Kindness in Action

Lesson Details

• Subject: Religious Education
• Year Group: 7
• Lesson Duration: 20 minutes
• Number of Students: 30
• Curriculum Alignment: UK National Curriculum for Religious Education
• Focus Area: Understanding and applying Biblical parables to modern contexts
• Key Concept: The Parable of the Good Samaritan – empathy, kindness, and moral decision-making

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

• Recall key details of the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
• Understand the moral lesson conveyed in the parable.
• Apply the message of the parable to a modern-day situation.
• Create their own modern version of the parable, demonstrating empathy and ethical decision-making.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction – Refreshing the Parable (5 minutes)

Method: Teacher-led Q&A and Storytelling

• Begin by asking: "Who remembers the Parable of the Good Samaritan?"

• Brief recap of the parable (keep it engaging and succinct):

  Summary: A man is attacked and left injured on the road. Two respected community members (a priest and a Levite) ignore him, walking past. A Samaritan (who was from a group disliked by the man's community) stops to help, showing true kindness.

• Quick Discussion Prompt:

  • "Why do you think the priest and Levite ignored the injured man?"
  • "What does this story teach us about kindness and prejudice?"

2. Reimagining the Story – Modern Adaptation (10 minutes)

Method: Paired Creative Writing Task

• Introduce the task: "Imagine the Good Samaritan story happening today. Who could the characters be? Where would it take place?"
• Example starters:
  • A student being bullied in school and only an ‘outsider’ helps.
  • A homeless person in need, ignored by busy city workers but helped by an unexpected person.
• Task: In pairs, students write a short dialogue or narration of their own modern version in 5 sentences.
• Encourage creativity – focus on making their version relatable to modern life.

3. Sharing Stories & Reflection (5 minutes)

Method: Verbal Sharing & Class Discussion

• Select a few pairs to share their mini stories.
• Discuss:
  • "What do these modern versions teach us about kindness today?"
  • "How do the values in this parable still apply in 2024?"

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Assessment & Differentiation

Assessment

• Verbal responses in Q&A session demonstrate recall.
• Engagement in paired task assesses understanding.
• Creativity in storytelling shows ability to apply learning.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for students who need extra help.
• Challenge: Ask advanced students to write a short monologue from the Samaritan’s perspective.

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Plenary: Final Reflection (2 minutes)

• "Tomorrow, if you saw someone in need, what would you do?"
• Challenge students to look for an opportunity to be a modern ‘Good Samaritan’ in their own life today.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard & markers
• Handout with the parable summary (optional)

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Teacher’s Note

This lesson is designed to be dynamic, engaging, and relevant to students’ everyday experiences. Encouraging them to write their own adaptations makes religious education feel current and relatable. Helping students see moral lessons as something alive in today’s world builds deeper understanding and empathy.

This isn’t just a lesson about history—it’s about shaping their present and future actions.