Time and Seasons

Overview

This 50-minute lesson guides Year 9 students in New Zealand in Religious Education to explore the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, focusing on its reflections about time, seasons, and the wisdom embedded in recognising life's cycles. This lesson is Lesson 11 in the 20-lesson unit "Wisdom in Scripture." It aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum, especially emphasising the development of Key Competencies and values relevant to learning about religion in a culturally responsive, inclusive way.

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Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area: Religious Education (in line with NZ Curriculum principles and key competencies)

• Key Competencies Addressed:

  • Thinking: Students engage critically with scriptural texts to explore complex ideas about time and purpose.
  • Using language, symbols, and texts: Working with the text of Ecclesiastes, students interpret meaning using reading and discussion.
  • Relating to others: Collaboration during paired and group discussions about interpretations and personal connections.
  • Managing self: Reflecting on personal experiences of time and change.
  • Participating and contributing: Sharing ideas to extend collective understanding.

• Values Supported:

  • Encouraging diversity of thought and respect for differing perspectives on scripture and life cycles.
  • Fostering empathy in appreciating the wisdom from ancient texts and their place in modern lives.

• Vision and Principles link:

  • Supports the NZ Curriculum vision of students becoming confident, connected, and actively involved lifelong learners.
  • Inclusive teaching approach respecting all students’ backgrounds and cultural identities, including tikanga Māori and Christian traditions.

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify and recount the passage from Ecclesiastes about time and seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
2. Explain the meaning of the text and how it expresses wisdom about life’s different seasons and cycles.
3. Reflect on personal and collective experiences of time and change, linking these insights to the scripture.
4. Participate respectfully in group discussions sharing diverse interpretations and applications of the scripture.
5. Demonstrate understanding by creating a visual or written representation of life’s cycles inspired by Ecclesiastes.

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Lesson Structure and Timing

Time	Activity	Detail & Purpose
0–5 minutes	Warm-up and Connect	- Begin with a short mindfulness moment centred on ‘time’ and ‘change.’ - Ask students to briefly share (or write) what comes to mind when they think about “a time for everything.”
5–15 minutes	Reading the Passage	- Read aloud Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (print, whiteboard, or digital projector). - Provide copies for students to follow along. - Clarify any unfamiliar words or phrases.
15–25 minutes	Guided Whole-Class Discussion	- Discuss what the passage means. - Explore how the text portrays the cycles of life, both natural (seasons) and human (activities, emotions). - Prompt questions: What does this tell us about wisdom? How might this apply to our daily lives?
25–35 minutes	Paired Activity: Personal Reflection and Sharing	- Students pair up to discuss how they see ‘times and seasons’ in their own life and school year. - Encourage comparing different perspectives. - Option: use a graphic organiser titled “My Seasons” where they map experiences linked to the passage.
35–45 minutes	Creative Response: Visual or Written	- Students create a reflection piece: drawing a circle of life, poem, or short journal entry illustrating the concept of time and seasons from Ecclesiastes. - Use coloured pencils, paper or digital tools (if available).
45–50 minutes	Closing and Connecting	- Invite a few to share their work (optional). - Summarise key learning points. - Link the lesson to upcoming topics in the unit. - Assign a reflective homework: Observe and note one “season” or “time” in their week that relates to the scripture.

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Teaching Tips and Inclusion

• Use flexible grouping: whole class for introduction, pairs for sharing, individual for creative task.
• Use clear, accessible language and check for understanding.
• Be mindful of cultural diversity, ensuring inclusion of Māori perspectives on time, seasons, and cycles where possible.
• Offer scaffolding if students find the biblical language difficult—paraphrase where needed.
• Encourage use of digital tools respectfully if available, enhancing engagement.
• Recognise varied learning styles: discussion for verbal learners, drawing for visual learners, writing for reflective learners.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment through:
  • Monitoring participation in discussions.
  • Observing understanding during paired sharing.
  • Collecting and reviewing creative responses for comprehension and personal connection.
• Provide ongoing verbal feedback during activities, highlighting effort and insight.
• Use the creative response as evidence of understanding; provide written or oral feedback in next lesson.
• Encourage self and peer assessment in next lesson for further consolidation.

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Resources Needed

• Copies of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (translated text suitable for Year 9).
• Materials for drawing/writing: paper, coloured pencils, markers.
• Graphic organiser template for "My Seasons" (printed or digital).
• Optional: digital projection setup for text display and visual aids.

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Links to the New Zealand Curriculum and Educational Priorities

• New Zealand Curriculum Key Competencies: Emphasises thinking, using language, symbols and texts, & relating to others【12:New Zealand Curriculum.html】.
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi: Encourages inclusivity respecting students’ cultural identity and perspectives【11:New Zealand Curriculum.html】.
• Vision for Young People: Supporting confident, connected, actively involved learners through explicit teaching and reflection on scripture as a source of wisdom【11:New Zealand Curriculum.html】.
• Assessment for Learning: Ongoing formative assessment informs teaching to support all learners’ engagement and understanding【13:Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.

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This lesson creatively integrates scripture with personal reflection and group discussion to deepen Year 9 students’ appreciation of the wisdom in Ecclesiastes about life's rhythms, while fulfilling the objectives of the New Zealand Curriculum and keeping students engaged through varied and culturally responsive activities.