Growing Closer to God

Learning Intention

• I am learning to grow our relationship with God in different ways.

Success Criteria

• I can name ways to grow closer to God.
• I can talk about how I can show love to God and others.
• I can share one way I will grow my relationship with God.

Curriculum Links

• Religious Education Level 2: Emphasises understanding how relationships with God can be nurtured through love, care, and actions in everyday life.
• Key Competencies: Managing self (reflect on personal values and decisions), relating to others (show care and respect in relationships), and participating and contributing (sharing ideas and listening to others).
• Values: Care, empathy, respect, and love are embedded in the learning.
• Te Kāmaka Resource: Incorporates authentic Māori and Catholic heritage perspectives, encouraging understanding of spiritual relationships within a localised context for Auckland Catholic schools, which is relevant and enriching for faith development at this level.

Time

20 minutes
Class size: 20 students (Year 2)

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Lesson Sequence: I Do, We Do, You Do

1. Hook / I Do (5 minutes)

• Gather students in a circle.
• Teacher asks:
  “How do we show we care about our friends or family?”
  (Possible responses: spending time, talking, helping, sharing, listening)
• Teacher explains:
  “Just like we grow friendships by caring and spending time together, we can grow our relationship with God in different ways.”
• Connect this to the learning intention that today we will explore how to grow closer to God.

2. Guided Practice / We Do (10 minutes)

• Teacher models and discusses ways to show love and care for God and others.
  Examples include:
  • Talking to God (praying)
  • Helping others and showing kindness
  • Listening to stories about God
  • Spending quiet times to think about God
• Use a simple chart or picture prompts with symbols representing each way (e.g., praying hands, helping hands, hearts, and listening ears).
• Invite students to share any ways they think they already use or could use to grow closer to God.
• As a group, create a shared class list titled “Ways to Grow Closer to God.”
• Teacher guides discussion about how loving God and loving others are connected, reinforcing the Christian values and the cultural significance of aroha (love and compassion) from the Te Kāmaka framework for authentic Māori and Catholic identity.

3. Independent Practice / You Do (5 minutes)

• Ask each student to think about and then share aloud one way they will grow their relationship with God during the coming week.
• Encourage simple statements, such as:
  • “I will pray every night.”
  • “I will help my friend at school.”
  • “I will listen when my family talks about God.”
• Optionally, students can draw a picture to represent their choice (quick 2-3 minute drawing activity).
• Teacher records a few student examples to display or revisit later.

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Assessment for Success

• Observe students’ contributions during the “We Do” discussion for understanding of ways to grow in relationship with God.
• Listen to each student’s “You Do” sharing to check they can articulate a personal action and connection.
• Informal feedback to individual students during sharing and drawing time.

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Teaching and Learning Notes

• Use age-appropriate language and ensure all students can participate, including providing prompts or scaffolds for students who need extra support.
• Encourage a spirit of openness and respect for diverse expressions of faith, while grounding the lesson in the Catholic faith tradition and the unique local identity expressed in Te Kāmaka.
• Reinforce key vocabulary: care, love, relationship, God, prayer, kindness.
• This lesson is designed to nurture students’ developing spirituality as described in the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum which encourages holistic development including spiritual wellbeing and the key competencies relevant to managing self and relating to others.

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Resources

• Picture symbols for ways to love and care (printed or digital)
• Whiteboard/chart for collective list of ways to grow closer to God
• Drawing materials for students (paper, crayons)
• Use concepts from Te Kāmaka to acknowledge local Catholic and Māori heritage as part of spiritual identity.

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This lesson plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum refreshed focus on holistic, inclusive learning with a strong foundation in cultural heritage and Catholic faith development. It uses an "I do, We do, You do" gradual release model tailored to young learners and meets the required learning intentions and success criteria offered 【Te Kāmaka】.