Tūhono Ako

Overview

In this Religious Education lesson, Year 1 students learn that God teaches us through His names and images in ways that help us learn, love, and serve. The lesson connects these ideas to Catholic identity and belonging, including authentically living faith like “TūTURU MĀORI, TūTURU KATORIKA” from Te Kāmaka.

Learning intentions

• I am learning about different ways God teaches us to learn, love, and serve through God’s names and images.
• I can share ways God teaches me to learn, love, and serve.
• I can describe ways God teaches me to learn, love, and serve.

Success criteria

• I can name one image or name of God (e.g., Shepherd, Rock, King) and say what it teaches me.
• I can share one way God helps me learn (e.g., be kind, listen, try again).
• I can share one way God helps me love and one way God helps me serve.
• I can say my ideas clearly using simple sentences.

Curriculum links

• Religious Education: Students talk about how God teaches us through God’s names and images (focus on learning, love, and serving).
• Curriculum Refresh (NZ Religious Education / faith learning): emphasis on forming understanding, practising speaking and listening, and building relationships through faith-centred actions.
• Key competencies (NZ Curriculum Refresh): Communication (sharing ideas), Relating to others (learning to love and serve), Self-management (trying and responding to instructions).

Lesson structure (4 minutes total)

1. 0–1 min · I Do (teacher model). Teacher shows a simple picture set labelled Rock and Shepherd and says: “God is like a Rock—God helps me be strong and try again. God is like a Shepherd—God cares for me, so I can be kind, listen, and help others.” Students listen and point to the image when they hear its name.

2. 1–2 min · We Do (guided practice). Teacher asks: “What does the Rock help us do?” and “What does the Shepherd help us do?” Students respond in turn with short phrases (sentence starters on board): “God teaches me to…” and “I can…” Teacher repeats correct pronunciation and reinforces: learn, love, serve.

3. 2–3 min · You Do (partner/share—quick). Students choose one card (Rock or Shepherd). In pairs, they finish one sentence:

• “God teaches me to learn when I…”
• “God teaches me to love when I…”
• “God teaches me to serve when I…” Teacher circulates, prompting with gestures and one-word supports (try again, kind, help, share).

4. 3–4 min · Check & close (whole class + exit statement). Each student gives a single short sharing to the class: “God teaches me…” Teacher listens for: (a) a God image/name, and (b) a learning/loving/serving action. Teacher concludes by connecting belonging: “Our faith helps us live like ‘TūTURU MĀORI, TūTURU KATORIKA’—faith that shows in how we learn, love, and serve each other.”

Resources

• Picture cards of God’s images/names: Rock and Shepherd (large and kid-friendly)
• Two sentence-starter strips: “God teaches me to…” and “I can…”
• Teacher-made one-page poster or mini whiteboard with the words: learn, love, serve
• Pair-share cards (Rock / Shepherd) for each student
• Short bell or timer (for quick transitions)
• Option: quiet corner spot for students needing calm before speaking

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observation during We Do and You Do, checking that students link an image/name of God to an action.
• Formative: listen for clear student sharing at the end (“God teaches me…” plus learn/love/serve).
• Quick evidence collection: teacher notes (mental or on a checklist) for each student: shares vs. describes (using teacher prompts for those needing support).

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters and allow students to point to images instead of full sentences at first; accept one-word answers that can be built into a sentence.
• Support for pronunciation: teacher echoes, then students repeat (choral then individual).
• Challenge/extension within same activity: students who are ready add a “because…” clause: “God teaches me to share because God cares for me.”
• EAL/SEN: use picture supports for each prompt (learn = try again/listen, love = kind, serve = help/share) and allow extra wait time before answering.

Curriculum alignment notes (teacher for use while teaching)

• Keep responses short and age-appropriate: focus on simple, familiar actions that show learning, love, and service.
• Reinforce that God’s names and images are teaching tools for everyday life, not just facts.