God in People

Overview

This 40-minute lesson for Year 8 students in New Zealand explores the theme of "God in People: Seeing the Divine in Others," the third lesson in the unit Finding God Everywhere. It aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum by integrating key competencies and values, emphasizing relational and communal aspects of Religious Education, and encouraging students to identify the presence of God through acts of kindness and community connections.

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Learning Objectives

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

• Understand how God’s presence can be recognised in the actions and kindness of others.
• Explore the importance of community and relationships in seeing God in people.
• Identify examples of individuals, including saints, who exemplify God’s love through their actions.
• Create a tangible representation of kindness in their community by contributing to a 'Kindness Chain'.

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Curriculum Alignment

The New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies

• Relating to others: Students interact effectively, showing empathy and respect for diverse beliefs and actions reflecting God’s presence.
• Participating and contributing: Students contribute actively to classroom community through sharing experiences and reflections on kindness.

Values encouraged:

• Empathy
• Respect
• Integrity

Learning Area: Religious Education (supported by English, Social Sciences)

• Focus on community, relationships, and spirituality tied to concepts of divine presence.
• Aligns with the curriculum’s vision of students contributing as respectful members of a diverse society and understanding their place within it.

Phase Focus: Years 7-8 (Phase 3)

• Critical focus on seeing ourselves in the wider world and advocating with and for others which includes understanding connections and caring for people in community settings .

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Resources

• Brief stories of saints or inspirational individuals (prepared by teacher)
• Paper strips or coloured card pieces for ‘Kindness Chain’
• Markers or pens
• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Poster examples of kindness acts
• Writing paper or notebooks

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Lesson Plan Breakdown

1. Introduction & Context Setting (5 minutes)

• Welcome and engage students with a brief reflection question: "Can kindness show us something about God?"
• Introduce the theme: Explain that today students will explore how God's presence can be seen in others through their actions and kindness.
• Link to previous lessons briefly to maintain continuity in the unit.

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2. Guided Discussion: God in People & Community (10 minutes)

• Facilitate a whole-class discussion on:
  • What does it mean to see God in others?
  • Why is community and relationships important in recognising God’s presence?
  • Examples from everyday life where people have shown kindness or love that feels inspired or divine.
• Teacher shares 2-3 brief stories of saints or individuals (e.g., Mother Teresa, St Mary MacKillop, or a local community hero) who showed God’s love in action.
• Highlight the traits demonstrated: compassion, selflessness, generosity—how these reflect God’s presence.

Curriculum focus: This supports students’ understanding of spiritual concepts and language, while relating to others and participating in class dialogue .

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3. Activity: Kindness Chain Creation (20 minutes)

• Explain the activity: Each student writes or draws one or more acts of kindness they have seen or done on strips of paper.
• Students then link these strips to form a "Kindness Chain" displayed in the classroom as a reminder of how these small actions connect and show God’s presence.
• Encourage students to consider diversity in kindness: helping family, friends, strangers, environment.
• Teacher circulates to encourage thoughtful contributions, providing scaffolding for language and reflective thinking.

Teaching Tip: Use this task to develop the competency of using language, symbols, and texts by having students express ideas creatively and reflectively .

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4. Reflection and Sharing (5 minutes)

• Invite a few students to share their kindness examples and explain why they think these showed God’s presence.
• Discuss how recognising kindness in others can help us feel connected and see the sacred in everyday life.
• Summarise by reflecting on how community and relationships allow us to find God everywhere, especially in people around us.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation of participation and discussion contributions.
• Evaluate student reflection and ability to connect the concept of God’s presence to real-life actions.
• Review the kindness strips for understanding of key ideas and appropriateness of examples.
• Encourage self-assessment by asking students how well they can now ‘see God in others’ compared to the start of the lesson.

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Extension Ideas (If time allows or for future lessons)

• Invite students to write short reflections or poems about kindness and God’s presence.
• Explore cultural perspectives, including Māori viewpoints of te ao Māori, about the sacred in people and relationships to align with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
• Connect with other learning areas like Social Sciences to investigate community helpers and their roles as expressions of divine care.

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Notes for Teachers

• Maintain sensitivity and inclusiveness respecting all students’ beliefs.
• Encourage respectful listening and valuing diverse experiences.
• Use clear, age-appropriate language and provide support for students struggling with abstract concepts.
• Reinforce ideas visually through the kindness chain and stories shared.

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This lesson is designed to engage Year 8 students deeply with the idea that God can be experienced through the kindness and actions of people around them, supporting their spiritual growth and social development as outlined by the New Zealand Curriculum’s vision and competencies .