Imagery of God

Year level

Year 10 (ages approximately 14-15)

Duration

45 minutes

Class size

20 students

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Unit

Imagery of God Across Cultures Lesson 1 of 8: Introduction to Imagery of God

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Lesson description

Students will explore the concept of God across different cultures and religions. They will discuss the significance of imagery in helping us understand divine attributes, recognising the diversity of cultural perspectives. This lesson provides a foundation for appreciating the variety of ways people relate to and represent the divine.

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Curriculum alignment

This lesson plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (The refreshed national curriculum for New Zealand schools), specifically for the Social Sciences and Religious Education learning areas for Year 10. It integrates key competencies and values from the curriculum, with a focus on cultural understanding, critical thinking, and respectful communication.

Relevant curriculum elements:

• Social Sciences learning area (Years 9-10):

• Understanding of people and cultures: Explore ideas about the nature of divinity from multiple perspectives.

• Values: Respect and appreciate diverse worldviews and beliefs.

• Key Competencies:

• Thinking — analyse and interpret cultural representations.

• Relating to others — engage in respectful discussion and listen to different viewpoints.

• Using language, symbols and texts — interpret and create visual and verbal texts related to religious imagery.

• Religious Education focus: While religious education is not a stand-alone learning area in the NZ Curriculum Refresh, it is taught through the Social Sciences and can involve exploring beliefs, values, and symbols used by various religious communities across Aotearoa New Zealand and globally. This lesson supports students' ability to appreciate different cultural and religious beliefs and how imagery helps communicate these ideas.

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Learning objectives

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

1. Define the concept of "God" and recognise that imagery is used across cultures to represent divine attributes.
2. Identify and describe at least three different cultural or religious images or symbols used to represent God or gods.
3. Explain the significance of imagery in shaping understanding and beliefs about God across cultures.
4. Begin to appreciate the diversity of perspectives relating to the divine and respect cultural differences.

These objectives support developing critical awareness and intercultural competences aligned with the curriculum principles of inclusion, diversity, and community engagement.

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Key competencies targeted

• Thinking
• Relating to others
• Using language, symbols and texts

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Values emphasized

• Respect
• Diversity
• Inclusion

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Materials needed

• Whiteboard and markers
• Printed images or digital slideshow with examples of God imagery from different cultures (e.g., Christian cross, Hindu deity sculpture, Māori atua carvings, Islamic calligraphy, Buddhist symbols)
• Worksheet for students to note observations and questions
• Large paper and markers for group work

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Lesson plan and timings

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Welcome students and introduce the unit focus: Imagery of God Across Cultures.
• Prompt initial thinking with question: “What do you think the word ‘God’ means? How do people show or imagine God in different cultures?”
• Briefly explain that people from all over the world have different ways of representing and understanding God or gods, often through images and symbols.

2. Exploring images of God (10 minutes)

• Present a curated slideshow or printed set of images showing diverse symbolic representations of God or gods from various cultures and religions, including but not limited to:
• Christian cross
• Hindu deities
• Māori atua carvings
• Islamic calligraphy and geometric patterns (note the avoidance of human form)
• Buddhist lotus and Buddha images
• For each image, share a short contextual explanation (origin, what it represents).
• Ask students to observe and think: “What do these images show or express about God or divine qualities? How are they different or similar?”

3. Small group discussion and analysis (15 minutes)

• Divide the class into 4 groups of 5 students.
• Each group is assigned one or two images to discuss. Provide worksheet prompts:
• Describe what you see in the image.
• What might the image express about God's nature or attributes?
• Why do you think this imagery is important to the people who created or use it?
• Groups create brief feedback on poster paper or digital notes to share with the class.

4. Whole class sharing and reflection (10 minutes)

• Each group briefly presents their findings to the class.
• Teacher facilitates discussion on:
• How imagery helps people understand concepts that are often beyond everyday experience (e.g., omnipresence, power, compassion).
• Why imagery varies across cultures and what this tells us about differing beliefs and values.
• Connecting these ideas to our own experiences and respecting that different people imagine God differently.

5. Conclusion and homework preparation (5 minutes)

• Recap the key learning points: imagery is a powerful way to express ideas about God, different cultures use different forms, and understanding these deepens our respect for others.
• Introduce a creative homework task for the next lesson: “Create your own image or symbol that represents some attribute of God or a higher power that is meaningful to you.”
• Emphasise the upcoming lessons will explore this theme further across different cultures.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment during group discussions and presentations assessing student engagement and understanding of diverse imagery.
• Students’ recorded observations on worksheet provide insight into their comprehension and ability to interpret symbolic meanings.
• Teacher notes on contributions during whole-class reflections will gauge respect for diverse perspectives and critical thinking.

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Differentiation

• Provide vocabulary support and sentence starters for students who need language assistance.
• Visual learners are supported by image-rich materials.
• Encourage deeper questioning for advanced learners by prompting comparisons or connection to students’ own cultural backgrounds.
• Group work allows peer support and multiple modes of expression.

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Teacher reflection prompts

• Did students engage respectfully with differing beliefs?
• Were they able to identify the symbolic purpose of imagery?
• How effectively did students connect ideas about God to cultural differences?
• How might this lesson be adapted to include more local Māori perspectives or students’ own faith traditions?

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This lesson offers a rich, culturally responsive start to a unit on the imagery of God that aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh’s focus on values, competencies, and knowledge related to Social Sciences and Religious Education. It respects the diversity of students and supports critical and creative thinking as students explore diverse worldviews.

Should you require detailed lesson plans for subsequent lessons or specific resources, I can also assist with that.