Exploring Easter Together

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Overview

Subject: PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education)
Year Group: Year 4 (ages 8–9)
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 30 pupils
Curriculum Link:
Aligned with the PSHE Association Programme of Study (Key Stage 2) under the Living in the Wider World core theme, especially:

• L4: About the importance of respecting and understanding similarities and differences between people.
• L6: About the values and customs that important celebrations and traditions represent.
• H2: To understand how feelings can change over time, and how faith and hope support emotional well-being.

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Recall the main events of the Easter story.
2. Recognise and reflect on the key emotions represented in the Easter narrative (e.g. hope, sadness, joy, forgiveness).
3. Understand how people of Christian faith observe Easter and what the celebration symbolises.
4. Develop empathy through role play and reflective discussion.

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Success Criteria

✅ Pupils can retell the Easter story in their own words.
✅ Pupils can identify at least three emotions characters in the story felt.
✅ Pupils participate in an active listening, drama, and reflective group activity.
✅ Pupils can compare and relate the story’s messages to their own experiences of hope, disappointment, or joy.

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Resources Needed

• Large printed picture cards of key scenes from the Easter story (Palm Sunday, Last Supper, Crucifixion, and Resurrection)
• Emotion word cards (Joy, Sadness, Hope, Fear, Forgiveness, etc.)
• Small blank “Easter Reflection Egg” templates (included in the appendix)
• A feather or soft object (for the "talking piece")
• Whiteboard & markers
• Soft background instrumental music (for reflective atmosphere, optional)

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Introduction (10 minutes)

Starter Activity – “Mystery Emotion”

1. Display six emotion words on the board (Joy, Sadness, Hope, Fear, Relief, Forgiveness).
2. Ask: "When have you felt one of these emotions? Where do these feelings come from?" (Think-Pair-Share: 2 mins)
3. Link to today's focus: “Today we are going to discover how one very old story – the Easter story – shows all of these emotions. We're not looking at just what happened, but how people felt, and why it still matters to many people today.”

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Main Teaching (20 minutes)

Storytelling with Emotion Mapping (10 minutes)

1. Display each story image in turn (4 total). With each image:

   • Tell the part of the Easter story it represents.
   • Invite pupils to describe what they think the people in the image were feeling.
   • Stick emotion cards next to each image.

   Scene	Key Emotion Tags
   Palm Sunday	Joy, Excitement
   Last Supper	Confusion, Sadness, Friendship
   Crucifixion	Grief, Fear, Forgiveness
   Resurrection	Joy, Hope, Surprise

2. Pause after each scene to allow brief pupil input (e.g. “Have you ever felt let down? Why is forgiveness hard?”)

Drama Activity – “Walk in Their Sandals” (10 minutes)

Divide class into 4 mixed-ability groups. Assign each group one scene. Each group will:

• Recreate the scene using a freeze frame or 10-second drama.
• Focus on expressing emotion through body language and one spoken line.
• Use the feather talking piece to encourage one voice at a time in each group before presenting.

Present to the class. Discuss briefly after each performance: “What emotions were clearly shown? Why do you think that character might feel that way?”

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Plenary and Reflection (15 minutes)

Quiet Reflection with the “Easter Reflection Egg”

Distribute the Easter Reflection Egg worksheet:

• One half of the egg: Draw or write how you might have felt during one part of the story.
• Other half: Write about when you felt a similar emotion in your life.
  (e.g. A time you forgave, or hoped something would get better, or felt let down, then happy again.)

Pairs option: Let children talk briefly with a partner about what they wrote or drew before collecting.

Collect the eggs for a class “Hope and Forgiveness Garden” display in the corridor or classroom.

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Extension / Home Ideas

• Pupils write a diary entry from the perspective of one character from the Easter story, focusing on how their feelings change.
• Explore how Easter is celebrated in different cultures around the UK (e.g. Welsh traditions, Scottish customs).

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation during drama activity and group discussions.
• Review of Easter Reflection Egg for understanding of emotions and story connections.
• Oral contribution (thoughtful comparisons or empathy shown).

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Differentiation

For SEND / EAL learners:

• Pre-teach emotions vocabulary via picture cards.
• Support with sentence starters or emotion fans.
• Work in mixed-ability groups with clear modelling.

For Higher Ability learners:

• Challenge with follow-up questions: "What might this person have done differently?" "How could this relate to the idea of new beginnings?"

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Teacher's Reflection Prompt

Use this after teaching time:

Prompt	Notes
What emotions did pupils most connect to?
Which parts prompted the most discussion?
How might these emotional literacy skills support wider PSHE goals?

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Appendix

Easter Reflection Egg Template
[A simple oval shape divided into two halves – one labelled "In the Easter Story" and the other "In My Life". Include a space for name and date.]

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This lesson uniquely blends emotional literacy and narrative storytelling to help Year 4 pupils process the values behind Easter. It fosters empathy, encourages inclusive reflection, and goes beyond facts to personal connection — engaging both heart and mind.