Teaching Through Stories

Lesson Overview

Subject: Religious Education
Year Group: Year 7 (Working at Year 2-3 Level)
Duration: 40 minutes
Class Size: 8 students
Curriculum Area: UK National Curriculum – Key Stage 3 RE, adapted to suit lower ability learners
Learning Objective (LO): To understand how stories are used in the Bible to teach lessons.

Key Considerations

• Students have weak understanding of religion and the Bible.
• They dislike the subject, so engagement is essential.
• They have behavioural and attention difficulties, so activities must be short, interactive, and structured.
• The approach should be inclusive, minimising reading and writing tasks, and maximising discussion and hands-on activities.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity - ‘Would You Rather?’ (5 mins)

📍 Objective: To immediately engage students in moral thinking without direct reference to religion.

• Write two dilemmas on the board, e.g.:
  • Would you rather always have to tell the truth or always have to lie?
  • Would you rather share your last biscuit or eat it by yourself?
• Ask students to move to one side of the room based on their answer.
• Brief discussion: Why did you choose that answer?
• Explain: Stories help us decide how we should act in different situations—just like Bible stories do!

📌 Why this works: Gets students thinking about morals without them realising it, encouraging participation through movement.

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2. Introduction to the Bible as a Storybook (5 mins)

📍 Objective: To introduce the Bible as a collection of meaningful stories rather than religious doctrine.

• Show a large storybook (or an image of one) and ask: What’s your favourite childhood story? Why?
• Explain: The Bible is like a big storybook—it teaches through stories, just like fairy tales or fables.
• Reassure them: We’re not here to tell you what to believe, just to explore how stories help people learn right from wrong.

📌 Why this works: Frames religion in a familiar, non-threatening way.

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3. The Parable of the Lost Sheep – Storytelling & Discussion (10 mins)

📍 Objective: To engage students with an easy-to-understand moral lesson.

• Tell the story in an animated way, using props or pictures:
  • A shepherd has 100 sheep. One gets lost. He leaves the 99 to find the one because each one is special.
  • When he finds it, he celebrates! 🎉
• Discussion Questions:
  • Why do you think the shepherd went looking for the lost one?
  • Have you ever lost something important and felt happy when you found it?
  • How do you think this story teaches kindness and care?

📌 Why this works: Simple, short story with an engaging moral that is easy to relate to.

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4. Interactive Game – ‘Find the Lost Sheep’ (10 mins)

📍 Objective: To reinforce the story’s message through movement and teamwork.

• Hide a small toy sheep (or a laminated paper sheep) in the classroom before the lesson.
• One student is the "shepherd" while others act as "the flock.”
• The flock gives “hot/cold” clues to help the shepherd find the lost sheep.
• Once found, discuss:
  • Was it easy or hard to find the lost sheep?
  • How did it feel when you found it?
  • Why do you think this connects to the story we told?

📌 Why this works: Movement keeps attention high, and play-based learning makes the message memorable.

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5. Creative Reflection – Emoji Exit Tickets (5 mins)

📍 Objective: To check understanding in a quick and engaging way.

• Hand out emoji face cards: 😊 🙁 🤔 🤩
• Ask students to pick one emoji to describe how they feel about today’s lesson.
• Optional writing task (if appropriate): On a whiteboard or sticky note, write one sentence about: “What I learned today.”
• Quick classroom discussion about their choices.

📌 Why this works: Allows students to express themselves without pressure while giving useful feedback to the teacher.

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Lesson Wrap-Up

• Praise students for their participation.
• Summarise: Today we learned how stories in the Bible help teach important lessons—just like other stories do!
• Teaser for next lesson: Next time, we’ll look at a story about helping others—can you guess what it might be about?

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Differentiation & Behaviour Strategies

✅ For students needing extra support:

• Allow verbal responses instead of written ones.
• Use visuals to aid understanding.
• Buddy up with a stronger peer for tasks.

✅ For students needing more challenge:

• Ask them to re-tell the Lost Sheep story in their own words.
• Discuss: Are there times when people feel lost in life?

✅ Behaviour Management Strategies:

• Frequent praise and quick-paced transitions.
• Clear expectations given at the start of each activity.
• Timeout space available if needed.

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Assessment (Formative, Low-Stress)

✔ Discussion participation (Are they engaging with moral ideas?)
✔ Game involvement (Are they understanding the story’s message?)
✔ Emoji exit tickets (Do they show reflection on the lesson’s ideas?)

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Teacher Notes & Reflection for Future Planning

• What worked well? (E.g. Did the interactive elements maintain attention?)
• What needs adapting? (E.g. Should activities be shorter/longer?)
• Which students struggled with attention? (Plan seating/movement breaks accordingly.)

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Resources Needed

• Picture book or visual of a storybook.
• Toy sheep (or laminated picture).
• Emoji face cards.
• Whiteboards or sticky notes for reflection.

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🎉 By focusing on storytelling, movement, and discussion, this lesson ensures an engaging, accessible introduction to Biblical stories—even for students who struggle with attention and dislike RE. 🎉