Christianity – Belonging to a Community – How do Christians show their commitment to Jesus’ teaching?
KS2 Year3 or Year 3/4 on a two year rolling programme
Background Story/ Information
During his lifetime Jesus taught his followers how they should live in relation to God and others. Christians today try to follow Jesus’ teaching in their daily
lives and in the decisions that they have to make. The Christian community tries to live by particular values which are derived from Jesus’ own teaching to
his followers.
Christians believe that one way they should show their commitment to Jesus’ teaching is by caring for others. They believe that to care for others and treat
everyone equally is what Jesus taught us to do. This helps us to live together peaceably.
Cross Curricular Links
PSHE and Citizenship ICT
Literacy and Drama
Art and Craft
Key Vocabulary
love, neighbour, Parables, Christian, commitment, follower, community,
Skills
Investigation
Application
Interpretation
Attitudes
Empathy
Synthesis
Key Questions
What does it mean to love someone? How do Christians try to follow Jesus’ teachings today?
What are the values that Christians hold? What values are important to me?
Assessment opportunities are indicated by a  throughout the document
Learning Objectives
To learn that we make
decisions on how we act based
on our beliefs and values.
To know that Christian’s beliefs
and values are based on
Jesus’ teachings
Possible Teaching/Learning Activities
Lesson 1
Tell the children a story that has a moral dilemma and
ends without a decision having been made [relevant to
the school] e.g. playground scenario:
You are playing with your best friend on the playground.
Your friend pushes another child and takes the ball. The
child tells the teacher. Your friend tells the teacher that
they had the ball first and the child pushed them and took
the ball.
1
Learning Outcomes
Resources
I can describe in simple
terms how Christians use
the teachings of Jesus to
help them in their lives.
Matthew chapter 6
The teacher sends them both inside and asks anyone if
they saw what happened. What do you do? In pairs
children discuss what they would have done in that
situation and why.
Jesus taught his followers that:
 They should try to live peacefully with each other
Discuss with the children what this might mean in the
context of their own classroom. How do we create a
peaceful classroom?
Christians believe that Jesus’ most important commands to
those who wanted to follow him were ‘love God and love
your neighbour’. Discuss what difference Jesus’ teaching
might make to the answers to the moral dilemma. What
might the characters in the scenario have done differently if
each of them were following Jesus’ teaching? Act out the
children’s suggestions in small groups 
Plenary
Discuss the pupils different endings and what they have
learnt
Lesson 2
Recap on the previous lesson and initiate a discussion
on what influences the children’s behaviour e.g. school
rules; parental expectations; faith community influences;
what your friends think; what the T.V says. Which of these
do the children think has most influence on them?
Create a concept map with the title ‘What influences me?’
In the centre the child draws themselves and around the
outside they draw or write influences on their lives giving
practical examples e.g. saying how family has influenced
them.
2
I can identify what values
might influence me.
To reflect on their own ideas of
what it means to love others
Learn abut Jesus washing of
disciples feet.
Understand that Christians
take this to be an example of
loving service.
Children will learn how
Christian serve others in the
local community
Lesson 3
 Thought shower the statement ‘love is….’.
 Children write their words or ideas on post it notes
and make a wall of ideas. Discuss ideas and
place words in order of importance.
 Children could create a class display with ideas
on card/clay tiles/’fridge magnets’
 Remind the children of Jesus’ commandment to
love God and others as yourselves. What does it
mean to love somebody as much as you love
yourself? Discuss with the children how loving
and valuing ourselves is important but that it is
also important to act unselfishly towards others.
Lesson 4
 Jesus demonstrated love as service to others.
Show the children the picture of Jesus washing
the disciples’ feet. What questions do you have
about this painting?
 Tell or Act out the story of John13 v1-20 using
props e.g. use towel and bowl of water. Dress as
disciple? Make feet dusty? Ask the question ‘I
wonder why Jesus did this?’ How did Jesus show
his love for the disciples in this act? What do we
learn about Jesus? What did Jesus want to teach
his followers by this act?
 Discuss ways we can serve others.
Lesson 5
 Invite a visitor from the local church to talk about
how they try to follow Jesus’ teaching to serve
others in practical ways. Allow the children to ask
questions. Alternatively - investigate a local
Christian project e.g. Foodbank; shoebox appeal
 Choose one of the projects described either in the
church or in the local community and say why it is a
good way to help others or
 Consider a project you would like to be involved with
and why
3
Children make connections
between their own needs
and the needs of others for
love and care. Give some
examples of how they love
others.
Children understand
Christians are showing their
commitment to Jesus by
following his exampleLoving others as he teaches
Bible or John 13 v1-20
Bowl, water, towel. Clothes
to dress up in
Painting of Jesus washing
the disciples feet
See
e.g. www.nationalgallery.
org.uk
Visitor from a local Christian
community
Plenary
What did you learn from the visitor?
Learn that St Francis literally
followed the teachings of Jesus
and understood this to be the
path of true happiness
Lesson 6
 Learn about St. Francis and read some stories
about his life. Explain to the children that he tried
very hard to live out many of Jesus’ teachings e.g.
giving away all his worldly possessions, not
worrying about tomorrow, trusting God, helping
the poor homeless and sick. St Francis felt that
the secret of real happiness was to be found in
Jesus’ teaching [Matt 5 v 1-12 or see The Lion
Children’s Bible pg 246]
 Discuss with the children what makes them happy
and why. Display their ideas on some ‘sun
shapes’ [or similar]

Discuss with the children the ways in which St Francis tried
to follow the teachings of Jesus in the way he lived. Do you
think he was successful?
Alternatively provide a writing frame e.g.
St Francis followed the teaching of Jesus because
he……..
Plenary
Discuss the children’s’ answers to the above question and
talk about how these values are important to many people
of other faiths and none.
Assessment Opportunities.
I can describe how Christians show their commitment to Jesus’ teaching.
I can make links between my own experience and that of others, identifying what influences me.
4
I can describe how a project
or an individual responds to
the Christian idea of service
to others.
I can identify how St Francis
was influenced by the
teachings of Jesus.
Storybook/information about
the life of St. Francis
I can identify what
influences me and brings
me happiness, making
connections between my
happiness and my
relationships with others. 