Reflecting on Christmas

Overview

This is the sixth and concluding lesson in the unit “Christmas Journey Exploration” for Year 4 students. The session encourages pupils to reflect thoughtfully on the Christmas story, consolidating their learning through dialogue and personal reflection. This aligns with the National Curriculum for England’s aims in Religious Education to enable pupils to reflect on and express their own ideas, understand concepts, and link learning to their own experiences and values.

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National Curriculum Links

Religious Education: Key Stage 2

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Give clear accounts of the main beliefs and practices of Christianity, including the celebration of Christmas, recognising diversity in practice and belief (NC PoS 2013)
  • Reflect on and consider religious and moral questions, responding thoughtfully and respectfully
  • Express ideas clearly about their own and others’ experiences and feelings
  • Make connections between ideas in religious stories and teachings, and their own lives

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Summarise key elements of the Christmas story and explain its importance to Christians.
2. Reflect on the meaning and relevance of the Christmas story in their own lives today.
3. Articulate personal insights in group discussion with respect and attentiveness.
4. Create a personal reflection piece expressing their thoughts about the Christmas journey.

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Resources Needed

• Large whiteboard or flip chart
• Sticky notes or coloured cards (21 pieces)
• Reflection worksheets (with sentence starters and spaces for drawing/writing)
• Clipboards or hard surfaces to write on
• Pens, coloured pencils, and crayons
• Optional: music for reflective background sound (e.g., soft instrumental Christmas music)

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Lesson Outline (45 minutes)

1. Introduction – Setting the Scene (5 minutes)

• Begin with calm, reflective music playing quietly.
• Teacher recaps the Christmas journey unit briefly: Mary and Joseph’s journey, birth of Jesus, symbolism, and key themes. Invite pupils to recall a favourite part or fact they learned.
• Explain that today they will reflect on what the Christmas story means both in the past and now, to Christians and themselves.

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2. Group Discussion: Collective Reflection (15 minutes)

• Arrange pupils in a circle to promote inclusiveness and eye contact.
• Use a whiteboard/flip chart to record ideas under 3 headings: Story Elements, Meaning for Christians, Meaning for Me.
• Ask open-ended questions, prompting discussion:
  • “What do you remember about the Christmas story?”
  • “Why do you think it is important to Christians?”
  • “Can you think of ways the story might still be important today?”
  • “How does the story make you feel, or what does it make you think about?”
• Encourage all pupils to contribute; write key points under each heading (use pupils’ own words).
• If a child is hesitant, use a sticky note for them to write or draw privately and then share if they want.

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3. Personal Reflection Activity (20 minutes)

• Hand out reflection worksheets with prompts such as:
  • “My favourite part of the Christmas story is...”
  • “This story teaches me that...”
  • “I think the Christmas story is important because...”
  • “One way the story connects to my life is...”
• Pupils may write words and/or draw pictures to express themselves.
• Provide clipboards for comfort in writing/drawing.
• Teacher circulates to support and ask probing questions to deepen reflection.
• Encourage neat, thoughtful work rather than rushed answers; quality over quantity.

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4. Sharing and Closure (5 minutes)

• Invite volunteers to share their reflection pieces with a partner or in small groups of 3.
• End with a round of “one word to describe Christmas after today’s lesson” shared aloud by each child, fostering a sense of community and personal connection.
• Teacher summarises the importance of reflection and how the Christmas story still inspires many today.
• Thank students for their thoughtful participation.

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Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observation of pupil contributions to discussion for understanding of narrative and reflection skills.
• Written reflection piece: Assessed for clarity of ideas, engagement with the Christmas story’s meaning, and personal insight aligned with NC objectives for expressing and reflecting on religious ideas.
• Peer sharing: Informal observation of respectful listening and communication skills.

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters or word banks for pupils who need support with writing.
• Allow drawing or oral recording of reflections for pupils with writing difficulties.
• Challenge more able pupils by encouraging deeper connections between the story and broader concepts of hope, kindness, or community.

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Extension Idea (Home Learning)

Invite pupils to interview a family member about what Christmas means to them and write a short paragraph summarising the response. This links to the curriculum aim of understanding diverse perspectives within the Christian tradition and family life.

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This lesson concludes the unit by supporting pupils’ ability to reflect personally and empathetically on a key Christian narrative, meeting National Curriculum expectations for developing their knowledge, understanding, and thoughtful engagement with religion.