Why Did Jesus Teach The Lord’s Prayer As The Way To Pray? Christianity

Name of Unit: Why Did Jesus Teach The Lord’s Prayer As The Way To Pray? / Faith: Christianity
Key Stage in which this unit should be taught:
Key Stage 1 / Recommended Year Group (if specified:)
1 or 2
Previous Learning:
Foundation Stage: - Creation Units.
Possibly: KS1 – Creation. (Depending on where the school places this unit on their RE Curriculum Map.)
Some references made to prayer, and the meaning of the cross / forgiveness. This unit could be placed after the Salvation (Easter) unit to further understand forgiveness and salvation in the Christian faith.
Hopefully the pupils will be familiar with The Lord’s Prayer through Collective Worship.
AT1 Learning About Religion:
Focus: Beliefs, teaching and sources / AT2 Learning From Religion:
Focus: Values and commitments
What This Unit Teaches:
The importance of prayer to Christians, and in particular, The Lord’s Prayer;
How this prayer is the way that Jesus taught his followers to pray to God;
The meaning of each phrase in The Lord’s Prayer: -
V  God the “Father” as a loving and caring figure,
V  Trust in God for providing daily needs,
V  Forgiving and forgiveness,
V  Temptation and God as a guide,
V  Praise for God;
How The Lord’s Prayer is used by Christians worldwide.
Key RE Vocabulary:
Prayer, The Lord’s Prayer
Heaven Amen
hallowed praise
kingdom power
trust glory
forgive forgiveness
sins / trespasses
cross
temptation
worship
eternity
reflect / reflection / Cross-Curricular Links:
Literacy – Speaking and listening, meaning of words and phrases, prayers and poetry;
Numeracy - Venn diagrams;
Computing: - Research and as a tool to explore the cross-curricular links of The Lord’s Prayer;
Geography - The Anglican Communion, Christianity as a worldwide faith,
Languages around the world - “Father” and The Lord’s Prayer;
History - Different use of words over the years;
Art and Design - Representation of different parts of The Lord’s Prayer;
Music - Different musical settings for The Lord’s Prayer;
Drama / Dance - Representation of The Lord’s Prayer;
Personal, Social and Health Education – Guides, personal reflection, relationships, friendship, qualities of family and friends, care, forgiveness, wants and needs.
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development:
Exploring prayer – particularly in Christianity, but also across faiths;
Understanding right and wrong;
Speaking and listening opportunities, relationships, friendship, qualities of family and friends, care, forgiveness;
Appreciating art from around the world; / Sensitivities:
Children without a “father figure” or a positive experience of a Father;
Children from other faith backgrounds;
Please be sensitive towards pupils who may not have some basic needs, e.g. those and their family who may be homeless and / or in poverty.
Possible Further Thinking and Extension Activities:
Challenge – How else can you present this prayer? (other than saying it,) e.g. though sign language, different home languages of the school community, that are spoken within the local area, etc;
Deepening use of The Lord’s Prayer in Collective Worship;
Links can be made with how the school’s distinctively Christian values are endeavouring to live out The Lord’s Prayer on a daily basis;
Key prayers in the other faith traditions.
Future Learning:
Possibly: KS1 – Creation. (Depending on where the school places this unit on their RE Curriculum Map.)
RE Teaching Units on Salvation;
How Do Christians Believe Following Jesus’ New Commandment and His 2 Greatest Commandments Make a Difference?
The Bible;
Liturgy;
How Has The Christian Message Survived For Over 2,000 Years?
Other important / traditional prayers.
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 1
“Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Pupils should:
understand God as “Father” in the Lord’s Prayer;
talk about what is important to them and to other people. / ü
ü
ü / ü
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ü / How Do We Talk To Our Friends?
Introduction:
Discuss the key question: How do we talk to our friends?
(We tell them how we are, we share our feelings and we listen as well as talk. Sometimes we are loud and excited; sometimes we are quieter, calmer and reflective, etc.)
Main Part of the Lesson:
In lots of faiths, people talk to God or their gods through prayer; prayer is “talking” to God. Explain that people can be saying thank you, sorry, please… or anything else that they want to say to God.
When we talk to people we usually use their name.
Ask the pupils if they know what the most famous prayer for Christians is?
Explain that it is The Lord’s Prayer.
This is the most famous prayer for Christians all over the world and it comes from the Bible. It’s a prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked Him how to pray and it begins with a name for God: Father.
Explain why prayer is important to Christians. Information available on Request.org.uk – ‘What did Jesus teach about prayer?’
Activities:
V  Who cares for you?
In groups, discuss and mind map the people in our lives who look after us and care for us. What qualities do they have? What do they do for us to show us that they love / care for us?
e.g. parents, carers, grandparents, other family members, doctors, nurses, teachers, etc. Caring, friendly, affectionate, patient, role model, etc.
These people love us, forgive us, care for us, look out for us, protect us, help us feel better, are available for us, make time for us, listen to us, guide us, teach us, etc.
Share with the rest of the class.
Then guide pupils to conclude that Christians believe that God is their ultimate carer – he embodies all these qualities.
Although not everyone has a caring Father, “Father” is just one of the names for God that Christians use to remember how caring God is.
The most important Christian prayer starts by using this name and then praising it: “Our Father In Heaven, Hallowed by Your name.”
Explain to the pupils what praise (pay tribute to, applaud, celebrate etc.) and hallowed (honour as Holy, greatly revere and honour) means.
V  Show different images of how people imagine God to look to reinforce that all around the world, Christians call God “Father.” Although the images of God might look very different in various cultures and traditions, the same is that all Christians believe He is caring and loving.
V  Create A Class Prayer Station:
Introduce the idea to the pupils that during this unit about The Lord’s Prayer the class is going to create items that are going to be used for something in the last lesson that will help everyone to reflect on The Lord’s Prayer more deeply.
Children stick onto a poster the images of God the “Father” and the word “Father” in different languages.
Plenary:
Ask the pupils if they know what the next part of The Lord’s Prayer is?
“Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.”
Explain that Christians believe that God’s kingdom is full of love and peace; a place without anger, pain or sadness.
Using signs to aid memory, teach children the part of The Lord’s Prayer studied in today’s lesson:
“Our Father
(Who art) / in Heaven,
Hallowed by your / (thy) name.
Your / (thy) kingdom come,
Your / (thy) will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.” / Please note that this is not Collective Worship – although prayer is being explored, the children are not asked to pray in this lesson or unit; rather they are learning about this important prayer at the centre of the Christian faith.
Please use the version of The Lord’s Prayer that is familiar to your school and parish.
Resources:
A large display of The Lord’s Prayer showing the part that is being studied today;
Bible Reference: Matthew 6:9-13,
Luke 11:2-4;
Request.org.uk – ‘Jesus’ Teaching On Prayer’
Resources to make Prayer Station poster:
Images of God as “father” from different traditions / cultures,
The word “Father” in multiple languages;
justpray.uk -> Church of England prayer video: “Prayer Is For Everyone.”
Sensitivities:
Be aware of and sensitive towards children who have a difficult relationship with or no father – focus on 'carer.’
This is a Christian prayer, but can still be related to prayer in other faiths, using the name “God.”
Request.org.uk – ‘Jesus’ Teaching On Prayer’
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 2
“Give us today our daily bread.”
Pupils should:
remember, at least part of, The Lord’s Prayer and understand trust in the prayer;
talk about what is important to me and to others, (what I need) with respect for their feelings. / ü
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ü / ü / What Do You Need To Live?
Introduction:
Recap with the pupils the part of The Lord’s Prayer that the class learnt last time.
Main Part of the Lesson:
In groups, children sort in a Venn Diagram a selection of items into those things that they feel they need to live and those they want for living,
(e.g. water, bread, chocolate, air, trees, cross, heart, candle, iPad, keys, school badge, games, shoes, etc.)
Share findings – similarities and differences between groups. Make sure the emphasis is on needs and wants.
How do you get these items that you need and those that you want?
Who do you trust? Who do you trust to give / provide for you?
Read the next section of The Lord’s Prayer to the pupils:
“Give us today our daily bread.”
Learn new signs for it.
What do the pupils think that this line means?
Is it just asking for actual bread?
What does it really mean by “our daily bread?”
Explain: Christians believe that God cares about every part of their lives and they can trust God to provide all the things they truly need. They may ask Him for what they want too.
Show pupils a clip of Moses in the desert, and God sending manna from Heaven – something He and the Israelites needed.
God provided what they needed at that time – link this to the prayer. Christians believe God will provide, (not just bread!)
Activity:
Class Prayer Station:
On paper, children draw and write different items that a Christian might ask for and trust God to provide: e.g. bread, water, shelter, love, forgiveness, etc.
These pictures should then be attached to today’s class poster for the Class Prayer Station.
Plenary:
Using signs to aid memory, share the prayer learnt so far to this point. / Please note that this is not Collective Worship – although prayer is being explored, the children are not asked to pray in this lesson or unit; rather they are learning about this important prayer at the centre of the Christian faith.
Please use the version of The Lord’s Prayer that is familiar to your school and parish.
Resources:
A large display of The Lord’s Prayer showing the part that is being studied today added to the part that was studied last time;
Items to sort into wants and needs;
YouTube video:
“God Sends Manna” by Kids Bible;
Resources to make Prayer Station poster.
Sensitivities:
Please be sensitive towards pupils who may not have some basic needs, e.g. those and their family who may be homeless and / or in poverty.
Learning Objectives / AT1 / AT2 / Suggested Teaching Activities / Points To Note /
Lesson 3
“Forgive us our sins / trespasses
As we forgive those who sin / trespass against us.”
Pupils should:
Remember, at least part of The Lord’s Prayer and understand forgiveness in the prayer;
talk about what is important to me and to other people with respect for their feelings. / ü
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ü
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ü / Why Do We Forgive?
Why Do We Need Forgiveness?
Introduction:
Recap with the pupils the parts of The Lord’s Prayer that the class has learnt so far.
Main Part of the Lesson:
Teacher / Teaching Assistant role play being unkind, surprise children with a pretend argument!
Freeze.
With a picture of the cross on the board, discuss the link between the argument and the cross:
Guide children to conclude, that teacher / TA need to forgive each other to mend their friendship, just as Christians believe God forgives us if we are sorry for what we have done to mend our friendship with him.
Explain: Christians believe that ‘sin’ (wrong actions, words and thoughts) get in the way of a friendship with God. They believe that through Jesus’ death on the cross, sins can be forgiven and the friendship with God restored. Jesus reminds Christians in this prayer that it is also important to forgive those who hurt us.
Activity:
V  Children role play their own scenarios exploring forgiveness and why someone might need forgiveness from the person that they have hurt.
V  Class Prayer Station:
To reinforce this point, ask pupils to draw or make a cross with a horizontal and vertical arrow to represent forgiveness between each other (horizontal) and between God and a Christian (vertical.)
Crosses could be made out of lolly sticks, straws and / or pipe cleaners, etc.
Children add their cross to today’s poster for the Class Prayer Station, listening to the next part of The Lord’s Prayer,
“Forgive us our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.”
and reflecting on its meaning.
Plenary: