Easter Learning Journey

Overview

This 30-minute Easter lesson is designed for Year 2 students in New Zealand, using an "I do, We do, You do" teaching approach to engage young learners in Religious Education (RE). The lesson focuses on understanding the story and significance of Easter, connecting with Christian traditions while respecting New Zealand’s bicultural heritage, as reflected in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (2023-2024). The plan prioritises oral language, storytelling, collaborative learning, and creative expression appropriate for this age group.

Curriculum Alignment

• Learning Area: Religious Education (understanding beliefs, stories, values)
• Level: Year 2 (Phase 1, Foundation Years 0-3)
• Key Competencies:
  • Participating and Contributing — sharing ideas and listening to others
  • Thinking — making connections between stories and beliefs
  • Using Language, Symbols and Texts — recounting and expressing ideas orally and visually
• Values: Respect for tangata whenua and cultural heritage; joy in story sharing
• Relevant Achievement Objectives (New Zealand Curriculum Refresh):
  • Oral Language: Recount details of shared stories, use narrative elements with scaffolds (Te Mātaiaho English)
  • Religious Education: Develop understanding of key Christian stories, their values and practices in community contexts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Understand the basic story of Easter in the Christian tradition, recognising its importance.
• Demonstrate comprehension by retelling the Easter story using simple narrative elements.
• Engage cooperatively in group activities to explore Easter symbols and their meanings.
• Express their understanding creatively through drawing or acting out part of the story.

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Lesson Plan Structure (30 minutes)

Time	Teacher Activity (I do, We do, You do)	Student Activity	Resources & Materials
5 min	I Do: Introduce Easter story using a clear, engaging storytelling approach. Use a simple picture book or illustrated story cards. Pause to highlight key parts: Jesus’ last supper, Easter Sunday resurrection.	Listen attentively, engage with visuals. Ask and answer simple questions about story sequence.	Picture book or large story cards depicting Easter events; quiet storytelling space
10 min	We Do: Read the story again, this time with class participation. Use story sequencing cards/icons for students to place in order on a board or mat. Discuss what each symbol means (e.g., cross, egg, lamb). Connect briefly to NZ’s Christian heritage and respect for tikanga (customs) from Te Kāmaka resource showing authentic Māori and Catholic heritage appreciation.	Students help sequence story cards, discuss meanings together. Use phrases like “First… then…” “After that…”	Story sequencing cards; whiteboard, magnets or felt mat; visual aids linking Easter symbols to meaning; brief Māori greetings and acknowledgments for cultural respect (kīwaha such as “kia ora”)
15 min	You Do: In small groups or pairs, students choose a scene or symbol and either draw it, act it out, or retell it in their own words using scaffolded sentence starters (e.g., “This is…”, “At Easter we…”). Teacher circulates and supports. Groups share their work with the class briefly.	Engage in creative expression and oral recounting. Practice narrative structure and vocabulary. Share with peers confidently.	Drawing paper and crayons/markers; simple props for acting; sentence starter posters or cards

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment through observation of participation during the “We do” sequencing and discussion.
• Assessment of narrative language use and understanding during “You do” presentations using simple rubric focused on sequence, clarity, and engagement.
• Provide descriptive feedback to encourage confidence and connection to learning.

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Support & Inclusion

• Scaffolds for students needing language support include sentence stems, visual prompts, and peer support.
• Use inclusive grouping strategies to ensure all students have voice and participation.
• Incorporate te reo Māori greetings and culturally responsive teaching reflecting Te Kāmaka principles — authentically Māori and Catholic, highlighting respect for local heritage.

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Resources Referenced

• Te Kāmaka (Catholic Diocese of Auckland): for authentic Māori and Catholic cultural heritage context appreciating local tangata whenua links.
• New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (2023-2024) key competencies and phase 1 oral language outcomes.
• Story sequencing methods and narrative language scaffolding (Te Mātaiaho English, Years 0-3) .

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Additional Teacher Notes

• This lesson encourages joy and curiosity in stories as a vital part of cultural learning, and provides connections to students’ home and community experiences with faith and celebration.
• Consider linking with Arts for a follow-up lesson where students create Easter cards or simple crafts.
• Reinforce values of respect and kindness through the story’s message and classroom interactions.

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This lesson plan leverages the I do, We do, You do framework to model, collaboratively explore, then independently practice new knowledge, with culturally responsive pedagogy integral to New Zealand’s bicultural context.