Death and Afterlife

Overview

Lesson 2 continues the unit “Life and Death Beliefs” by moving from understanding the assessment (Lesson 1) to exploring Christian key beliefs about life after death. Students also practise the AS90823 “what/why/so what” thinking as a preparation step toward Merit and Excellence.

Learning intentions

• Understand what AS90823 requires and how grades are awarded.
• WALT explain key Christian beliefs about what happens after death.
• WALT identify authoritative sources for Christian beliefs (e.g., the Bible) and use them as evidence.
• WALT explain the meaning of Christian teachings about life after death in clear Religious Studies language.
• WALT begin comparing how religious beliefs can shape hope, comfort, and expectations after death.
• WALT develop skills needed: critical thinking, comparative analysis, and ethical reflection.

Success criteria

• I can identify the significant religious question.
• I can explain the difference between Achieved, Merit and Excellence.
• I can describe what the explanatory notes require.
• I can explain at least one Christian belief about life after death.
• I can name and use an authoritative source (e.g., Gospel passage) to support my belief.
• I can explain what the belief means (not just restate it).
• I can write a short Achieved-level paragraph following the AS90823 pattern (belief + source + meaning).

Curriculum links

• AS90823 — Explain the key beliefs within two religious traditions in relation to a significant religious question (focus on Achieved-level skills: beliefs, meaning, sources, and similarities/differences as groundwork).
• Key competencies: Thinking (analyse and compare), Using language, symbols, and texts (use religious language and evidence), Managing self (organise notes for assessment writing), Relating to others (respect diverse worldviews).
• New Zealand Curriculum alignment: supporting students to inquire into significant questions and communicate understandings using evidence.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Do Now activity. On entry, answer in your notebook: 'What do you think happens after death?' Write two reasons why people may answer this question differently.

2. 5–10 min · Whakataukī / Bible Verse / Proverb. Whakataukī - Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu. Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly. Meaning: Knowledge and preparation help us succeed. Understanding the standard helps us achieve success.

3. 10–20 min · Starter. Display 'What happens after death?' Students brainstorm responses. Class discussion on differing religious answers and importance.

4. 20–40 min · Teaching. Use AS90823 Student Guide Presentation slides on What AS90823 is Asking You To Do, Choosing a Significant Religious Question, Achieved, Merit and Excellence. Highlight explanatory notes for Achieved, Merit, and Excellence.

SKILLS NEEDED:

• Critical thinking to analyse religious beliefs.
• Note-taking skills for assessment preparation.
• Ability to compare and contrast different religious perspectives.

TEACHING STRATEGIES:

• Use of multimedia presentations to engage students.
• Group discussions to encourage sharing of ideas.
• Scaffolded activities to support learning progression.

5. 40–60 min · Student Activity and Exit Task. Students create a three-column chart (Achieved, Merit, Excellence) with notes from the presentation. Exit task: Students write one thing needed for Achieved, Merit, and Excellence respectively.

Resources

• AS90823 Student Guide Presentation
• AS90823 Achievement Standard Explanatory Notes
• Whiteboard
• Student notebooks

Assessment

• Formative check during organiser completion: teacher listens for correct belief wording and named sources.
• Formative check during modelling: students identify which sentences explain meaning versus repeating the belief.
• Exit ticket: verifies inclusion of belief + source + meaning (Achieved readiness).
• Optional quick teacher tally: identify students needing support to convert “belief” into “meaning”.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and a word bank (e.g., eternal life, hope, resurrection, God, Gospel) and a shorter paragraph frame for students who need it.
• Support: allow students to use the graphic organiser during paragraph writing; teacher circulates with a checklist (belief stated, source named, meaning explained).
• Extension: challenge students to add a second Christian belief from the slide (e.g., resurrection language) and show how it links to the same significant religious question (“what happens after death?”).
• EAL/SEN: accept bullet-point explanations first, then prompt students to turn one bullet into a complete sentence; supply model vocabulary and clear grammar scaffolds.