R.E.
Y5 Spring 2 / TITLE OF UNIT: Good Friday
KEY THEME: Easter
KEY CONCEPT: Sacrifice
STRANDS/
FIELDS OF ENQUIRY: AT1: Beliefs teachings and Sources
AT2: Questions of Meaning, Purpose and Truth
AT 1 (See Local Agreed Syllabus)
· 
AT 2
· 
Learning outcomes
The sequence of events from the arrest in the garden to the burial in the tomb.
·  Know that the gospel accounts vary.
·  Understand the political situation at the time.
·  Identify the key characters involved and their roles.
·  The relevance of the Jewish feast of Passover.
·  The significance for Christians of the ‘Stations of the Cross’ and the Crucifixion.
·  Christian traditions e.g. hot cross buns.
·  The story of Saint Veronica.
Expectations – levels of attainment (See Local Agreed Syllabus)
Nearly all can:- (LEVEL 2)
.
Many can:- (LEVEL 2/3)
Some children have progressed further and can:- (LEVEL 3)
Skills
·  Reflection
·  Communication / Expression
·  Empathy
·  Interpretation
·  Reasoning
·  Evaluation
Key attitudes and values
·  Respect / Sensitivity for all
·  Open mindedness
·  Appreciation, Awe and Wonder
Opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
(See Local Agreed Syllabus)
e.g.
·  Discuss thoughts and feelings about death and dying.
·  The moral issues involved in the story e.g. betrayal, denial.
·  Empathise with the feelings of the characters involved.
·  Discuss issues relating to humans’ inhumanity to each other. Relate to issues today.
·  How Good Friday is celebrated in Christian countries around the world.
·  Stations of the Cross.
Every child matters
Being Healthy
Enjoy and Achieve
Making a Positive Contribution
Staying Safe
Economic Well being / Cross curricular links
Art
Literacy / Social cohesion
Exploring the difficulties of life in an occupied country e.g. Roman occupation of Palestine then and Israel’s occupation of Gaza now.
Prior learning
KS1 topics: Palm Sunday
Jesus in the Temple
Year 3: Maundy Thursday
Year 4: The Garden of Gethsemane / Key vocabulary
Crucifixion/Crucified Gospel
Sanhedrin INRI
Golgotha ( the place of the skull) Suffering
Stations of the Cross Sacrifice
Key questions for enquiry
Possible Teaching Activities
Look closely at the picture above. It shows the part of the old Temple in Jerusalem where animals were sacrificed. In ancient religious traditions, animal sacrifice was commonplace and a part of essentially every known culture to say sorry to the gods. Animal sacrifice still occurs in some parts of our world, but for most modern people living in the West, animal sacrifice seems far removed and difficult to understand. In ancient times however people believed that their sin could only be “atoned” for (that is, made "right" or “satisfied”) by sacrificing innocent animals to their god(s). Animals were the "scapegoats" for the sins of the people and bore the brunt of the evil and fear of humankind.
Read St Matthew chapter 26, it tells the story of the last Passover meal that Jesus shared with His friends. On the night of Passover, when the Jewish people were celebrating the sacrificing of the paschal lamb and reliving the story of the Exodus Jesus surprised his disciples by talking about his own body and blood being shed and given up for the sins of the world in stead of the lamb. “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:26-28).
The disciples did not understand but within hours Jesus made the final journey of His own life. He was arrested, tried, and crucified.
Look closely at the picture above. It shows a railway station. How many of you have ever been on a train journey and started your journey at a station? It is a place where a journey can begin or end or somewhere where we may stop for a while on a journey.
Christians use this idea to think about the last journey of Jesus’ life. They have 14 stages or ‘Stations of the Cross’ as they are called.
Since many people in the medieval period could not make the difficult journey to go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem and walk the route that Jesus walked, there developed the practice of using images of these Stations in local cathedrals and churches to allow worshippers to make the same journey in prayer. This practice has continued in many Christian Churches today.
Look closely at the images and then read the descriptions below: You might like to read the account of this journey from St Mark’s Gospel (It is the shortest).
1.  Jesus is condemned to death; St Matthew 27 v15-26. St Mark 15v 6-15, St Luke 23v 15-19
2. The cross is laid upon him; St John 19v17
3. His first fall;
4. He meets His Mother; St Matt 27 v55-56, St Mark 15v 40, St John 19v25-27
5. Simon of Cyrene is made to bear the cross; St Matt 27v32, St Mark 15v21, St Luke 23 v6
6. Jesus face is wiped by St Veronica;
7. His second fall;
8. He meets the women of Jerusalem; St Luke 23 v 27-31
9. His third fall;
10. He is stripped of His garments; St Matt 27 v 28-31, St Mark 15 v16-20
11. His crucifixion; St Matt 27 v 33, St Mark 15 v 24, St Luke 23 v 33
12. His death on the cross; St Matt 27 v 45-46, St Mark 15 v 33-41, St Luke 23 v 44-49, St John 19 v 28-30
13. His body is taken down from the cross and laid in his mother’s arms
14. Jesus is laid in the tomb. St Matt 27 v 57-61, St Mark 15 v 42- 47, St Luke 23v 50-56, St John 19 v 31-42
(Those without Bible refs are tradition and there is no reference to them in the Bible).
Crucifixion in Roman times was harsh. Teachers must use their discretion when using the following material.
NOTES FOR TEACHERS ONLY
NB Some of these details may be appropriate for older pupils only. Teachers must use their digression in choosing appropriate material and need to be sensitive to pupils’ reactions.
Archaeologists and historians have discovered much about crucifixion in Roman times.
1, Prisoners were beaten with a scourge ( a whip that had pieces of metal attached which inflicted terrible injury.
2. Prisoners were made to walk through the streets carrying the crossbeam. The upright would already be set in the ground.
3. At the site the prisoners were stripped and fixed to the whole cross. The arms were lashed to the crossbeam with ropes and then nails were hammered into the wrists.
4. Prisoners were allowed drugged wine as an anaesthetic against the pain.
5. Death would have been by suffocation. The full weight of the body pulling down on the arms made it difficult to breathe.
6. Death often took several days, but the centurion in charge could break the prisoner’s legs with a hammer to stop him pushing upwards for breath or by piercing his side with a sword.
7. Fixed to the cross would have been a notice informing people of the crime. You will see that the details of Jesus’ crucifixion are consistent with the historical evidence. Read St John 19. It is clear from this evidence that Jesus underwent a vast amount of pain and suffering and yet the Gospel writers play down this aspect of the story and concentrate on the fact that even Jesus saw that his death was inevitable in order to fulfil God’s plan for him.
After Jesus’ death, the disciples quickly began to make sense of what Jesus was trying to say. They understood that he said he would die at Passover in place of the sacrificial lamb. He would make the ultimate sacrifice and give His life.
For Christians Jesus had become, the Paschal Lamb, the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." The Greek word for “world” is “cosmos,” and it includes the entire world, all creatures great and small. Jesus had died like an animal but instead of an animal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Qr1E2_Nwtg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rG5wcgWsHE&feature=related
Look closely at the picture below. It is a record cover entitles ‘The Perfect Sacrifice’ .
In pairs make a list of the key parts of the Holy Week story that the artist has included:
(The last supper /The bread / The Menorah / The crucifixion / the cross / The nails / St John and the Virgin Mary / The sky turning black / The host and chalice / The Sanctus ( Holy ). Gospel verses in Greek )
You might like to have a go at designing your own record cover or a stained glass window on the same theme.
It is traditional for Christians in Britain to eat Hot Cross Buns on Good Friday. This tradition varies but some Christians believe that: The currants represent the nails. The cross the crucifixion and the spices are meant to represent the tears of sadness. The smells also represent the spices of the Middle East.
At the London Pub, The Widow's Son, a Hot Cross Bun Ceremony takes place each Good Friday. In the early 19th century, a widow who lived on the site was expecting her sailor son back home for Easter, and placed a hot cross bun ready for him on Good Friday. The son never returned, but undaunted the widow left the bun waiting for him and added a new bun each year. Successive landlords have kept the tradition going after the pub was opened.
In some countries Easter biscuits take the place of Hot Cross buns as they too are made with spices.
Easter Biscuits
2 cups all purpose flour
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
Grated rind of half a lemon
A quarter teaspoon of allspice or mixed spice
A half teaspoon of baking powder
1 egg
1 quarter cup of currants
Rub the butter into the flour and add the sugar, lemon rind, allspice, baking powder and currants.
Make into a dough with a little of the beaten egg.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of a quarter of an inch and cut into biscuits.
Bake on a baking tray for twenty minutes at 350°F, 180°C or Gas Mark 4.
As soon as you remove them from the oven, dust with sugar and leave to cool.
Good Friday has traditionally been a day of fasting and Fish is especially Haddock is often eaten instead of meat or poultry.
Find out about the traditions in your local churches and write a tourist guide book to the events that are taking place
Assessment opportunity
·  Imagine that you were a character in the Easter Story. Write your diary account of the events that took place.
·  Write a newspaper report of the events that took place.
·  Imagine you are a reporter in the Jerusalem crowd on Good Friday, write your report about the events that took place, include 2 interviews with key characters e.g. Peter, A Roman soldier.
Resources
www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/stations/index.html
Teaching Christianity Key Stage 2 Lilian Weatherley and Trevor Reader
Inspire
Jesus of Nazareth by Franco Zephirelli
Inspire - page 106
Stations of the Cross and Hot Cross Buns -
The teaching of Christianity at key stage 2
Gorse (to experience Crown of thorns - feeling)
Art/Icons
The Lion Easter Book
The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe story
Large Nails/hammer
Inspire-to-learn.co.uk