KEY STAGE 2
Mid-term planning
Year 5: Unit 5 / Term:Summer 1 / Year:
Are you inspired?
Key Concepts:Christ; Holy Spirit; Inspiration; Pentecost / Learning Objective:to explore the person and work of the Holy Spirit; to find out what inspires Christians in the past and today
Background information for teachers
The Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of God are alternative names for the third person of the Trinity, although the doctrine of the Trinity was not articulated as such in the Bible. There are references to the Spirit of God in the story of the Creation (Genesis 1:2) and at various other points in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 10:10; Job 33:4; Psalm 51:10-17 e.g.). In the book of Joel is the promise that Christians take to predict the day of Pentecost: Joel 2: 28-32. References to the Spirit become much more frequent in the New Testament and the link between the Spirit of God and the actions of Jesus, and later the disciples are made explicit. It is said to be the Spirit that takes Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted (Matthew 4:1) and throughout the book of acts it is clear that God is directing the actions of the Disciples. Jesus promises his Disciples the spirit, particularly articulated in John 14 and Acts 1. The day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2, is the clearest recorded giving of the Holy Spirit, when it appears as tongues of flame on the disciples. At Jesus’ baptism the Spirit appears as a dove. Through the book of Acts, the Spirit is given to those who believe by the laying on of hands (still done today in the Church at confirmation). St Paul in his writings articulates the role of the Spirit as being that of a guide, a counsellor and a help in all things (Romans 8:9-26 e.g.). The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) expresses the characteristics that Christians believe the spirit imparts. Historically, there was a suggestion that the Holy Spirit was not active in the modern church, but in the 20th Century the Charismatic movement renewed an interest in the work of the Spirit. Many Christians from this part of the church will attest to the work of the Spirit in guiding them, answering prayer, equipping them with special knowledge or the ability to speak in tongues (a spirit given language) and above all giving them the courage to take action. This is commonly understood as being the root of inspiration for Christians; the Holy Spirit is said to live in Christians as a constant reminder of the presence of Jesus. The change in the Disciples after Pentecost is a significant factor in the understanding of the way that the spirit inspires believers. From being shut up in the upper room, they go out onto the streets and preach the news about Jesus, speaking in a variety of languages and they then perform miracles in similar ways to Jesus.
Expected
Pupils will know how the disciples were changed at Pentecost and the teachings of the church and the beliefs that follow on from this. They will be able to articulate the work of the Spirit as that of the third person of the Trinity and they will be able to explain how Christians believe that the Spirit influences them today. They will know some of the Bible references that explain the character of the Holy Spirit and evaluate the role the Spirit play in the church today.
Developing
Pupils will know the story of Pentecost and be able to articulate some of the ways in which the Disciples are changed. They will make links between Pentecost and some actions and beliefs of Christians today, particularly leaders. They will talk about what inspires them / Excelling
Pupils will know a wider range of references to the work of the Spirit, and be able to evaluate the role of the Spirit in the lives of the disciples and the Church today. They will make links between the Biblical material and the lives of Christians today. They will recognise other sources of inspiration as well.
Engage:
- Ask children to identify the person who most inspires them; explore the qualities of that person and recognise what makes them inspirational; ask children to identify the ways in which their inspirational person changes them – what do they do differently because of that person? Are their ambitions different? Have they leaned to do something that they didn’t or couldn’t do before? Children could present their person to the class or there could be a class display of all the different people.
Enquire & Explore:(AT1)
- Who or what inspired the disciples of Jesus? Explore whether it was Jesus that changed them or the Holy Spirit and look at the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. Explore whether Christians are still inspired by the Holy Spirit today ( look at, for example, John Sentamu, Desmond Tutu, Frances Domenica etc. (RE Today Publications: People of Faith/Faith in Action/Christianity Topic folder). Link these people to biblical teachings. There are plenty of Christians in sport, music etc. that the children could explore to see if the Holy Spirit has influenced them and in what ways they may be different to other practitioners in their area.
- Debate/discuss whether these people are inspired and inspiring. What kind of things do they do? Do you have to be inspired to do good things? Do people have to have faith to do good things? Are the things that these people did good things to do?
Evaluate: (AT2 Impersonal)
- What do the children think the church would be like without the Holy Spirit? Has He made a difference? Has He made a beneficial difference? What would any of the inspired people be like without the Holy Spirit? Has he made a difference to them?
ReflectCommunicate: (AT2 Personal)
- Do the children want to re-think the people they were inspired by? Have they found out about someone else who has inspired them? What difference will this inspirational person make to them? Would they be different if they were not inspired? How would they want to be an inspiration for others? Write what they would like people to say about them in the future.
Evaluation:
- What went well?
- Even better if:
Some suggested resources:
- RE today publications – Exploring a Theme: Beliefs in Action,
RE Ideas: Christianity Topic Folder Unit on Inspirational people
- Picture of John Sentamu
- Books about Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu etc.
RE SCHEME OF WORK
CLASS RECORD SHEET
Assessment opportunities & activities
Year 5: Unit 5 / Term: Summer 1 / Year:
Are you inspired?
Many pupils will have made more progress and will use a developing religious vocabulary to:
- Show understanding of how Pentecost changed the disciples, designing before and after posters
- Use the right words to show three ways in which many Christians believe the Holy Spirit helps them and include references to the Bible
- Ask four good questions, and suggest answers about how and why Christians are inspired by the Holy Spirit
- Describe what they find inspiring about a particular person, with reference to a religious belief including beliefs about the Holy Spirit
- Refer to the teaching of the Bible to show how a particular person has been inspired by their faith
Most pupils will be able to use an increasing religious vocabulary to:
- Describe three differences that Pentecost made to the disciples, referring clearly to the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit
- Use the correct words to describe simply the work of the Holy Spirit and the impact He had on the disciples or the crowd
- Link beliefs about the Holy Spirit to the church’s celebration of Pentecost
- Ask questions and suggest answers about how Christians are influenced by their faith
- Make links between the people who inspire them and the way Christians are inspired by the Holy Spirit
- Make links between Christian beliefs and the actions of many Christians
Some pupils will have made less progress and be able to use religious words and phrases to:
- Recount the Pentecost story as either a disciple or one of the crowd who witness the event
- Suggest a meaning the story of Pentecost might have for a Christian and what it means to them
- Match the story of Pentecost to some of the symbols of the church and the Holy Spirit, perhaps suggesting meanings for the symbols
- Identify a religious leader/hero and suggest a meaning for their actions
- Talk about the people who inspire them and why
- Recognise the religious teachings that inspire some people and what inspires them