questions like:
"How does this reflect Christian ethics?"
"Is this still relevant in NZ today?"

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5. Ethics in Aotearoa Mini-Debate (15 mins)

Objective: Develop critical engagement and reflection.

Statements to discuss (write on board):

1. “Christian ethics no longer influence young New Zealanders.”
2. “New Zealand's idea of ‘doing good’ still reflects Christian morals.”

Instructions:
Each group selects one statement and prepares a 60-second stance by assigning roles (Speaker, Note-taker, Challenge Thinker, etc.).
Then, engage in a structured class discussion with respectful rebuttals.

Teacher supports discussion by drawing connections to hauora and cultural perspectives (e.g., comparing with mātauranga Māori ethical values).

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6. Reflection & Exit Card (5 mins)

Prompt:
Write 1–2 sentences answering:

• “One way Christianity has influenced New Zealand society is…”
• “A moral belief I hold that may have Christian roots is…”

Collect exit slips as formative assessment.

Optional: Add to course portfolio or learning journal if using integrated evidence tracking.

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📚 Resources & Materials

• Timeline event cards (printed)
• Moral/Ethical values prompt sheet
• Sticky notes and wall timeline space
• Five printed Jigsaw station cards (Law, Politics, Health, Education, Charity)
• Debate role prompt templates
• Exit slips

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🧠 Key Competencies Developed

• Thinking: Critically analyse religious and moral ideas in context
• Relating to others: Group collaboration and respectful discussion
• Participating and contributing: Explore connections between tradition and contemporary NZ society
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Interpret historical and religious texts/events

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🧩 Cross-Curricular Links

• History: Colonisation and missionary movements in Aotearoa
• English: Debate, oracy and persuasive arguments
• Health Education: Ethics in healthcare decisions, hauora
• Social Studies: Citizenship, values, and society

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🪶 Mātauranga Māori Integration

Encourage reflection on how mātauranga Māori and Christian moral systems overlap or diverge. Use whakataukī such as:

He tangata takahi manuhiri, he marae puehu.
A person who mistreats their guests has a dusty marae.
To prompt comparisons with Christian hospitality teachings.

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🔄 Suggested Homework/Next Steps

Reflection Task:
Write a 200-word response answering:
"Should Christian values continue to influence New Zealand law? Why or why not?"
Encourage students to incorporate one historical event from this lesson.

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📌 Teacher Notes

• Consider diverse perspectives in the room – this is not about promoting Christianity, but examining its historical and moral impact.
• Ensure inclusive discussion through supportive questioning.
• Māori, Pasifika, and non-Christian students may connect differently with this content—encourage authentic dialogue and personal reflection.

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✅ Next Lesson (11/18): Christianity and Social Justice
Focus: Christian responses to inequality and global justice issues.