Celebrating Our Community

---

Overview

Unit Title: Celebrating Community Together
Lesson Number: 5 of 6
Lesson Title: Creating a Community Celebration
Duration: 60 minutes
Class Size: 30 pupils
Key Stage: Key Stage 2
Year Group: Year 4
Curriculum Area: Religious Education (RE)
UK Curriculum Focus:

• Non-Statutory guidance for RE in Key Stage 2: "Pupils should learn about and from a range of religions and worldviews, recognising their diversity of beliefs and practices."
• This lesson aligns with the thematic approach: "Living: Religious practices and ways of living; questions about values and commitments."

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

• Collaboratively plan a celebration that reflects respect for different religious and cultural practices.
• Demonstrate understanding of the customs and symbols from at least three major religions studied in the unit (e.g. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism).
• Make decisions as a group, allocating roles and responsibilities.
• Develop a sense of shared community and contribution.

---

Success Criteria

Pupils will be successful if they can:

• Participate respectfully in group planning discussions.
• Reference specific religious and cultural traditions in their event plan.
• Contribute creative and practical ideas to the celebration event.
• Justify their group’s choices in presenting a celebration that is inclusive and reflective of shared community values.

---

Preparation & Resources

Materials Needed:

• Large A1 brainstorming paper or sugar paper
• Coloured markers
• Role cards (e.g. Event Coordinator, Decorator, Music Planner, Host, Activity Planner)
• Timeline templates
• Pupil reflection journals or worksheets
• Speaker system (for possible music exploration)
• Photographs or symbols used in previous RE lessons (laminated for reuse)
• Optional: Fabric swatches, aroma pots (e.g. cloves, incense) for sensory inspiration

Classroom Setup:

• Desks arranged in six groups of five
• Quick access to a 'resource table' housing religions symbols, costumes, music clips, and artefacts for inspiration

---

Starter Activity (10 mins)

“Celebration Snapshots” Discussion

Objective: To recall and apply knowledge of previous lessons.

• Display laminated images from previous lessons: Diwali lamps, Christian Easter eggs, Islamic Eid sweets, Hanukkah menorah, Sikh langar meals, etc.
• Ask: “What do you remember celebrating in these traditions?”
• Pupils work in pairs for 2 minutes to discuss one image.
• Take responses from different pairs to spark quick whole-class recall.

Teacher prompt: "In our final celebration, how can we include something from each tradition we've explored?"

---

Main Activity (40 mins)

Collaborative Planning: Our Celebration!

Step 1: Theme Builder – The Name of Our Event (5 mins)

• On the board: “Our Community Celebration is called…”
• As a class, brainstorm possible names that reflect unity, diversity, and celebration (e.g. “Unity Fest”, “Festival of Light and Friendship”, “Together We Shine”).
• Use democratic voting to choose a name.

Step 2: Group Planning (25 mins)

• Divide the class into 6 groups.
• Give each group a planning brief:
  • Group 1: Decorations – Symbols, colours, materials. Must choose something symbolic from at least two religions covered.
  • Group 2: Music & Singing – What types of songs or traditional music? Can they incorporate drumming, chanting, or songs of peace?
  • Group 3: Food/Kitchen Team – Plan a sample menu of symbolic foods (no real cooking). Think about sharing and inclusivity.
  • Group 4: Opening Ceremony – Plan how the celebration will begin. A short poem, display of candles, or song?
  • Group 5: Zones & Activities – A quiet reflection corner? Art station? Henna handprint booth? A story circle?
  • Group 6: Timeline & Jobs – Who does what? Create a basic visual timeline and assign simple duties.

Support & Challenge:

• Provide sentence starters for less confident pupils.
• Extend more able by asking: “How might a visitor from another background feel included in your planning?”

Teacher Role:

• Circulate, question decisions, encourage justification: “Why have you chosen that colour/symbol?”
• Offer artefacts or reference sheets for deeper prompts.

Step 3: Group Presentations (10 mins)

• Each group shares their part of the plan.
• Encourage short, confident sharing: no more than 90 seconds per group.
• Class listens and celebrates creative ideas, noting elements that show good teamwork.

---

Plenary (10 mins)

Reflect & Project

Task: Complete a short reflection in journals or provided worksheets:

Prompts:

• “One thing my group did well was…”
• “I included a religious tradition by…”
• “I’m excited about the celebration because…”

Whole-Class Closing Discussion:

• Ask: “What did we learn about community today?”
• Encourage pupils to think beyond religion: kindness, inclusion, responsibility, joy.

---

Differentiation

For SEND Pupils:

• Pre-teach key vocabulary with visual supports.
• Provide adult support for group discussion facilitation.
• Use role cards with symbols and step-by-step pictures.

For EAL Pupils:

• Use bilingual word banks with translations.
• Option to present ideas through drawing instead of written text.

For More Able Learners:

• Encourage deeper questioning: “How does music help people feel connected in a religious celebration?”
• Ask them to draft a short inclusive speech or blessing to open the event.

---

Assessment & Evidence

Formative Assessment:

• Observations during group work: note collaboration, inclusion of correct religious practices.
• Group presentations: assess relevance, respectfulness, and engagement with religious content.
• Reflection journals: assess personal understanding and emotional engagement.

Evidence Collection:

• Photographs of planning posters and group work.
• Copies/scans of reflection sheets.
• Annotated group plans (kept for display in final lesson).

---

Extension Opportunity

Home Connection: Ask pupils to interview a family member about a community or religious celebration they have experienced and bring one item or photograph (if appropriate) for a future reflection table.

---

Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson Prompt)

• Which group showed unexpected leadership or creativity?
• What surprised you about how the children combined traditions?
• How might you adapt this to include more interfaith elements next time?

---

⏳ Next Lesson Preview (Lesson 6): The Final Celebration – Pupils will bring their ideas to life by hosting a classroom or whole-school mini celebration, showcasing the unity and diversity of their shared community.

---

End of Lesson Plan