Understanding the Good Samaritan

Lesson Information

• Age Group: Year 7 (Age 11-12)
• Subject: Religious Education
• Time Duration: 40 minutes
• Class Size: 27 pupils
• Curriculum Specification: Religious Education in Key Stage 3 – Exploring the significance of parables in Christian teachings, moral messages, and their relevance in modern society (UK National Curriculum).

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Understand the meaning and moral of the Good Samaritan parable.
2. Relate the parable to modern-day rivalries and social situations.
3. Reflect on how this teaching can be applied in their daily lives.

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Lesson Structure

Starter Activity: Football Rivalries & Human Reactions (5 mins)

Objective: Hook the students into the theme using football rivalry as a relatable analogy.

• Display the logos of Liverpool FC and Manchester United on the board. Ask:

  • “Who supports Liverpool?”
  • “Who supports Manchester United?”
  • “How do you feel about rival teams?”

• Briefly discuss:

  • The passion behind football rivalries.
  • How some fans refuse to help or support their rival team in any circumstance.

• Question for Reflection: “Could you ever imagine something that would make a Liverpool fan help a Manchester United fan or vice versa?”

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Main Teaching: The Good Samaritan Parable (15 mins)

Objective: Help students understand the parable in its historical and moral context.

1. Introduce the Story (7 mins) – Use storytelling rather than just reading from a text.

   • Explain that Jesus told The Good Samaritan to challenge prejudices of the time.
   • Emphasise how Jews and Samaritans were historical enemies.
   • Narrate the story dramatically, asking for student volunteers to act as key characters (Priest, Levite, Samaritan, Injured Man).

2. Link to Football Rivalry (8 mins)

   • Ask students to imagine the injured man is a fan wearing a Liverpool shirt, and two Liverpool supporters walk past without helping.
   • Then, imagine the person who helps is from Manchester United.
   • Discuss how this changes their perception of the ‘rival’ and what it means for real-life relationships today.

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Group Activity: Modern-Day Good Samaritans (10 mins)

Objective: Encourage students to connect the lesson to their own experiences.

• Small Group Task:

  • Split the class into five groups and give each a different modern scenario where someone helps despite differences.
  • Example scenarios:
    • A football fan helps an injured rival at a match.
    • A student defends a classmate they usually argue with.
    • A refugee is helped by a stranger despite different backgrounds.
  • Groups discuss:
    • What moral decision was made?
    • How does this reflect the Good Samaritan’s actions?
    • How might people react differently?

• Class Discussion: Each group shares their scenario and thoughts.

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Plenary: Personal Reflection (10 mins)

Objective: Encourage self-reflection and personal application.

• Ask students to write a short response to one of these prompts:

  1. Describe a time when you helped someone you wouldn’t normally get along with. How did it feel?
  2. How can you apply the lesson of the Good Samaritan in your own school or community?
  3. What would the world be like if more people acted like the Good Samaritan?

• Final Thought: Would you be willing to be a Good Samaritan to someone you struggle to get along with?

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Assessment & Differentiation

• Formative Assessment:

  • Observe group discussions.
  • Listen to students’ reflections in the plenary.
  • Collect written responses for insight into their understanding.

• Differentiation Strategies:

  • Pair weaker readers with stronger ones for storytelling.
  • Use simple alternatives for EAL (English as an Additional Language) students, such as picture prompts.
  • Higher ability students encouraged to explore whether kindness should have limits.

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Resources Required

✔ Pictures of Liverpool & Manchester United logos.
✔ Visual story slides or printed script for narrating the parable.
✔ Whiteboard for class discussion notes.

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Teacher’s Closing Note

This lesson transforms a historical parable into something students can relate to today. By using football rivalries, it brings an abstract biblical lesson into a real-world context that resonates with students. Expect passionate responses and engaging discussion!