Year 3 Religious Education (NZ Curriculum Refresh)

Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Unit: Understanding the Holy Trinity (Lesson 2 of 5)
Lesson Focus: Jesus as the Son of God

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Learning Objectives

WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Recognise Jesus as the Son of God.

Success Criteria:

• Students can explain one miracle of Jesus.
• Students present a poster about Jesus’ miracle to the class.

Curriculum Links:

• Religious Education Purpose (aligned to NZ Curriculum Refresh):
  Engage students in learning about Christian theology (The Holy Trinity) and how Jesus’ life and teachings guide ethical living, developing personal and spiritual understanding in a culturally responsive manner.
• Phase 1 (Years 0-3) Focus: Thriving in environments rich in literacy and thinking in relation to Religious Education
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Understanding stories and making connections about Jesus’ miracles.
  • Using language, symbols and texts: Creating a poster and verbal presentation.
  • Relating to others: Working collaboratively in pairs, sharing ideas.
• Values: Respect and empathy through learning about Jesus' teachings and example.
• Learning Area Outcome: Students demonstrate knowledge of foundational Christian beliefs, stories from Jesus’ life, and can share their understanding in creative ways.

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Lesson Outline

Time	Activity	Details & Teaching Strategies	Resources	Differentiation & Support
5 min	Introduction & Recap	- Welcome, brief review of Lesson 1 (God as Father and Holy Spirit). - Introduce Jesus as the Son of God. - Use simple language, visuals of Jesus.	Picture of Jesus; whiteboard	Use visual prompts & simple language to ensure understanding.
10 min	Story Time: A Miracle of Jesus	- Read aloud a chosen miracle story (e.g., Jesus calming the storm or feeding the 5,000) using engaging, age-appropriate language. - Use questioning to check understanding ("What happened?", "How did Jesus help?"). - Encourage student responses and sharing feelings about the story.	Storybook or printed miracle story; visuals	Provide sentence starters (e.g., "One miracle Jesus did was...") for discussions.
15 min	Partner Activity: Create a Miracle Poster	- Students work in pairs to create a simple poster about the chosen miracle. - Include key points: what the miracle was, what it shows about Jesus, and what it teaches us about how to live. - Teacher circulates to assist and scaffold as needed. - Advanced learners can be encouraged to include a parable summary on their poster (extension).	A3 paper, markers, crayons, printed images, sentence starters	Sentence starters for writing: "Jesus helped by...", "This shows that...". Advanced learners research and prepare parable information.
10 min	Presentations & Sharing	- Each pair presents their poster to the class (1-2 minutes each). - Emphasise speaking clearly and listening respectfully. - Ask brief questions to extend thinking: "Why is this miracle important?"	Posters, display area	Support shy students by preparing their presentation with teacher; encourage peer support.
5 min	Wrap-up & Reflection	- Recap the WALT and success criteria. - Ask students what they learned about Jesus. - Brief reflection: "How can we follow Jesus’ example?" - Positive reinforcement for participation.	None	Use visual icons or thumbs up/down to allow non-verbal reflection.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide sentence starters and writing frames for students who need support with expressing ideas.
• Use visuals and simple language to aid comprehension.
• Pair stronger readers/writers with those needing more assistance for peer support.
• Allow verbal or artistic expression for students who struggle with writing.

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Extension Activity

• Encourage advanced learners to research a parable told by Jesus, preparing a short oral report or additional poster element to present to the class.
• Offer books or resources with parables and support their exploration with questioning.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment will occur through observation of paired work, listening to presentations, and questioning during discussion.
• Success will be demonstrated by students explaining a miracle in their own words and presenting a related poster.
• Provide positive and constructive feedback to reinforce understanding and encourage communication skills.

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Teaching Notes & Considerations

• Maintain a warm, inclusive classroom environment where all students feel safe to share and discuss ideas.
• Use questioning before, during, and after storytelling to scaffold comprehension and engagement.
• Align activities with the Inclusive Teaching and Learning approaches emphasised by the NZ Curriculum Refresh: responsive pacing, scaffolding, and varied means of expression.
• Link miracles to relatable themes (e.g., kindness, helping others) to support connection with students’ lives.
• Use this lesson as part of a sequence building deepening understanding of the Trinity, ensuring students see Jesus as both divine and a role model for life.

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Summary

This lesson integrates literacy, oral language development, creative arts, and social skills within Religious Education, closely following the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh principles for Year 3 students. It combines storytelling, collaborative creation, and oral presentation, guaranteeing engagement, inclusivity, and measurable learning outcomes on Jesus as the Son of God.

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If you'd like, I can also help generate a series of age-appropriate miracle stories or template resources for the poster activity — just let me know!