Prompts and Word Lists for Writing Frames
Unit: Year 7 Founders and Prophets
(All based on ‘Discovering Religions’ – Christianity, Islam and Judaism (Foundation
Editions) by Sue Penny, Heinemann, 1999)
1.
Christianity – The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Prompts:
Word list:
A Jewish man was
It was a lonely
He was attacked
A priest
Then
Both could have
Then came a
The Samaritan
He took him to a
He paid for
The Priest and the Levite
Jesus was really saying
The story is also about
The lesson is that
Jerusalem
Jericho
robbers
dead
first-aid
paid
Levite
Priest
Samaritan
unclean
ceremonies
criticising
crowd
helping
special
lessons
dirty
listening
important
touched
Temple
hero
attacked
Jews
teaching
inn
past
hated
praying
cave
night
carrying
repeat
messenger
told
Mount
home
person
read
listened
terrifying
words
said
piece
found
saw
vision
cloth
Allah’s
terrified
said
Hira
message
told
write
first
Makkah
angel
Muhammad
Khadijah
2.
Islam – Muhammad’s Vision
One nigh
Muhammad saw
The angel was
Muhammad said that
The angel said
Muhammad found that
Then the angel
So Muhammad went home to
Khadijah was
In those days
The vision was
He must have felt
In the cave it must
This was important because
It led to
Muhammad must have
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3.
Judaism – Abraham’s Journey
Abraham lived about
Ur was a
He was not
People were worshipping
Ziggurats are a type of
People believed
Abraham felt that
So he left
He took
Nomads are
This journey was
Canaan is now
Jews believe Abraham was led
God promised Abraham
Abraham’s children
4.
country
gardens
stars
killed
Noses
slaves
cruelty
mother
river
wash
son
palace
slave-driver
desert
wandering
Canaan
forty
Torah
agreement
Covenant
promise
Chosen
rules
great
Egypt
king
killed
baby
daughter
basket
princess
Jews
rescued
Pesach
country
Israel
God
teaching
important
special
care
responsibilities
promised
leader
servants
moving
journey
Israel
family
beginning
believe
children
wrong
sun
Judaism – The life of Moses
The slaves had lived
They were treated
The king
Moses’ mother
She hid
The princess
He grew up at
One day
Moses had to
For many years Moses
Then he returned to
Jews remember how
The Jews spent
After many years
Canaan is now called
Jews believe that
The Torah tells them
This special relationship is
God promised
In return the Jews
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Ur
Iraq
moon
worshipping
God
Sarah
animal
wander
Canaan
guide
special
relationship
father
lives
offering
Jesus’ teaching – parables
This section tells you about two of the stories that Jesus told.
When he was teaching, Jesus often told stories to help people understand his
message. Stories are interesting to listen to and they can make people think about
the way they live. they can teach people lessons, too. Jesus’ stories often had a
meaning. A story with a meaning is called a parable.
One day Jesus was teaching about the right way to live. Jewish teaching said that
you should’ love your neighbour as yourself’. A man from the crowd asked, ‘who is
my neighbour?’ Jesus wanted to show the people that your neighbour is anyone
who needs your help. So to answer the question he told them this story. You can
find it in the Bible in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 10 verses 25-37.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
A Jewish man was walking from the city of Jerusalem to the town of Jericho. It was
a lonely road and he was attacked by robber. They left him half-dead. A priest
came by one his way to Jerusalem. Then a Levite walked past. (Levites were
important people in the Jewish religion.) Both these important men could have
helped the man who was hurt. But they only wanted to look after themselves, and
they walked on. Then a Samaritan came past. He stopped and gave the man ‘first
aid’. He took him to an inn, and even paid for him to be looked after until he was
better.
There are two lessons in this story. The two men who walked past did not want to
risk touching a dead body. According to Jewish teaching, if the man had been dead
and they had touched him, they would have become ‘unclean’. This means far more
than just being dirty. They would have had to go through special ceremonies before
they were able to do their jobs in the Temple again. Jesus was criticising people
who did not make helping others the most important thing in their lives.
The other lesson of the story was in choosing a Samaritan to be its ‘hero’. In those
days, Samaritans and Jews hated each other. The crowd who were listening would
not have expected the Samaritan to help. The lesson of the story was unpleasantly
clear to them. You should help anyone who needs it, even if it is someone you do
not like.
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BELIEFS
The Parable of the Sower
You will find this story in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 4 verses 3-20.
A farmer went out to sow some seed. (In those days, seed was sown by hand.) As
the farmer threw the seed, some fell on the path and birds ate it. Some fell on ground
where there was not much soil. It could not grow deep enough for roots, and it died.
Some fell in weeds. It tried to grow, but there were too many weeds, and the tiny
plants died. Some seed fell on good ground. It grew well, and gave a good crop.
Jesus said that the seed was like his teaching. Some people took no notice, like the
seed that was eaten. Some made a good start at following him, but soon gave up.
They were like the seed with no roots. Some listened and tried to follow his
teaching, but problems got in the way and they gave up. They were like the seed
that fell among weeds. A few people listened, and the teaching helped them live
better lives.
New word
Parable story with a special meaning.
Test yourself
What is a parable?
Why would the crowd not expect the Samaritan to help?
How was seed sown in those days?
What did Jesus say the seed was like?
Think it through
1.
Explain why Jesus taught in parables.
Why do Christians today still take
notice of the teachings?
2.
What lessons does the Parable of the Sower
teach Christians today?
3.
In small groups, produce a play about the story
of the Good Samaritan. How will you get the
the lesson the story across?
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The life of Muhammad
This section tells you about the prophet Muhammad.
Muhammad’s early life
Muhammad was born in the city of Makkah, in the country that we now call Saudi
Arabia. He was born in about the year 570 CE. His father died before he was born.
His mother died when he was only six. He lived with his grandfather and then his
uncle. As he grew up, he helped his uncle, who was a trader. Muhammad became
known for being honest and reliable. He was given the nickname Al-Amin, which
means ‘someone who can be trusted’.
When he was 25, Muhammad married a rich woman trader called Khadijah. He was
happily married and rich and respected. It seemed that he had everything anybody
could want. But he was not happy. He saw lots of things that were wrong life in
Makkah. Many people spent their time getting drunk and fighting. They worshipped
idols – statues made of wood or stone – and sacrificed animals to them. Poor
people were cheated by the rich. Muhammad began going to the hills near Makkah
to be alone so that he could think and pray.
Muhammad’s vision
One night, when he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira, Muhammad had a vision.
He saw an angel carrying a piece of cloth with writing on it. The angel told him to
read it. Muhammad said that he could not read. In those days, not many people
could read and write. But the angel told him again, and Muhammad found that he
could repeat the words. Then the angel said ‘Muhammad! You are Allah’s
messenger!’ Muhammad was terrified. He returned home and told Khadijah about
it. She was the first person to believe that his message came from Allah.
After this, Muhammad began teaching in Makkah. A few people believed what he
said, but most did not like being told they were wicked. Muhammad became
unpopular. In 622 CE, he moved to the nearby town of Madinah. The people there
had heard about his teaching, and asked him to go and teach them.
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Abraham
This section tells you about one of the ‘fathers’ of Judaism.
Abraham lived about 4000 years ago in a city called. Ur. Ur was in the country that
today we call Iraq. It was a splendid place with gardens and tall buildings. Abraham
was rich, important and respected. He had a very good life, but he was not happy.
He saw people in Ur worshipping gods of the sun, the moon and the stars. He felt
that the worship included many things which were wrong. For example, human
beings were killed because people believed their lives could be an offering to the
gods. Abraham became sure that there was another God who was more important.
He also became sure that this God did not want to be worshipped in evil ways.
Abraham’s journey
Abraham felt that this God was telling him to leave Ur. He set out on a long journey.
He took his wife Sarah, his servants and all his animals. People who wander from
place to place are called nomads. They do not have a fixed home. In those days,
people often lived like this, moving from one place to another to find water for their
animals.
Abraham’s journey was different. He and his family did not know where they were
going, but Abraham believed that God would guide him. Jews believe that God
showed Abraham the way to the country called Canaan. This is in the area we now
call Israel.
As they travelled, Abraham felt that he was getting to know more about God. He felt
that a special relationship was beginning. Jews believe that God promised Abraham
he would become the father of a great nation. All his children and their children for
ever would have the same special relationship with God.
Test yourself
Where did Abraham live?
What is a nomad?
Why do people normally live as nomads?
Where did Abraham’s journey lead?
What do Jews believe God promised Abraham?
New word
Nomads – people with no fixed home.
Think it through
1.
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The city of Ur was very beautiful and Abraham was rich and respected.
Explain why he chose to give up his comfortable life to travel to Canaan.
2.
Why was Abraham’s journey different from those of ordinary nomads? What
do you think the people of Ur thought when he set out? What do you think
Abraham’s wife thought about it.
3.
What was the promise God made to Abraham? What does this tell you about
why Jews often called him ‘Father Abraham’?
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Moses
This section tells you about the Jewish leader called Moses.
When Moses was alive, the Jews had been slaves in Egypt for many years. They
were treated with great cruelty. The Egyptians were afraid the Jews might try to take
over the country. So the king ordered that all Jewish baby boys should be killed as
soon as they were born. This was so that they could not grow up to fight against
him.
Moses is rescued
When Moses was born, he too should have been killed. But his mother made a plan
to save her son. She hid the baby in a basket by the side of the river. The king’s
daughter came to the river to wash. She found the baby, and took him back to the
palace. He lived as if he was the princess’s own so.
When Moses grew up, he saw how the Jews were being treated. One day he lost
his temper and killed a slave-driver who had beaten a Jew to death. Then he had to
leave Egypt, or he would have been killed himself. He stayed away for many years,
but at last he became sure that God had work for him to do.
Moses went back to Egypt, and became the Jews’ leader. He rescued them and led
their escape from Egypt after the ten plagues. This is the story which Jews
remember at Pesach. He was their leader when they spent many years as nomads
living in the desert. At last, after about 40 years of wandering, they found their way
to the country of Canaan, in the area we now cal Israel.
The Covenant
Jews believe that when they were in the desert, God gave Moses the Torah. This is
the Books of Teaching, and Jews believe it is very important. They believe that the
Torah tells them how to live. For Jews, the Torah is part of a special agreement with
God called the Covenant. It is like a sort of bargain, where both sides make a
promise.
Jews believe that God promised he would take special care of the Hews. They
would be his ‘Chosen People’. This does not mean that they would be his favourites.
it means that they were chosen to have extra responsibilities. In return Jews
promised that they would keep the rules of the Torah which God has given them.
New word
Covenant – special agreement made between God and the Jews.
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Test yourself
Why was Moses saved as a baby?
Why did Moses have to leave Egypt?
What work did God have for Moses?
What did God give Moses in the desert?
What do Jews believe God promised they would be?
Think it through
1.
How do you think Moses felt when he had killed the slave driver?
2.
Explain what the Covenant is. Why do Jews believe that is so important?
3.
Moses is remembered as a great Jewish leader. What do you think makes all
good leader? Think of as many people as you can who have been good
leaders in recent years. Give reasons for your choice.
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