Falling and Rising Strong

Context

This 20-minute lesson for Year 2 students introduces the Third Station of the Cross (Jesus falls the first time) from a child’s perspective. The focus is on empathy, resilience, and connecting Jesus’ experience of falling and getting back up to the students’ own challenges. The teaching follows the I DO, WE DO, YOU DO gradual release model, aligning with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, especially the values of resilience and empathy, and supporting key competencies like managing self and relating to others.

Learning Objectives

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

Understand the story of the Third Station of the Cross — Jesus falling the first time.
Express empathy by recognising feelings associated with falling and failing.
Reflect on resilience by discussing what it means to keep trying after a fall.
Relate Jesus’ experience to their own, recognising and naming personal challenges where they persevere.

Alignment with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh:

Values: Encouraging manawaroa (resilience) and manaaki (empathy) .
Key Competencies: Developing Managing Self (perseverance, goal-setting) and Relating to Others (empathy) .
Learning Area: Religious Education, encouraging understanding of significant Christian stories and developing empathy and identity through narratives（in line with curriculum emphasis on stories and values in religious education for young learners）.
Oral Language & Narrative Skills: Supports speaking, listening, and narrative sequencing as described in the English learning area for Years 1-2 .

Lesson Plan Outline

1. Introduction (I DO) — 5 minutes

Gather the class on the mat.
Briefly introduce the Stations of the Cross as stories about Jesus’ journey, focusing today on the third station where Jesus falls for the first time but gets back up.
Show a simple picture or illustration of the Third Station.
Tell the story in child-friendly language, focusing on emotions: “Jesus was very tired and carrying a heavy cross. Sometimes, even when we try hard, we might fall or get tired. Jesus fell, but he didn’t give up!”
Model empathy by naming feelings: “How do you think Jesus felt when he fell? Maybe tired, sad, or scared?”

Supports oral language development and emotional literacy from the English curriculum in Years 1-2 .

2. Guided Practice (WE DO) — 8 minutes

Engage students in a shared reflection and discussion.
Ask: “Can you think of a time you fell down or found something really hard?” (It could be learning to ride a bike, tying shoes, or a game.)
Encourage a few volunteers to share their experiences briefly.
Guide them to name feelings and how they felt when they kept trying.
Highlight resilience: “Just like Jesus, you kept trying even though it was hard. That is very brave!”
Use a simple role-play: Together with a few students, simulate “falling” (gently pretending to stumble) and then helping each other get up, saying encouraging phrases.
Use clear, scaffolded sentences: “When I fall, I feel ____, but I get up because ____.” Model this pattern with students.

This supports the New Zealand Curriculum emphasis on narrative recounting, emotional vocabulary, and cooperative learning in Years 1-2 .

3. Independent Activity (YOU DO) — 7 minutes

Give each child a worksheet or blank paper with the heading: “When I fall, I feel ____ but I keep trying because ____.”
Ask them to draw a picture of a time they had a challenge or “fell” and got back up.
Prompt students to try writing a simple sentence if able, supported by sentence stems on the board:
- “I fell when I ____.”
- “I felt ____.”
- “I kept trying because ____.”
While they work, circulate and encourage students who struggle with writing by helping them verbalise ideas, following scaffolding approaches from the curriculum.
After drawing and writing, invite a few students to share their drawings and sentences, reinforcing empathy and resilience.

This activity aligns with the writing to entertain/narrate and oral language capabilities in the NZ Curriculum for Year 2, supporting sentence structure and vocabulary development【2:3,2:15†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.

4. Conclusion and Reflection — 1-2 minutes

Gather the students and review the key message: “Sometimes we fall, and that is okay. Jesus also fell, and he kept going. We can be like Jesus by being brave and trying again.”
Reinforce the value of resilience and empathy they practised today.
Optional: End with a short, positive affirmation or class chant about kindness to self and others.

Resources Needed

Picture or illustration of the Third Station of the Cross (Jesus falls the first time).
Worksheet or blank paper and drawing materials (crayons, pencils).
Sentence stems written on the board or printed sheet.
Space for whole-class sitting and role-play.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment through observation during guided discussion and role-play of empathy and understanding of resilience.
Reviewing student drawings and sentence attempts to gauge comprehension and ability to relate personally to the story.
Provide verbal feedback praising empathy and resilience efforts.
Use sentence stems and scaffolded questioning for students needing support.

Teaching Tips

Use simple, student-friendly language and short sentences appropriate for Year 2 students.
Provide emotional vocabulary and model language carefully.
Affirm all efforts during the independent activity, especially attempts to express feelings and resilience.
Encourage peer support during the role-play to build social skills and compassion.

This lesson plan offers a creative, age-appropriate way to engage young New Zealand learners with a significant Christian narrative in Religious Education. It balances storytelling, emotional development, and literacy skills, all framed within the competencies and values of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh.

If you wish, I can also provide a printable teacher briefing or student worksheet template based on this plan. Would you like that?

Teaching Instructions