Living in Trinity

Overview

This is the 5th lesson in the year 3 unit Understanding the Holy Trinity. This 45-minute lesson will help students reflect on how understanding the Holy Trinity influences their daily lives. They will create personal action plans to embody the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their interactions.

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Religious Education (Aligned with NZ Curriculum Refresh principles and values)
Phase: 1 (Years 0–3) – Thriving in environments rich in literacy and maths with adaptations for Religious Education contexts, drawing on the Key Competencies and Values to promote empathy, connectedness, and identity in students.
Key Competencies:

Relating to others – demonstrate care, respect, and empathy.
Managing self – set goals and reflect on personal actions.
Participating and contributing – share ideas and work collaboratively.
Values:
Respect, Integrity, Community and Participation.

WALT (We Are Learning To)

Reflect on the meaning of the Holy Trinity and how it relates to our lives.
Recognise ways to live out the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Create a personal action plan to demonstrate the Trinity’s love in day-to-day relationships.

Success Criteria

I can explain in my own words what the Holy Trinity means.
I can suggest ways to show love in my family, school, and community.
I can make a clear action plan with steps to show love in my life.
I actively listen and share my ideas respectfully in group discussions.

Materials Needed

Large printed image/poster of the Holy Trinity symbol or triangle (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).
Chart paper and markers.
Personal action plan worksheet (simple template with 3 sections: Love of Father, Son, Holy Spirit) with sentence starters.
Art supplies: coloured pencils, crayons, stickers.
Story or scenario cards illustrating acts of love/kindness.

Lesson Plan (45 minutes)

1. Welcome and Recap (5 minutes)

Greet students and briefly recap what the Trinity is: Father (God who created us), Son (Jesus who loves and teaches us), Holy Spirit (the helper who guides us).
Use the Trinity symbol poster — point to each part and ask simple questions:
- “Who is the Father?”
- “What did Jesus (Son) teach us about love?”
- “How does the Holy Spirit help us?”
Ask students to share one thing they remember or like about the Trinity from earlier lessons.

Differentiation: Use visuals and gestures for English Language Learners (ELL) and scaffolded questioning for less confident students.

2. Group Discussion: Living Love (10 minutes)

Introduce short illustrated story cards depicting everyday acts of love: sharing, helping friends, saying sorry, praying for others.
In groups of 5, students discuss which part of the Trinity shows love in that story (Father’s protection, Jesus’ kindness, Spirit’s guidance).
Groups share their ideas with the class. Teacher charts key ideas on chart paper under Father, Son, and Holy Spirit headings.

Differentiation: For diverse learners, provide simplified cards or sentence starters (e.g., "I see love because..."). Use peer support in groups.

Extension: Ask advanced learners to think of an extra example from their own experience or from a story they know.

3. Reflection Activity: Personal Action Plan (20 minutes)

Explain students will make their own simple Living in the Trinity action plan to show love at home, at school, and in the community.
Distribute the worksheet with three columns: Love of Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Each column has prompts:
- Father: How can I protect or care for others?
- Son: How can I be kind or forgiving like Jesus?
- Holy Spirit: How can I listen and be guided to do the right thing?
Model how to fill in one example, e.g. “I will help my friend if they feel sad.”
Students work independently or in pairs to complete their plans using drawings or words.
Circulate to support and encourage reflection.

Differentiation: Provide sentence starters or scribe for students needing writing support. Allow drawing instead of writing if needed.

Extension: Advanced learners can write a short explanation of how their actions show the Trinity’s love.

4. Sharing and Closing (10 minutes)

Invite volunteers to share their plans with the class or their group.
Reiterate the importance of showing love in practical ways every day.
Close with a brief reflective prayer or moment of quiet to ask the Holy Trinity to help them live out their plans.

Differentiation: Allow students who are shy to share with a partner rather than whole class.

Assessment

Formative assessment through observation of group discussions and contributions.
Review students’ action plans for understanding of the Trinity’s love and ability to transfer learning to personal contexts.
Use student sharing to assess verbal expression and empathy.

Notes for Teachers

Scaffold religious vocabulary related to the Trinity clearly and revisit as needed.
Create a supportive and respectful classroom environment where students feel safe to express their thoughts.
Link to students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences to make reflections authentic.
Encourage positive peer feedback during sharing.

This lesson plan is designed to develop the key competencies and values within the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh framework, emphasizing social and emotional learning through Religious Education, and helping year 3 students connect spiritual concepts to their everyday living and relationships.

Teaching Instructions