From Meany To Generous

I want the plan to focus and adapt from Zacchaeus: how did a ‘meany’ turn into a generous man? Pupils hear and think about the story of Zacchaeus They are enabled to respond sensitively to the story for themselves What does the Bible say about being generous? • Remind pupils of the learning they did about the Samaritan. Another group who were hated in Jesus’ time were tax collectors. Talk about why that might be and how it might show. • Read the story of Zacchaeus from the Bible found in Luke 19:1-10. You could use it as a literacy text – a story from another culture, a traditional story. Use the big idea of ‘conversion’ (changing your life) and ‘repentance’ (turning away from bad actions) How can a mean person start to be generous? ▪ Children can talk about how these sentences might end: o ‘At first Zacchaeus was…’ o Because he was a short person, Zacchaeus... o People did not like Zacchaeus because... o I expect he often felt... o Jesus was fair to Zacchaeus when... o When we are lonely, then... o At the end of the story, Zacchaeus was changed because... o I would like to be generous because... o I would not like to be mean because... • Can the children think of people who are generous? Do they like generous people? Are generous people happy? What about mean people? The big question - What can I do for others? Generosity is what we do as well as what we give. • Pose the question: What can I do for others today? In the classroom; in the playground; at home this evening. • What am I good at? What would I need to give up in order to help? Give them a task sheet, with two frames: one “Helping Others” and one headed “Helping Myself”. Ask them to draw themselves having made choices to help others or themselves. Encourage talk about how hard it can be to help when you really want to do something else. • Explain the way some people when they are older give up a lot of their time to help others. This could be their chosen job: e.g. the caring professions. Can the class list some such people? Or it could be unpaid: giving up a summer holiday or a gap year, or helping in other ways such as charities associated with school. Do they know any such people themselves? Link this with visitors, in assembly perhaps. What do these people give up/ sacrifice in order to help? Ask the pupils to imagine doing something generous with a year of their time when they are 20. What would they do? Respond to the story of Zacchaeus thoughtfully and sensitively for themselves Make links of their own between the story and their own lives Describe the values of fairness and generosity Apply the ideas of ‘repentance’ and ‘conversion’ to this story , and give modern examples of these ideas

Create a success criteria for this lesson Create a high engaging introduction and a range of questioning for this RE lesson Create use of targeted whole class questions- Questions shouldn't just ask for the correct answer they should require pupils to explain their thinking justifying their reasoning. (Use Bloom's taxonomy to help create questions beyond basic thinking and encourage deeper thinking) Include AfL points throughout teaching and modelling stage ( tell me What AfL to use, where to use it?)

National Curriculum Links (England)

Religious Education (RE) – Key Stage 2

Pupils should be taught to:
- Reflect on and respond sensitively to a range of religious and moral stories (RE Framework KS2).
- Make connections between religious stories and values and explain what they mean for believers and themselves.
- Understand how beliefs guide actions and how practices show beliefs (The story of Zacchaeus as an example of repentance and conversion).
- Develop empathy and understand diversity in views.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will:

Retell the story of Zacchaeus and identify key themes of repentance, conversion, and generosity.
Reflect on the values of fairness and generosity as taught in the Bible and relate them to their own experiences.
Articulate and justify thoughts about how a person can change from being ‘mean’ to generous.
Consider practical ways they can show generosity to others in their daily lives.

Success Criteria

I can recount the story of Zacchaeus using my own words.
I can explain what repentance and conversion mean in the context of Zacchaeus’s story.
I can make links between the story and my own experiences of fairness and generosity.
I can explain why generosity matters and give examples of how I can be generous.
I can reflect thoughtfully on what I would do to help others and myself.

Resources Needed

Bible or printed copy of Luke 19:1-10 (Zacchaeus story)
Whiteboard and markers
“Helping Others” and “Helping Myself” worksheet (with two drawing/writing frames)
Pictures or photos of people in caring professions and charity volunteers
A short clip or picture prompts related to tax collectors or the time of Jesus (optional)

Lesson Structure (45 minutes)

1. Engaging Introduction (10 minutes)

Begin with a story hook: Show or read a very brief story about someone who was not liked but changed for the better (e.g., a class bully turning kinder).
Pose a thought-provoking question to the class:
“Have you ever heard of someone who was not very nice at first but then became really kind and generous? Why do you think people sometimes change?”
Link this to the historical context: Explain tax collectors (like Zacchaeus) were often disliked and why (exploitation, working for Romans). Mention the earlier lesson about the Samaritan to build on prior learning.
Introduce Zacchaeus: “Today, we’ll hear how Zacchaeus changed from being a ‘meany’ to a generous man – a story about changing our hearts and actions.”

AfL point: Use a quick class thumbs-up/down poll and ask a few pupils to explain their answer to the question about changing behaviour, assessing initial thinking and engagement.

2. Exploration of Zacchaeus Story (10 minutes)

Read Luke 19:1-10 aloud, or retell it as a story from another culture (children’s understanding level).
After reading, write these sentence starters on the board:
- “At first Zacchaeus was…”
- “Because he was a short person, Zacchaeus...”
- “People did not like Zacchaeus because…”
- “I expect he often felt...”
- “Jesus was fair to Zacchaeus when...”
- “When we are lonely, then...”
- “At the end of the story, Zacchaeus was changed because...”
- “I would like to be generous because...”
- “I would not like to be mean because...”
Ask pairs or small groups to complete 3 or more of these starters with their own explanations.
Encourage children to justify their ideas by explaining the ‘why’ behind each sentence.

AfL point: Circulate and listen to discussions, noting pupils who can make links between story and feelings or values, targeting support or challenge.

Targeted questions (using Bloom’s Taxonomy):

Explain why Zacchaeus was disliked by the people in the story? (Understanding)
How do you think Zacchaeus felt when Jesus chose to stay at his house? (Empathy)
Why did Zacchaeus’s actions at the end show he had changed? (Analysis)
Can you compare Zacchaeus’s generosity to someone you know in real life? (Application)

3. Connect to Christian Values (5 minutes)

Together, discuss what the Bible teaches about generosity (e.g., giving, fairness, kindness). Link this with Zacchaeus’s repentance — turning away from bad actions and conversion — changing to be better.
Reflect on why generosity is important not just in giving things but in actions (kindness, helping).

Whole-class question for deeper thinking:

Why do you think Jesus valued Zacchaeus’s generosity more than just his words?
Is it easy or hard to change how we behave? Why?

AfL point: Use a ‘think-pair-share’ to ensure every pupil can express their reasoning aloud; jot down key ideas from different pairs on the whiteboard.

4. Personal Reflection and Application (15 minutes)

Introduce the task sheet with two frames: “Helping Others” and “Helping Myself”.
Explain: “We all have things we are good at and things we want to do, but sometimes helping others means giving up something we want.”
Ask pupils to draw/write themselves in each frame, making choices about how they could help others or care for themselves.
Prompt discussion:
- What do you think it means to ‘give something up’ to help?
- Can you think of people who give a lot of their time to help others? What do they give up? E.g., nurses, charity workers, volunteers.
Ask pupils to imagine what generous thing they might do when they are 20 years old (e.g., helping in a charity, caring profession, or volunteering).

AfL point: Invite a few volunteers to explain their drawings and thought process. Use questioning to probe why they chose those actions or sacrifices.

5. Plenary: Big Question Reflection (5 minutes)

Show the big question: “What can I do for others today?”
Ask pupils to suggest ideas for the classroom, playground, and home. Write these on the board.
End with a reflective prompt:
“Why does being generous make the world a better place?”
Optional: Close with a short quiet reflection or moment of thought where pupils think of one way they can be generous immediately.

Extension Ideas / Homework

Interview an adult or family member about a time they changed their behaviour (conversion/repentance) or about someone they know who helps others generously.
Write a short diary entry imagining yourself as Zacchaeus after meeting Jesus. What would you do differently?

Additional Teacher Notes

Ensure sensitivity when discussing ‘mean’ behaviour; frame language positively around growth and change.
Use clear child-friendly definitions for ‘repentance’ and ‘conversion’.
Adapt questioning to support pupils with different levels of religious background knowledge.
Encourage respect for diverse opinions, especially regarding personal values and examples.

This lesson plan will enable pupils to thoughtfully consider Christian teachings on generosity through an accessible, meaningful biblical story, encouraging personal reflection and action consistent with the National Curriculum’s aim to develop pupils’ understanding, empathy, and moral reasoning.

Teaching Instructions