Joseph’s Story Journey

Duration: 45 minutes

Class size: 1 student

Year: 4 (Phase 2 of the NZ Curriculum Refresh)

Subject: Religious Education

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Understand the story of Joseph being sold into slavery.
• Answer questions that check our understanding of the story.
• Express our ideas about the story through colouring.

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Success Criteria

• I can retell the story of Joseph’s journey into slavery in my own words.
• I can answer questions about the story using sentences or pictures.
• I can use colours to show how I feel about the story.
• I can listen carefully and respond during the lesson activities.

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Curriculum Links

Religious Education (aligned with NZ Curriculum Refresh Phase 2: Years 4-6)

• Understand: Stories from religious traditions and their meanings.
• Know: Key events and characters in Bible stories and their significance.
• Do: Respond to stories by expressing feelings, answering questions, and making connections to values such as kindness, resilience, and family.

Key Competencies

• Thinking: Making connections, asking questions, and making meaning from stories.
• Relating to others: Sharing ideas and listening respectfully.
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Responding to spoken and visual texts.

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Materials

• Printed copy of a simple Joseph story tailored for Year 4 (special needs friendly)
• Ten comprehension questions (printed and pictorial support)
• Colouring in page depicting Joseph and the coat of many colours
• Access to a teacher-selected video telling the story of Joseph being sold into slavery (safe for age 8) – teacher plays video directly without sharing links
• Markers, crayons, or coloured pencils
• Whiteboard or paper for recording ideas

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Lesson Breakdown

Time	Activity	Details & Differentiation
0-5 min	Introduction and WALT discussion	- Explain the learning intentions simply. - Ask the learner what they know about Joseph. - Use pictures to support understanding. - Use clear, simple language.
5-15 min	Watch the Video Story about Joseph	- Play a short video retelling Joseph’s story up to being sold. - Pause briefly for simple check questions ("What just happened?"). - Use visual cues and gestures.
15-30 min	Read and discuss the story	- Teacher reads a simplified Joseph story aloud using a large text or picture book. - Include pauses for questions such as "Why did Joseph’s brothers do that?" - Use think-aloud to model understanding. - Encourage responses with one-word or sentence answers, or pointing to pictures. - Use assistive communication if necessary.
30-40 min	Comprehension questioning	- Use 10 comprehension questions designed for understanding (see below). - Support answers with picture choices or sentence starters. - Questions range from literal understanding to feelings. - Encourage expressing emotions or ideas verbally or with drawings.
40-45 min	Colouring activity and reflective talk	- Provide a colouring page of Joseph with his coat. - Talk with the student about colours Joseph might have loved and how he might have felt. - Praise effort, link colours to feelings (e.g., bright = happy). - Use this time for informal assessment of engagement and expressive ability.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Use visual supports and realia to make the story concrete and accessible.
• Provide sentence starters or simple yes/no/picture choice for comprehension questions.
• Allow extra time for processing and responses.
• Use repetition and reinforcement in instructions and reading.
• Offer breaks as needed to manage attention.
• Use multisensory approaches: watching, listening, speaking, and colouring.

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Comprehension Questions on Joseph Being Sold into Slavery

1. Who was Joseph?
2. How many brothers did Joseph have?
3. What special gift did Joseph’s father give him?
4. How did Joseph’s brothers feel about him?
5. What did Joseph’s brothers do to him?
6. Where did the brothers take Joseph?
7. What did they do to Joseph there?
8. What happened to Joseph after he was sold?
9. How do you think Joseph felt when he was sold?
10. What can we learn from Joseph’s story?

(Support answering with pictures or simple verbal replies. For example, use happy/sad faces for feelings.)

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Notes for the Teacher

• Use the teaching approaches aligned with Phase 2 of the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, focusing on expanding knowledge and collaboration through stories that build identity and values .
• Embed comprehension strategies such as monitoring understanding, answering "what", "why", and "how" questions, and summarising key ideas .
• Encourage use of visualisation and thinking aloud to support inference and connection making .
• Support expressive language development by integrating drawing and colouring with story reflection, enhancing engagement for your special needs student .

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I trust this detailed, curriculum-aligned lesson plan with a video, questions, and a creative colouring activity will impress and support your special needs Year 4 student effectively!