Beliefs and Values

Overview

This second lesson in “Beliefs and Values Exploration” helps Year 1 pupils understand what a belief is and recognise that beliefs can be different from values. Pupils will watch a short puppet show and discuss their own ideas safely, building on the unit’s earlier focus on belonging and differences.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand that a belief is something a person thinks is true or believes in.
• Students will recognise that a value is a way of living or caring about something (what matters).
• Students will compare beliefs and values using simple examples.
• Students will express their own ideas respectfully, listening to others.

Success criteria

• I can say what I mean by a belief.
• I can give one example of a belief (e.g., fairies, friends’ kindness, faith).
• I can explain how values are about what matters to me.
• I can listen to others and share my ideas politely.

Curriculum links

• Religious education: encourages pupils to explore their own beliefs (whether religious or non-religious) and express responses.
• Religious education: develops pupils’ values and attitudes in light of learning about religions and beliefs, rights and responsibilities.
• Religious education: supports personal development and well-being through becoming successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens.
• Religious education: includes awareness that some people do not hold religious beliefs and that pupils can have philosophical perspectives.
• Guidance on breadth and depth: subject matter facilitates integration and promotion of shared values through discussion and respectful listening.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Settling and question. Teacher displays two pictures: a child saying “I believe…” and a heart saying “I care about…”, then asks, “What does it mean to believe?” Students give quick thumbs-up/down and one-word answers; teacher captures “believe” ideas on the board.

2. 5–12 min · Puppet show introduction. Teacher performs a short puppet show with three mini-scenes:

• Scene A: “I believe in fairies” (fantasy belief).
• Scene B: “I believe in friends” (trust/friendship belief).
• Scene C: “I value being kind” (value/caring). Teacher pauses after each scene to ask: “Is this a belief or a value?” Students turn-and-talk with a partner, then one child shares the class vote.

3. 12–18 min · Teacher-guided sorting. Teacher shows four simple statement cards:

• “I believe in my friend helping me.”
• “I believe the moon is in the sky.”
• “I value sharing.”
• “I believe some people pray.” Teacher models sorting into two columns labelled: “Beliefs” and “Values”. Emphasise that beliefs can be religious or non-religious, and that people may disagree. Students help place cards, using sentence stems: “I think it is a belief because… / a value because…”

4. 18–23 min · Group discussion circles. Teacher sets clear discussion rules: listen, take turns, don’t laugh, everyone’s ideas are welcome. Teacher asks:

• “What is something you believe?” (offer options: “I believe friends help me” / “I believe in dinosaurs” / “I believe in telling the truth”.)
• “What is something you value?” (offer options: “kindness”, “sharing”, “being honest”.) Students choose one question for their group, share using stems, and respond to peers with: “Thank you for sharing” or “I understand.”

5. 23–28 min · Whole-class meaning-making. Teacher draws a simple class diagram: a speech bubble (“Belief: I think this is true / I believe in it”) and a heart (“Value: what matters to me / how I want to live”). Teacher asks pupils to create one class example for each box, then confirms correct differences in language. Students copy one of the examples into their workbook/whiteboard (one sentence starter: “I believe…” or “I value…”).

6. 28–30 min · Exit check. Teacher collects a quick oral check: “Belief or value?” with two questions. Students respond with a hand gesture (Belief: hands shaped like a bubble; Value: heart shape) and teacher notes who needs support.

Resources

• Puppet (or sock/hand puppet) and simple puppet characters
• Picture cards for belief/value examples
• Four statement cards (ready to sort)
• Two column board labels: “Beliefs” and “Values”
• Discussion rule cards (listen, take turns, kind words, everyone matters)
• Sentence starter strips: “I believe…” and “I value…”
• Paper or mini whiteboards, crayons/markers
• Exit check gesture cues displayed

Assessment

• Formative checks during sorting: observe whether pupils place cards into “belief” or “value” correctly.
• Discussion listening and sharing: teacher listens for respectful participation and appropriate use of stems.
• Exit check: two belief/value identification prompts to gauge understanding at the end of the lesson.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters with pictures; give pupils the option to choose from provided examples rather than generate from scratch.
• Support for EAL/SEN: allow drawing instead of long speaking; use simpler phrasing (“belief = what I think is true”).
• Challenge/extension: ask confident pupils to explain differences using “belief is about what you think is true, value is about what matters to you.”
• Manage misconceptions: if a pupil labels “I value friends” incorrectly, steer with a question: “Is that a feeling of what matters, or a thing you think is true?”