The Easter Cross

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Overview

Subject: Religious Education
Year Group: Year 2 (ages 6–7)
Lesson Duration: 40 minutes
Class Size: 26 pupils
Lesson Focus: Christian symbolism at Easter
Curriculum Link:
Key Stage 1 – Religious Education Framework (England)

• Beliefs and Practices: Pupils should be taught to explore a range of religious stories and recognise symbols and other verbal and visual forms of religious expression.

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Learning Objective (LO)

To understand why the cross is an important symbol at Easter.

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Learning Outcomes

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

• Identify the cross as a symbol of Christianity.
• Explain, in simple terms, why the cross is important to Christians during Easter.
• Create their own symbolic representation of a cross using personal and creative ideas.

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Resources Needed

• Large wooden, cardboard, or foam cross (to demonstrate)
• Picture cards showing different types of crosses (e.g., stained glass, palm crosses, crosses on churches)
• Storybook or visual retelling of the Easter story (e.g., The Easter Story for children)
• Sheets of card pre-cut into cross shapes for pupils
• Art supplies (coloured pencils, glue, tissue paper, foil, stickers etc.)
• Mini whiteboards and pens for discussion prompts
• Calm background music (optional, for reflection time)

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Key Vocabulary

• Cross
• Jesus
• Easter
• Symbol
• Resurrection
• Christian

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Lesson Structure

⏱️ Starter (5 minutes) – “What do you see?”

1. Show several images of crosses (on churches, jewellery, palm crosses).
2. Have pupils use mini whiteboards to jot or draw what they think the pictures are showing.
3. Ask the class:
   • Have you seen this shape anywhere before?
   • What do you think it means?

Invite 2–3 pupils to share their ideas to the class.

🧠 Teacher Note: Be accepting of all responses. This is a chance to gauge prior knowledge.

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⏱️ Main Input (12 minutes) – Story and Symbolism

1. Gather children on the carpet and read or show a simplified, visual retelling of the Easter story focusing on:
   • Jesus’ death on the cross
   • The empty tomb and resurrection
2. Emphasise:
   • The cross is important because it reminds Christians of Jesus’ love and sacrifice.
   • It is also a symbol of hope and new life, especially at Easter.

❓ Ask: “How do you think the cross makes Christians feel at Easter time?”

3. Display the large cross and let pupils come up and attach small picture symbols they think relate to the Easter story (e.g., heart for love, sun for new life, flower for spring etc.)

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⏱️ Discussion and Activity (15 minutes) – Design Your Symbolic Cross

Task: Pupils will each design a cross that shows what Easter means to them.

Instructions:

• Use prepared cross templates.
• Prompt: “What do you want your cross to say about Easter?”
• Pupils can decorate using tissue paper to represent joy, foil for light and resurrection, or draw symbols they associate with Easter.
• Encourage explanation: Ask them to whisper to a partner what their design means.

💡 Extension for early finishers: Write a word on the back of the cross that they think links to Easter (e.g., love, hope, new, Jesus).

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⏱️ Plenary (8 minutes) – Circle of Reflection

Gather in a circle with pupils holding up their finished crosses.

Go around the circle asking:

• “What does your cross show?”
• “Why do you think Christians use the cross at Easter time?”

Prompt if needed:

• “It reminds Christians of...”
• “It shows the story of…”

End with quiet reflection and soft background music. Invite the class to close their eyes and think quietly about something that makes them feel ‘new’ or ‘loved’.

🧘 Optional RE link to mindfulness: “Christians believe that Easter is about new hope. What brings you hope?”

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation during discussion – identifying links made by pupils between the cross and aspects of the Easter story.
• Verbal explanations of decorated crosses – can pupils articulate symbolic meanings?
• Questioning during plenary – assess depth of understanding with guided phrasing.

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Differentiation

Support:

• Paired working for SEN pupils or EAL learners.
• Visual word bank to support vocabulary.
• Adult support at small group level if available.

Challenge:

• Encourage deeper thinking with questions like:
  • “Why do you think the cross is still used today?”
  • “Could a different symbol have been used – why not?”

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Art: Symbolic and creative expression
• Literacy: Recounting stories and expressing ideas verbally
• PSHE: Understanding feelings of loss, hope, and love

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Which pupils made connections between the story and the symbol?
• Could pupils interpret and use symbols thoughtfully?
• Did any individuals shine during reflection or creative tasks?

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Display Opportunity

Consider creating a “Hope and New Life” mural with all the decorated crosses and accompanying key words written by pupils around it.

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This lesson not only introduces meaningful Christian symbolism, but invites personal interpretation and emotional literacy – meeting pupils at their level while gently expanding their world understanding.