Title:
Who announced the birth of baby
Jesus?
Lesson
Title of lesson
1
INTRODUCTORY LESSON
What is an angel?
2
Why did an angel visit Mary?
3
EVALUATION LESSON
A baby is born!
Key Stage: 1
Year Group: 2
Length of unit: 3 lessons
Cross-curricular links: Literacy; Art; Music
Main points of content / Bible references for Christianity units
Allow children time to talk with a partner about what they think an angel is, and what
one might look like. Give groups of children a set of assorted Christmas cards and
ask them to sort them out according to which have angels in. Ask children to also
consider how they might feel if they met an angel – what might they say / ask?
Using a good Children’s Bible, share the sequence of the events from the
annunciation to the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Children hold up their card at the
appropriate part in the story. Write captions explaining what is happening & what
happened before / after. Talk about the fact that angels bring messages from God.
Look together at paintings of The Annunciation, talking about any symbolism in the
picture, and the thoughts / words / feelings of Mary. Add speech / think bubbles to
photocopies of the picture. Look at the words of any songs that you sing in school
about this event e.g. ‘Mary met an angel’
Look at a range of birth announcements (children could bring in a copy of their own
or any recent siblings if they still have one at home) Look at the common
information given e.g. weight, place & date of birth etc. Then re-read the part of the
story where the angels tell the shepherds about the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20).
What important information did the angels give to the shepherds? Write birth
announcements reflecting that information.
Notes / Background to the unit:
 All skills identified in these units are highlighted within the activities section in bold
 Where there are links with wider school issues such as SMSC, Every Child Matters and Community Cohesion (Co-Co), these are identified on each lesson plan.
 Children need to be made familiar with the sequence of events within the Nativity story. Most will have encountered it during their Reception year, but care should be

taken to ensure that the parts of the story. This unit focuses on the events outlined in the gospel of Luke, and the angelic visitors within the story. The year 2 unit focuses
on the visit of the Magi, so care should be taken to avoid an overlap.
Lesson two is very much an AT2 lesson, so there are fewer AT1 learning outcomes for assessment purposes.
Unit title: Who announced the birth of baby Jesus?
Age range: Year 2
Skills being developed: Reflection; Investigation; Expression; Interpretation; Empathy
Lesson title: What is an angel?
Lesson: 1 of 3
Cross-curricular links / wider school issues: Literacy (captions); SMSC
Learning Objectives
Through the learning experiences, pupils should
learn:
 the sequence of events of
Jesus’ birth
 that angels give messages
from God (SMSC)




Introduction:



Reflection: Allow children time to talk with a partner about what they think an angel is,
and what one might look like.
Share ideas together
Explain the role of angels in the Bible (see Learning Objectives)
e.g. what am I looking for / what can
pupils do better now?
ALL:

Main activities (including skills-based learning):

Give groups of children a set of assorted Christmas cards and ask them to sort them out
according to which have angels in. Each child to choose one card to bring to the carpet.
that angels announced the
 Empathy: Ask children to also consider how they might feel if they met an angel – what
might they say / ask?
birth of Jesus, which shows

Investigation: Using a good Children’s Bible, share the sequence of the events from the
what a special baby Jesus was
annunciation to the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Children hold up their card at the
appropriate part in the story.
Christians believe that Jesus
 Expression: Write a caption to accompany their card, explaining what is happening.
is the Son of God
Also ask them to set their card within its context e.g. what happened before / after.
Resources / Background
 Interpretation: You should encourage more able children to draw conclusions about
what an angel is and what it does, based on the two examples from the Nativity sequence
You will need a selection of Christmas
of events. They could perhaps write a ‘dictionary definition’ caption in addition to the
cards for this activity – some with angels
description of events.
on, others not. There should be one angel
Plenary/Extending the thinking:
card for each child – it doesn’t matter if

Children share their thoughts to ‘If I met an angel....’,
some are the same

Interpretation: Allow your more able children to take a lead in the discussion about what
Angels are God’s messengers. In the
angels are and what they do (see Resources section)
Christmas story, they foretell the birth of

Explain that the next two lessons are going to look in more detail at two angelic visits and
Jesus in the message to Mary, and
announce the fact that Jesus has been
what they mean for Christians.
born to the shepherds. It’s a lovely touch
that angels’ speeches often start with ‘Do
not be afraid!’!!
Learning outcomes


be able to recognise an
angel and use the correct
word (i.e. not fairy!) (AT1
L1)
be able to hold their card up
at the correct point in the
story (AT1 L1)
share their thoughts about
what they would do/feel if
they met an angel (AT2 L1)
MOST:

write a caption explaining
the events shown on their
card, using ‘religious’
vocabulary (e.g. correct
names of people) and retell
the sequence of events
(AT1 L2)

show sensitivity to the fact
that people believe different
things about angels (AT2
L2)
SOME:
 be able to draw conclusions
about the purpose of angels’
visits (AT1 L2/3)
Unit title: Who announced the birth of Jesus?
Age range: Year 2
Lesson title: Why did an angel visit Mary?
Skills being developed: Reflection; Interpretation; Empathy; Evaluation
Lesson: 2 of 3
Cross-curricular links / wider school issues: Literacy (captions); Art; Music; ECM; SMSC
Learning Objectives
Through the learning experiences, pupils should
learn:
 that angels give messages
from God (SMSC)
 that angels announced the
birth of Jesus, which shows
what a special baby Jesus was
 that artists use symbolism in
their pictures to convey deep
meanings and beliefs (ECM3)
Resources / Background

You will need to make your room as dark as
possible for the first part of this lesson. The
National Gallery online has lots of examples of The
Annunciation – try their ‘zoomable’ paintings, as
you can get really close www.nationalgallery.org.uk
In art, angels are often pictured with:




wings, showing their connection with heaven
(which is full of winged cherubim and seraphim)
and the means for them to get from heaven to
earth!;
a halo, showing their ‘holiness’
white clothing – another symbol of holiness, also
purity and peace.
gold colouring – an expensive pigment, so only
used to embellish the ‘important’ elements of the
painting. Symbolises the presence of God and
represents heaven
Introduction:
 Ask children to recall the events from the Nativity sequence where people had visits by
angels
Main activities (including skills-based learning):
 Look together at paintings of The Annunciation
 Reflection: Allow children plenty of time to share personal responses to the painting (good for
AT2). Use careful questioning to extend their thinking. Also allow them to ask any questions that
they want to know answers to – other children might have their own really good answers. It’s
important that children feel that at this stage, there are no wrong answers, and therefore they
should show sensitivity and respect for the views and opinions of others.
 Interpretation: Discuss any symbolism in the picture (see Resources section)
 Empathy: Give children a choice of photocopies of the Annunciation paintings you’ve used and
ask them to choose their favourite to write a caption for (art gallery-style) exploring Mary’s
thoughts and feelings about the news that the angel gave her. You may also wish to give them
copies of the angel’s words to help. Ask them to give you verbal reasons for their thoughts.
 Evaluation: More able children should be encouraged to think about the significance of this event
for Christians within the context of the story – they might find it helpful to look at the words in the
story from the Bible e.g. ‘the Son of the Most High’, his name ‘Jesus’ means ‘he will save his
people’ – what does this mean? Add a caption to explain
Plenary/Extending the thinking:

Look at the words of any songs that you sing in school about this event e.g. ‘Mary met an
angel’ or the traditional carol ‘Gabriel’s Message’. How do these words capture the
event?
Learning outcomes
e.g. what am I looking for / what can
pupils do better now?
ALL:

share their own thoughts
and feelings about the
painting (AT2 L1)
MOST:

write about how Mary might
have felt and give reasons
why they think this (AT2 L2)
SOME:
 explain the significance of
this event for a Christian
(AT1 L2/3)
Unit title: Who announced the birth of Jesus?
Age range: Year 2
Lesson title: A baby is born!
Skills being developed: Reflection; Investigation; Expression; Empathy
Evaluation Lesson
Cross-curricular links / wider school issues: Literacy; SMSC; ECM
Learning Objectives
Through the learning experiences, pupils should
learn:
 that angels announced the
birth of Jesus to shepherds
 that the angels give important
clues about who Christians
believe Jesus is (SMSC)
Introduction:
Learning outcomes
 Look at a range of birth announcements (children could bring in a copy of their own or any e.g. what am I looking for / what can
pupils do better now?
recent siblings if they still have one at home)
 Talk about the common information given e.g. weight, place & date of birth etc.
ALL:
 Reflection: why do people send out birth announcements? Who do they send them to?

talk about how the birth of a
Why do children think that shepherds were the first to be told?
Main activities (including skills-based learning):

Try to fill in a birth announcement for Jesus. Talk about the fact that there is some
information about the birth that is just not known (because it’s maybe not that important!)
e.g. the exact date; the time; his weight etc. Talk about the things that are important e.g.
name, place of birth, and what the angels say about Jesus
 that Christians believe Jesus

Investigation: Then re-read the part of the story where the angels tell the shepherds
came to show God’s love for
about the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20). What important information did the angels give to
all people (ECM4)
the shepherds? Make a list.
 Expression: Write birth announcements reflecting the important information. This could
Resources / Background
look like a traditional birth announcement with slightly altered headings, or you could
make it appear more of a ‘proclamation’. Ask more able children to think about whether
 Shepherds were ordinary people (in fact, often
there are other clues in the story that show Jesus’ connection with the poor (e.g. being
considered outcasts of society) and the fact
born to a poor family, in a stable, wrapped in cloth strips etc.)
that they are told first highlights the ‘good
news for all people’ part of the angel’s
Plenary/Extending the thinking:
message – especially the poor. This is a

Share work.
frequent message throughout Luke’s gospel

Empathy: Look at verse 19 in Luke’s telling of this story. What do children think Mary
might have thought about? If she could have kept three actual objects from this section of
The angel tells the shepherds that:
her life, what might she have kept?
 Not to be afraid

Share ideas together (NB more able learning outcomes – right)
 It’s good news for all people
 A Saviour is born- the long-awaited Messiah
 He’s born in Bethlehem (the City of David
He’s wrapped in strips of cloth & lying in a
manger

baby is announced today
(AT2 L1)
write a birth announcement
for Baby Jesus, giving basic
information (AT1 L1)
MOST:

write a birth announcement
including the important
information about Jesus,
using ‘religious’ vocabulary
(AT1 L2)

suggest what Mary might
have thought about / kept
as her ‘treasures’ (AT2 L2)
SOME:
 make links between different
aspects of the story (AT1
L3)

demonstrate the
significance of Jesus’ birth
in the ‘treasures’ they
suggest (AT2 L3)
Assessment sheet for RE
Unit: Who announced the birth of baby Jesus?
AT1

AT1
write a birth announcement for Baby Jesus, giving
basic information (AT1 L1)

AT1
write a birth announcement including the important
information about Jesus, using ‘religious’
vocabulary (AT1 L2)
AT2

talk about how the birth of a baby is announced
today (AT2 L1)
Names:

make links between different aspects of the story
(AT1 L3)
AT2
AT2

Year: 2
suggest what Mary might have thought about / kept
as her ‘treasures’ (AT2 L2)
Names:

demonstrate the significance of Jesus’ birth in the
‘treasures’ they suggest (AT2 L3)
Names: