Moses as a Prince

Overview

This 60-minute lesson explores the life of Moses growing up as a prince in Egypt.
Students will role-play and discuss Moses’s privileges, responsibilities, identity, and faith to understand his background and values.

Curriculum Alignment

Learning Areas & Achievement Objectives

Religious Education (under Social Sciences and The Arts)
- Level 1 (Years 1-2): Understand different points of view about the world, recognizing that others may have different beliefs and values (NZ Curriculum).
- Explore stories from different cultures, including biblical stories, as a way to understand people’s beliefs and values.

Key Competencies (NZ Curriculum pages 12-13)

Managing self: Setting goals, reflecting on personal ideas about identity and belonging.
Relating to others: Sharing ideas and listening to others’ perspectives during discussions and role-play.
Thinking: Exploring feelings and perspectives, making sense of Moses’s experiences.
Using language, symbols and texts: Engaging with a story, communicating understanding through drama and discussion.

Principles to integrate

Inclusiveness (meeting ESOL students’ needs with oral and visual activities).
Recognising the importance of identity and values (supports students’ own understanding of their background).
Connections to community and wider world perspectives.

Learning Outcomes

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

Describe some privileges and responsibilities Moses had as a prince of Egypt.
Express ideas about Moses’s feelings regarding his identity and faith.
Show understanding of how background and values influence people’s actions.
Work collaboratively and respectfully with peers in role-play and discussion.

Resources Needed

Picture book or short text/story about Moses as a prince (age-appropriate, visual, simple language).
Costume pieces or props to represent Moses and Egyptian palace life (optional).
Role-play name tags or labels (Prince, Helpers, etc.).
Chart paper or whiteboard for brainstorming.
Drawing materials (paper, crayons, pencils) for reflection activity.

Lesson Sequence

Time	Activity	Detail	Curriculum Connections
5 mins	Welcome and Connect	Briefly recall Lesson 1 on Moses’s birth. Introduce today’s focus: Moses as a prince in Egypt.	Manage self: Linking prior knowledge and personal experience.
10 mins	Story Time + Discussion	Read aloud the story about Moses growing up in Pharaoh’s palace (highlighting his special life, privileges, and duties). Use pictures and simple questions for ESOL support. Discuss who Moses was and what “prince” means.	Using language, symbols and texts; Connecting and responding to texts
15 mins	Role-play Activity	In groups of 4-5, students act out scenes: Moses as a prince doing activities like learning, helping others, following rules. Others act as palace helpers or friends. Provide simple role cards. Focus on feelings and responsibilities. Teacher models first.	Relating to others; Thinking; Using language to express ideas
10 mins	Class Discussion	Students share how they think Moses might have felt (proud, confused, happy, lonely). Brainstorm what it means to have a background and values that shape us. Use a mind map on the whiteboard with students’ ideas.	Thinking; Managing self; Relating to others; Develop understanding of identity and values
15 mins	Reflection Drawing & Sharing	Students draw a picture of Moses as a prince, showing something they learned about his life and feelings. Then, share their drawings with a partner, explaining one thing about Moses’s identity and values.	Using language; Creating texts; Expressing ideas visually and verbally
5 mins	Close & Link Forward	Recap key points about Moses’s special life as a prince and his identity. Briefly introduce next lesson theme (Moses’s journey away from the palace).	Manage self; Connecting learning; Preparing for new ideas.

Teaching Considerations

ESOL learners: Use clear, simple language and visuals. Provide vocabulary support for key concepts such as “prince,” “palace,” “responsibility.”
Interactive and kinaesthetic learners: Role-play and drawing allow embodied learning and expression.
Cultural relevance: Reinforce that understanding identity and values helps us learn about ourselves and others, linking to students’ own backgrounds.
Assessment for learning: Observe participation in role-plays and discussions, noting understanding of Moses’s identity and feelings. Use drawing explanations for individual check-in on comprehension.

Assessment Ideas

Formative observations of participation during role-play and discussion for understanding of privilege and responsibility.
Drawing and explanation of Moses’s identity and values to assess personal connection and comprehension.
Short verbal check-ins asking “How do you think Moses felt? Why?” to assess empathy and perspective-taking.

This plan aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh by embedding key competencies, language use, inclusive learning practices, and a focus on identity through the engaging story of Moses as a prince. It supports a culturally responsive and interactive classroom suited for your Year 2 students in Christchurch, including ESOL learners.

If you want, I can also provide vocabulary lists or sentence stems to support ESOL students in this lesson. Would that be helpful?

Teaching Instructions