Lancashire SACRE RE
Syllabus Non-statutory
exemplification
Christianity: Jesus
TITLE: Is Jesus a role
model, or more than a
role model?
Jesus and the Christian
community
YEAR GROUP: 7
Lat Blaylock for
Lancashire SACRE
DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT
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1
Lancashire SACRE RE Syllabus Non-statutory exemplification
TITLE: Is Jesus a role model, or more than a role model?
Jesus and the Christian community
YEAR GROUP: 7
About this unit:
Year 7
Year Theme: Community Unit: Jesus:
Throughout this unit pupils will examine how modern day Christian communities follow the
actions and teachings of Jesus in the way in which they operate and consider how this may
be mirrored in how the pupil is seen as role model.
This unit enables pupils to examine the belief that Jesus is the perfect expression of God; he
is ‘The Christ’; Son of God; Saviour. The focus is on community, enabling pupils to explain
the connections between the Bible’s stories of Jesus’ life and teaching are, for Christian
people, the foundation of their sense of community life. Pupils will be enabled to begin to
understand the significance of community life and action in Christian life and to think for
themselves about questions of making a contribution to society and being a part of a wider
community. Pupils are encouraged to consider what can be learned from Christianity with
reference to their own experiences, beliefs and values.
The focal point for this unit for 11-12 year olds is a selection of key narratives from the New
Testament Gospels that show how Jesus is seen by the Christian communities as a role model, a
leader and the initiator of Christian community life. These stories are used to generate and explore
questions from pupils about how people practice Christian community living and action today. Pupils
will develop their understanding of key Christian beliefs such as the idea of the community as the
‘body of Christ’ (Links to units on the Church) and, in relation to their own experiences and ideas,
their understanding of the ideas of fellowship, brotherhood and sisterhood and solidarity.
Where this unit fits in:
This unit will help teachers to implement the Lancashire Agreed Syllabus for RE by providing them
with well worked examples of teaching and learning about the year theme of community that use the
concepts of Jesus as a role model and more, of community life and action. These concepts are a
way to make sense of Christian understandings of the significance of Jesus.
The unit enables pupils to make links to foundations of Christian morality in the two great
commandments:
Love of God (expressed through community life and action)
Love of neighbour as of self (explored by pupils as the challenge Jesus presented to his first
followers and to the Christian community today, and with reference the challenges the pupils
themselves face)
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This unit and the field of enquiry: refer to section 3 of the 2006 RE syllabus
Shared Human Experience
 Everybody asks questions about community:
where do we fit in? To whom do we belong?
How shall we live with diversity for the well
being of all?
 We all need to be able to make sense of these
questions in our relationships with others.
 What is social cohesion or community
cohesion? How is this built up, and what
difference does religion make to it?
 If you value community, what difference does
it make to life?
Living Religious traditions
 Christians find the answers to their questions
about community in the Bible and in the life
and example of Jesus.
 Christian sacred writings in the gospels portray
a rich community life around Jesus.
 The Christian community today seeks to
emulate this common life.
 Many Christian community action groups have
an impact on all kinds of community and social
issues.
Beliefs and Values
 In Christian understanding, being a
follower of Jesus joins the believer in one
body with other followers. This solidarity is
demanding and fulfilling – the love of God
is shown through the life of the
community.
 The whole human family is also a
community of God’s creation, and
Christian belief is that living for others with
love and forgiveness is a requirement of
discipleship.
 In Christianity, Jesus is ‘Lord’, ‘Son of
God’, but also like a brother to the
community of his followers.
Personal Search
 What can I learn from Christianity about
the values and practice of community life?
 What can I learn from Jesus about
community?
 Is Jesus a good role model?
 What are my best experiences of
community life?
 What do I believe about the importance of
relationships and other people for human
happiness and flourishing?
The unit will provide these opportunities:
 Pupils have opportunities to consider concepts of community, leadership, role modelling,
solidarity, fellowship and related ideas.
 Pupils have opportunities to consider a diverse range of views about questions of community,
identity, belonging and diversity.
 From the study of sources of authority within Christianity pupils will be able to explain for
themselves some key ideas and insights about community life
 Pupils will be able to think about their own views in relation to questions of identity, belonging and
diversity.
 Experiences and opportunities provided by this unit include discussion and debate about
dilemmas, and the chance to relate their own lives to the religious community lives of the locality.
Significant background ideas: links to faith focus: refer to the Curriculum Support materials
on CD1 of the 2006 Agreed Syllabus
Community is a significant idea in many religious traditions. For example, the Buddhist
understanding of the Sangha, the community of the ordained, or the Muslim accounts of Ummah, the
global Islamic community are ways of enabling the individual to take a place in the wider community
of belief. This dimension of religious life often signifies beliefs about human nature, what it means to
be human, too: A person becomes fully alive through other persons.
In Christian thinking, Jesus is the central figure, the founder of the community of his followers. His
parables, teaching and example are a model which Christians seek to follow. Christian
understandings of Jesus develop the theme of a duty to neighbour, and his death and resurrection
are seen as inaugurating a new community of those forgiven by God. The Holy Spirit, God present in
the community, is the source of challenge and strength for the community. Incidents from the Gospel
narratives studied in this unit are selected to show these ideas. Christian belief about community
raises challenging questions about how we live together for all humanity: does diversity need to lead
to conflict? Why are the Christian communities so divided? How can any person learn to live for their
own well being and the well being of others? These questions lie behind this unit of RE.
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Among non-religious people, the issues of community are significant and require the application of
virtues and values for people to live together. These are important areas for the aims of RE in
enabling social and spiritual development among pupils in a plural school setting, and require careful
thinking and planning b y the teacher.
Estimated teaching time for this unit: 7 hours It is recognised that the unit may provide more
teaching and learning ideas than a class will cover in 7 hours. Teachers are invited to plan their own
use of some of the learning ideas below, ensuring depth of learning rather than covering everything.
Issues of continuity and progression
The unit builds upon the learning about Jesus done in years 5 and 6, where the topics of revelation
and reconciliation will have been covered. Good planning will check the curriculum links between the
secondary and primary schools, and build upon the potential of pupils just starting in a new school, a
new community. The unit makes a space for some fresh teaching about the Christian communities
inspired by Jesus’ teaching and example, and uses much material that will not previously have been
studied.
KEY STRANDS ADDRESSED BY THIS UNIT
AT 1: Learning about Religion
 Beliefs, Values and Teaching
 Religious ways of living
AT 2: Learning from Religion
 Questions of Identity, diversity and belonging
 Questions of value and commitment
ATTITUDES FOCUS: Pupils will explore attitudes of:
Self awareness by developing a realistic and positive sense of their own ideas about community and
their places in relationships
Open mindedness by engaging in positive discussion and debate about questions of diversity and
belonging and being willing to go beyond the surface of the issues to look for insight.
Appreciation and wonder by following their own curiosity to raise questions about Jesus and his
teaching and exploring some ultimate questions about values and communities for themselves.
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Prior learning
Vocabulary
It is helpful if
pupils have:
 Studied the
Y6 unit on
Jesus:
reconciliatio
n.
 An
awareness
of the school
as a
community,
that they, as
Y7 pupils,
are joining
 A basic
understandi
ng of some
community
action
problems
and
activities
 Skills from
the National
Literacy
strategy
applied to
RE
In this unit,
pupils will have
an opportunity
to use words
and phrases
related to:
Specific
religions:
Christianity
 Fellowship
 a duty to
neighbours,
 Church
 Disciple
 Crucifixion
 Resurrection
 Holy Spirit,
 Gospel
Religious
studies:
 Community
dimension of
religion
 Social
development
 Inter faith
issues
The language of
shared human
experience
 Community
 Solidarity
 Values
 Virtues
 Community
cohesion
 Community
action
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Resources
Key Texts:
 Examples from the Bible such as: Sermon on the Mount,
Matthew 5-7; 2 Great commands, Matthew 22:33-40; Who
is greatest? Luke 9: 46-50; The Rich Fool, Luke 12:13-21.
Games:
 ‘Everyone’s Committed’ in ‘Thoughtful RE’ from RE Today,
edited by Pamela Draycott, 2006
 ‘Dilemmas and Decisions: 48 scenarios for moral thinking’,
RE Today
Web:
 www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories
 www.natre.org.uk/spiritedarts
 www.rejesus.co.uk
 www.ybgud.net Why be good? This fascinating and
comprehensive site has some resources useful for pupils,
and others for teachers. A project from the Christian
tradition, it’s alert to philosophical ethics.
 www.humanism.org.uk makes some atheist and agnostic
materials available easily, and has a shop.
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/faith/index.shtml is a good
starting point for local faith community articles and
connections
 http://www.cleo.net.uk is the main site for the Cumbria and
Lancashire Education Online, and offers access to an
expanding range of high quality resources for RE topics.
Books:
 Religion in Focus: Christianity in today’s world, Published
by Hodder Murray
 Developing Secondary RE: Jesus.
 Developing secondary RE: Relationships (p24-25) RE
Today publications. Activity exploring dilemmas and
decisions in the workplace
 Active resources for Christianity Phil Grice. Pub Heinemann
 A-Z practical learning strategies (RE Today publications)
 Movement and Change: Dimensions in Religion; Wood,
Logan and Rose
 This is RE, books 2 and 3; C. Large [John Murray]
 Folens RE: Thinking About Living
 Weaving the Web, Communication, Celebration and
Values; Lohan and McClure [Collins]
 Faith in Action Series [RMEP]
 Contemporary Moral Issues; Joe Jenkins [Heinemann]
 Steps in RE: Onwards and Upwards, Lesley Beadle, RE
Today 2006 provides activities and learning strategies for
SEN pupils.
Video / DVD
 The Test of Time video series (BBC, 2001) Do the
teachings of Jesus stand the test of time?
 BBC Curriculum Bites RE: Series 1 (2003) The Tramps
Parables.
 BBC Curriculum Bites RE: Series 2 (2005)
 Channel 4 Learning: Worlds of Faith (1999)
5
Contributions to spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils (links directly to
framework)

Opportunities for spiritual development come from engagement with the key values of Jesus and
the chance to apply these to their own ideas about identity, belonging, diversity and community

Opportunities for moral development come from thinking through issues of the meaning of
fellowship, brotherhood, sisterhood and community;

Opportunities for social development come from deepening recognition of the ways their
behaviour and values are influential and of the place they fill in their own communities.
EXPECTATIONS: At the end of this unit
Pupils working towards the
Pupils working at the
expected level will be able to
expected level will be able to
(Level 3)
(Level 4):



Describe some examples of
Jesus’ teaching about
community
Use some religious words to
describe Christian community
life today
Make links between these
examples and their own
experiences of community
and belonging



Show that they understand
some different perspectives
on community life
Apply ideas from Jesus’
teaching to new questions for
themselves
Use the vocabulary of RS
such as community cohesion,
love of neighbour to show
their understanding of links
between the Christian
community and the life and
teaching of Jesus
Pupils working beyond the
expected level will be able to
(Level 5):



Explain the impact of the
teaching and example of Jesus
on Christian community action
Explain some ways in which
Christians might contribute to
community cohesion in
Lancashire today
Use accurately and thoughtfully
the language of social and
spiritual development to explain
their views on Christian
understandings of community
life.
Exemplar Tasks
The challenge of living in communities: what can I do to make a difference? (Emphasis on AT2, and
the search for personal meaning)
 What do others get from me? Focus reflectively on something which others would hope to emulate, a way
in which I might be a good role model.
 Consider: Are there occasions when they let themselves down and when they are not living up to that
which they regard as good? Create two of their own ‘great commandments’ that they intend to live by,
and would hope people would follow.
 Apply these ideas: what would happen if everyone in my class, school, town, nation, lived by my ‘two
great commandments’, or by those of Jesus?
 Consider whether being religious helps or hinders community life. Think of the community of school and
town, and explore ideas about community cohesion. For example, Christian Aid helps people of all
religions. Is that an expression of Jesus’ values?
Reflections about community
Provide pupils with a sheet of 12 quotations from the Gospels in which Jesus challenges people to live a life of
love. Ask them for:
a) any examples of how Jesus ‘practiced what he preached.’
b) Their own rank ordered response to these teachings: which do they most agree with and why?
c) Examples of action inspired by at least 6 of the sayings of Jesus that they can think of from the
studies the class have made of Christian community activity.
As a concluding activity to this unit, provide a reflective opportunity. This can be done with the use of a guided
story script (see ‘Reflections’ by Rosemary Rivett, RE Today, for examples).
After pupils have participated in this imaginative activity, give them space and time to record their own insights
into the issues of role models they have studied and the teachings of Jesus.
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6
Key
questions
LEARNING
OBJECTIV
ES
TEACHING AND LEARNING
(Including experiences and opportunities)
LEARNING
OUTCOME
S
POINTS
TO NOTE
What is a
role
model?
Develop the
ability to
understand
that their
behaviour
can be seen
as that of a
role model
for the
people
around
them.
Who is a role model? Does a role model lead a
community?
 Investigate various examples of role models
within our society. These should include
examples from the media, from a given news
story and / or from the local community. Ask
pupils to identify those others follow or copy,
and reasons why.
 How far do these people / groups ‘set a
standard people hope to achieve’? What is it
that these people / groups value and how is
this shown within the work that they do?
Contrast some good role models with some
bad ones. Who is a hypocrite? Who is a bad
example?
 These examples may be both positive and
negative. This should include the idea that
these people / groups have responsibility
toward those who look up to them.
 Community can mean many things: a virtual
community is not the same as one where
people gather physically. Compare Facebook,
Bebo etc to meeting people! Introduce the idea
that Jesus founded a community of his
followers, seeking to keep two ‘rules’: Matthew
22: 33-40
Is Jesus a role model? How and to whom?
 Use some images of Jesus such as the icon of
‘Christ Pantocrator’, Mark Wallinger’s
millennium statue ‘Ecce Homo’, Michelangelo’s
famous works and the Crucifixion by Grunwald
to develop understanding of the ‘art of worship’.
 What do these painters think about Jesus?
How does it show? Is their painting an act of
worship in some ways?
 Consider some teachings of Jesus (e.g. from
Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount) and
his example: if someone today wanted to live
like Jesus, not by wearing sandals and a beard,
but by following his teaching and examples,
what might they do? (Curriculum bites RE KS3
‘Selling Jesus?’ and ‘What would Jesus do?’
are possible useful resources for this).
 For Christians, Jesus is a role model, and much
more. Can people who are not Christians also
model some parts of their lives on his ideas?
 Give pupils a piece of paper with two human
figures outlined on it. Ask them, in the first, to
symbolise or write all the qualities, values and
virtues they admire in other people, those they
might have as role models. Secondly, they
write all the things they have discovered about
Jesus in their RE so far that people might
admire. This can include aspects of Christian
beliefs, but also the kind of personality Jesus
shows in the gospels. Ask pupils: why do you
think there are 2 billion ‘followers of Jesus’ or
Christians in the world today?
Pupils:
Describe
some
contemporary
role models
(L3)
It’s
important
to
distinguish
between
the idea of
‘role
models’
and the
Christian
understand
ing of
Jesus as
both the
pinnacle of
humanity
and the
expression
of God in
human life.
Jesus, to
Christians,
is not
merely a
role model.
Who are
our role
models?
Become
aware that
some
people act
as role
models for
others.
Is Jesus a
role
model?.
Know that
Christians
believe in
following
the example
set by
Jesus in the
concepts of
love and
forgiveness.
Understand
that these
beliefs are
found within
the life,
actions and
words of
Jesus.
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Make links
between the
idea of a role
model and
their own
sense of self
(L3)
Apply the
idea that we
all need role
models to
help us find
out who we
are and
develop our
own sense of
identity (L4).
Use key
words such
as ‘Lord’ ‘Son
of God’ to
distinguish
Jesus from
other role
models for
Christians
(L3).
Show that
they
understand
some ways in
which
Christians
express their
desire to
imitate Jesus
or follow his
path (L4).
7
How did
Jesus
teach love
and
forgivenes
s?
Know
examples of
Jesus
teaching
and
example
from the
Gospels
Understand
the links
between
Christian
intentions to
follow Jesus
and the
gospels
Reflect
upon
questions
such as
‘Where do I
get my
values
from?’ ‘Who
do I follow?’
In what
ways do
today’s
Christian
communiti
es try to
express
the love
and
forgivenes
s of
Jesus?
To describe
key aspects
of Christian
community
life
Develop an
awareness
that
Christians
seek to
follow the
life of Jesus
in terms of
the beliefs
in love and
forgiveness.
Be aware of
the link
between the
actions and
teachings of
Jesus and
work of the
community.
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Why are love and forgiveness so important in
Christianity?
 Use some relevant Gospel text such as the
Two Great Commandments (Matthew 22:3340), an extract from the Sermon on the Mount,
The Good Samaritan, The Prodigal Son, the
Unforgiving Servant, the Rich Fool, ‘who is the
Greatest?’ and the death of Jesus on the Cross
and words said to the thief.
 Ask pupils what a person who really wants to
follow Jesus would do because of these
teachings.
 Can they identify examples of Jesus teaching
about love and forgiveness from the text? How
then should his followers, Christians, behave?
 Identify actions within these which show love
and forgiveness.
 ‘The Forgiveness Project’, a stunning and
challenging web based art gallery, explores
numerous stories of forgiveness and its healing
power in the contemporary world.
www.theforgivenessproject.com
 Look at sections on stories and the exhibition –
called ‘The F Word’. Ask pupils to view the web
stories – perhaps as homework - and to choose
two that strike them particularly. In what ways
are these two people’s stories similar to and
different from the story of Jesus?
How do Christians try to express love in the
community?
This work can be done as a class project, in small
groups. Explore and analyse the work of a group
such as the Corrymeela Community or the Taize
centre for reconciliation, Christian Aid projects,
Green Christian movements, ‘Divorce Recovery’
workshops (others examples abound). Find some
examples form local Christian community action as
well (you could use an invited speaker) Use of a
variety of media to build understanding such as
video, music, written materials, CD-ROM, Website.
Find out the following:
 What are the aims of the Christian group?
 What does the group do?
 Who does the group help?
 What benefits come from this group?
 Can you choose three sayings of Jesus that
motivate the group or explain its work, and
explain their relevance? (Pupils may need a
selection presented to them from which to
choose)
 In what ways do the people involved see their
work as following Jesus’ teaching and example,
or being disciples of Jesus?
Make links to
their own
experience of
community
(L3)
Relate ideas
and incidents
from the
gospels to
the values
and virtues of
love and
forgiveness
(L4)
The Biblos
Project
(University
of Exeter)
provides
quality
ideas and
rationales
for
teaching
the Bible in
contempor
ary Britain.
Show
understandin
g of Christian
belief on
love,
forgiveness
and
community
life (L4)
.
Identify the
qualities,
characteristic
s and values
inherent in
the person /
group chosen
Make links to
their own
experience of
community
(L3).
Relate
Christian
beliefs about
love and
forgiveness
to the
passages
chosen for
study
Make links to
their own
experience of
community
(L4).
This
material
will require
sensitive
handling of
course, as
some
pupils may
suffer from
the very
problems
and issues
they
choose to
investigate.
8
How can
we share
what we
have
learned
about
Christian
communit
y action?
Do the
Christian
communiti
es follow
Jesus
teaching
and
examples
?
Contributi
ng to the
communit
y: what do
we do?
To show
that they
understand
the ways in
which Jesus
is a role
model – and
more – for
the
Christian
community
To apply
ideas from
the teaching
of Jesus for
themselves
Summarise
the learning
from the
unit in
relating
Jesus
teaching
and
example to
contempora
ry
examples.
To explain
what
challenges
living
together
presents
To express
insightful
responses
to questions
about
community
cohesion
and religion
To explain
their own
responses
to the idea
of fellowship
and
solidarity.
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It’s important
for RE to
include use
of pupils’
general skills
in speaking
and
listening,
planning and
presenting
information
and working
with others.
How can we present our findings about
Christian community life?
In small groups, pupils present their findings.
These could take the forms of spoken
presentations, the setting up of a web page
of information, interviews between people
who work there and who have attended,
PowerPoint presentations, or many others..
This work should ensure that Christian
beliefs, stories, sacred texts and values as
expressed in community action are
interpreted by the pupils themselves.
Understand the
work undertaken
by a group which
aims to follow the
example and
teachings of Jesus
Make links to their
own experience of
community (L4).
What do Christian communities do?
Ask pupils to give examples of:
 social and community action
o with the poor and needy
o with the downtrodden and the
oppressed
o with those who are weak and
those who suffer
o with those who are marginalised
 ‘the way’ of life, lived out by individual
Christian, saints, contemporary figures
o acts of selfless living
o workers for justice
o workers for peace
Explain the impact
of Jesus’ teaching
and example in
Lancashire and
more widely today
(L4).
Note:
Christian
communities
do not
always live
up to this
challenge.
Considering
hypocrisy
and
unrealised
ideals is
appropriate
here.
Explain my own
views about
contributing to the
community in the
light of religious
understanding (L5)
‘Dilemmas
and
decisions’ is
a game
strategy that
enables
pupils to
explore
dilemmas
and values
from
different
perspectives
. From RE
Today.
Pupils should give their own views of the
difference Jesus teaching makes.
The challenge of living in communities:
what can I do to make a difference?
 Focus on that within their life which is
worthy of being something which would
be desirable in a role model. This would
be something which others would hope
to emulate in answer to the question –
what do others get from me?
 Are there occasions when they let
themselves down and when they are not
living up to that which they regard as
good? This could be completed in the
form of their own ‘two great
commandments’ that they intend to live
by, and would hope people would follow.
 Apply these ideas: what would happen if
everyone in my class, school, town,
nation, lived by my ‘two great
commandments’, or by those of Jesus?
 Consider whether being religious helps
or hinders community life. Think of the
community of school and town, and
explore ideas about community
cohesion. For example, Christian Aid
helps people of all religions. Is that an
expression of Jesus’ values?
Relate the
behaviour of the
community (ies) to
the life of Jesus
(L4).
Explain the impact
of values and
beliefs on people’s
willingness to be
involved in
community life (L5)
Express thoughtful
views about
diversity and
community,
referring to
religious teaching
(L5).
Interpret for
themselves some
diverse responses
to community
issues (L6)
9
Values
and
commitme
nts: what
have we
learned?
To apply
ideas and
express
views and
insights into
the
relevance of
ideas about
love and
forgiveness
to their own
communitie
s.
Reflections about community
Provide pupils with a sheet of 12 quotations
from the Gospels in which Jesus challenges
people to live a life of love. Ask them for:
d) any examples of how Jesus
‘practiced what he preached.’
e) Their own rank ordered response to
these teachings: which do they most
agree with and why?
f) Examples of action inspired by at
least 6 of the sayings of Jesus that
they can think of from the studies
the class have made of Christian
community activity.
As a concluding activity to this unit, provide a
reflective opportunity. This can be done with
the use of a guided story script
After pupils have participated in this
imaginative activity, give them space and
time to record their own insights into the
issues of role models they have studied and
the teachings of Jesus.
Describe some
examples of
Christian
community action
(L3)
Reflect on the
impact of the
teaching and
example of Jesus,
considering
influences for
themselves (L4)
See
‘Reflections’
by
Rosemary
Rivett, RE
Today, for
examples of
guided story
and stilling
scripts and
activities.
Show that I
understand some
ways the Christian
community takes
action to love
neighbours (L4)
Explain my views
on what has been
learned, relating
them to religious
ideas (L5)
Lat Blaylock January 2008 for Lancashire SACRE
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