God in Our Lives

Overview

This is Lesson 2 of 13 from the unit "Growing Closer to God" for Year 1 students in New Zealand. The lesson focuses on helping students identify where they see God in their daily lives.

Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 25 students
Subject: Religious Education

Curriculum Alignment

• New Zealand Curriculum Refresh — Religious Education (Phase 1, Years 0–3)

• Critical Focus (Phase 1): Thriving in environments rich in literacy and maths, with deep and enduring big ideas around identity and belonging, including spiritual concepts appropriate to this age group.

• Aligns with the expectation that students will develop awareness of religious ideas and practices in relation to their own experiences.

• Key Competencies Addressed:

  • Participating and contributing: Students share their ideas and listen to peers, building social interaction skills.
  • Managing self: Encourages reflection on where God fits in their lives.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Expressing ideas through drawing and talking, using picture prompts for inclusivity and dyslexia-friendly support.

• Learning Area Practices:

  • Engaging in discussions about personal experience.
  • Expressing ideas through drawing and collage (visual and kinaesthetic learning).
  • Using visual supports and scaffolded questioning.

Learning Intentions

WALT (We Are Learning To)	Success Criteria
Identify where we see God in our daily lives.	Students can name two places or moments where they see or feel God.
Express ideas about God through drawing and talking.	Students use drawing or pictures to show their ideas.

Differentiation Strategies

• For diverse learners: Provide picture prompts to support understanding and expression (dyslexia-friendly).
• For learners who find drawing challenging: Allow them to verbalise their ideas or use stickers/stamps on a template.
• Extension: Encourage advanced learners to create a collage using cutouts from magazines to represent where they see God in the world.

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Materials Needed

• Picture prompts showing various places or moments where God might be present (e.g., nature, home, school, church, people helping each other).
• Drawing paper and coloured pencils/crayons.
• Magazines, glue sticks, and scissors (for extension collage).
• A large poster or whiteboard for recording ideas.

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Lesson Plan Outline

Time	Activity	Description & Notes
0-5 min	Introduction & Warm-up	Gather students in a circle. Teacher explains the WALT clearly: "We are learning to see where God is in our lives." Use a simple story or a short, relatable example about seeing kindness or beauty as a way of seeing God. Use picture prompts here to aid thinking.
5-15 min	Guided Discussion & Idea Sharing	Use pictures showing different scenarios (nature, home, helping others, church). Ask students to name where they see God in each picture. Write two example places on the board with student input (e.g., "In the park," "At home when family prays"). Encourage all students to contribute verbally or by pointing to pictures. Support with picture labels for dyslexic learners.
15-25 min	Drawing Activity	Provide drawing paper and crayons. Ask students to draw two places or moments where they think they see God. Encourage them to use the picture prompts to help. Circulate and support students as needed. For students who find drawing hard, allow them to verbally explain their drawings or use stickers.
25-30 min	Sharing & Wrap-Up	Invite volunteers to share their drawings and explain where they see God. Offer positive feedback linking back to the success criteria. Remind students that everyone sees God in different places, and that’s okay. Introduce the extension activity for those interested: creating a collage at home or in class next lesson.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observes participation in discussion and listens for naming two places or moments where students see God.
• Success criteria evidence: Students accurately name two places or moments and express their understanding through drawing.
• Use observations to identify students who may need additional support or enrichment in future lessons.

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Inclusion and Accessibility

• Use picture prompts to support all learners, especially those with dyslexia or limited verbal skills.
• Provide sentence starters or simple talk prompts ("I see God in...," "God is with me when...") to scaffold verbal expression.
• Allow multi-modal expression (drawing, talking, using stickers).
• Use a calm, encouraging tone and give plenty of time.
• Recognise and respect diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds in the class.

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Teacher Reflection and Next Steps

• Note which students can confidently identify where they see God and who may require more scaffolding or discussion in future lessons.
• Prepare to build on this understanding with activities that deepen the sense of God’s presence in daily living in upcoming lessons.

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This detailed lesson plan embraces the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh principles such as inclusive teaching, use of visual supports, and engagement with connected learning experiences. It supports young learners in expressing spiritual ideas meaningfully and accessibly while developing key competencies important at Year 1 level.

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If you require a more detailed resource pack accompanying this plan (slides, picture prompts, templates), I am happy to assist further.