Inspiring Leaders

Lesson Overview

Subject: Religious Education
Year Group: Year 1
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Lesson Number: 2
Topic: Leaders in Religion – Noah as a Leader
Curriculum Area: UK National Curriculum – Religious Education
Curriculum Level: Key Stage 1

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

• Understand what makes a good leader in a religious context.
• Identify leadership qualities in Noah and other leaders.
• Recognise that leaders help others and follow important guidance.
• Begin to relate leadership qualities to their own lives.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity (10 minutes) – Who is a Leader?

1. Discussion: Start by asking, “What is a leader?” Encourage children to share their ideas.
2. Picture Prompt: Show pictures of different leaders (e.g., headteacher, police officer, sports captain, Noah) and ask, “What do these people have in common?”
3. Key Question: “Why do we need leaders?” Link this back to Noah from the last lesson.

Resources: Printed images of different leaders, whiteboard for noting ideas.

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Main Activity (30 minutes) – Leadership in Noah’s Story

Part 1: The Role of a Leader (10 minutes)

1. Recap: Briefly retell Noah’s story with an emphasis on his leadership. (E.g., “Noah listened to God, guided others, stayed strong when people doubted him.”)
2. Think-Pair-Share: Ask partners to discuss, “What made Noah a good leader?”
3. Class Brainstorm: Write leadership qualities on the board (e.g., kind, patient, listens to instructions, helps others).

Part 2: Leadership in Everyday Life (10 minutes)

1. Personal Reflection: Ask, “Can you think of a time when you were a leader? Helping a friend? Being a good role model?”
2. Creative Activity: Children draw and label a picture of themselves as a leader, using words from the brainstorm.

Part 3: Role-Play (10 minutes)

1. Scenario Cards: Give pairs leadership situations (e.g., helping a friend who is sad, leading a group tidy-up, listening carefully to instructions).
2. Act-it-Out: Children act out their leadership scenario in front of the class.
3. Discussion: Reinforce good leadership behaviours seen in the role-plays.

Resources: Whiteboard, picture templates for drawing, scenario cards.

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Plenary (10 Minutes) – Reflection Circle

1. Pass the Leadership Object: Use a special item (e.g., a toy or soft ball).
2. Prompt Question: Each pupil completes the sentence: “A good leader is someone who…” when they receive the object.
3. Final Recap: Reinforce that Noah was a leader because he listened, helped and followed guidance, linking this to leaders in modern life.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation: Do pupils recognise leaders around them?
• Discussion Participation: Can they explain what makes a good leader?
• Drawings & Role-Play: Do they show an understanding of leadership qualities?

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for pupils who need guidance in discussing leadership (e.g., “A leader is someone who…”)
• Challenge: Ask advanced learners to compare Noah to a modern religious leader.

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Resources Needed

• Printed pictures of leaders
• Whiteboard & markers
• Picture templates for drawing activity
• Scenario cards for role-play
• Special object for reflection circle

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Teacher Reflection

• Did students engage with the concept of leadership?
• Were they able to relate leadership qualities to Noah and their own lives?
• What improvements can be made for next time?

This lesson aims to develop pupils’ understanding of leadership through a mix of discussion, creative activities, and role-play, making the concept accessible and meaningful for Year 1 learners.