1. No category

What did Jesus
teach about God
in his parables?
Key Stage 1 RE
EMMANUEL Project: Teaching Christianity effectively in Key Stage 1
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 1
Background Information
Religious Education requirements: This unit of work has been written with church schools in mind but can be used by all primary schools. It
fulfils requirements for the KS1 Learning Theme ‘Stories and Books: how and why some stories and books are sacred and important’
(Suffolk Agreed Syllabus for RE 2012 p.26-27). This unit could be interpreted in many ways but here the focus is on some of the stories
(parables) Jesus told in the Bible and how they teach Christians about themselves and about God. As a unit it could be taught at any time of
the year although it might be enriched by association with Book Week or Literacy.
Whole school RE Theme day: This unit can be used as part of an RE theme Day on the Bible, in which all classes explore different themes,
characters or books of the Bible. It could be a day rich in art, craft, music, dance, poetry and drama and could involve working with and
interviewing members of the local Christian faith community. It could even be linked to the celebration of Bible Sunday in a local church.
There are some excellent resources listed at the back of the unit but there are also three ‘people’ resources you might want to involve:
An ‘Open the Book’ team - from local churches, telling simple stories from The Lion Storyteller Bible in
Collective Worship (http://www.openthebook.net/home). Many teams exist locally, most excellent, acting
the stories and involving the children too. A good team could help out by bringing in the costumes and
props for the stories in the unit and / or helping children act them out. Children could ask why these stories
are important to them and hear an authentic Christian voice as part of their RE.
If you do not have a local team, contact the Diocesan Schools’ Adviser- [email protected]
The Discovery Centre ([email protected]) - with their trained ‘Guild of Storytellers’ who
visit schools for a small cost per pupil and tell ‘reflective’ Bible stories for you. They could tell the stories in this unit and also act as Christian visitors to answer questions about what Christians believe
about them. Their storytelling always ends with free ‘wondering’ time when children express their
learning ‘about’ or ‘from’ the story, through art and craft materials or in poetry, writing or drama as they
wish.
Barnabas in schools – a national organization which provides excellent RE theme days for primaries,
for example: What’s so special about the Bible? (http://www.barnabasinschools.org.uk/whats-so-special-about-the-bible/)
Check out their detailed website which outlines all the days they offer and the programmes for each day. Charges are reasonable
and the material should fulfil the requirements of this unit.
In addition there is a really helpful website (www.bible4schools.org) written for the 400th celebration of the King James Bible
which has incredibly useful and practical materials for each year group. The work for children aged 5-6 is best fitted to this unit as it
includes one of Jesus’ parables, the Good Samaritan, but if you use the ‘Subject by subject route’ you can also do the parable of the
Lost Sheep. For both, you can create a shoebox story which would link well with the ideas in this unit.
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 2
INCARNATION / EMMANUEL
INCARNATION is the traditional Christian belief that
God came into the world in human flesh in the person
of Jesus Christ. The first Christians did not believe Jesus
was just a good man, healer, teacher or prophet but
trying to put into words what they had seen and
experienced of this incredible man was like trying to
catch the wind. Eventually they expressed their beliefs by stating that Jesus
was both fully human and fully God.
Here are some ideas which make up the Christian belief in incarnation.
Jesus is ‘God with us’ – Emmanuel (Matthew 1 v.23; Hebrews 4 v.15-16;
John 11 v.27, 19 v.7)
Incarnation is about God’s Son becoming ‘one of us’, a human. Because
Jesus came and shared human life; he knows the trials and joys of being
human. The Bible stresses that Jesus got tired, hungry and even wept; he
was human, but also divine. When Jesus taught his followers, he was able
to relate to, or identify with, them. He could come down to the level of
his ‘pupils’ and used stories to explain to them some of the mysteries of
God.
Jesus reveals what God is like
Christians believe in one God but understand God in three ways (trinity):
God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God the Son.
Although God is invisible, in Jesus humans are able to catch a glimpse of
what God is like. He was a visual aid to knowing God. In his parables
(stories with meanings) Jesus supplied in picture language, lots of images
of what God is like and some of his images challenged what people had
thought previously.
Jesus came to show not only what God is like but what humans should be
like, real humans as God intended.
PARABLES – GOSPEL
For Christians the Bible is the story of ‘God
with us’, the place where they find out about
God and get to know him. The Bible begins
with the story of Creation and the Fall and
ends with stories of Jesus, the early church and
eventually, the vision of a new Creation when all things are put right forever.
The four ‘gospels’ in the Bible tell the stories of Jesus, God’s Son, who came
to earth to save the world from sin. If Jesus is ‘God with us’ then his
teaching takes on real importance; it is not to be ignored. Both his coming
to earth and teachings are seen as the Christian ‘Gospel’ or ‘Good News’.
Because Jesus lived a human life on earth, his sayings, conversations,
sermons and stories all drew spiritual parallels and lessons out of the
Palestinian life and culture with which he was surrounded; he understood
real life. People were constantly amazed at his authority – he knew what he
was talking about and those who listened knew this instinctively.
Much Christian teaching about God is derived from Jesus’ parables – they
are like rich treasure boxes containing wisdom, comfort and challenge. The
parables are known as ‘earthly stories with heavenly meanings’. ‘Parable’
means to ‘throw alongside’ and describes how throwing another image
alongside a difficult one can make it easier to understand. For example, the
parable of the Lost Sheep teaches about God’s love, his patience and forgiveness, it shows the cost of waywardness, and the joy God has his ‘sheep’
when we return to him. All that and more in a story shorter than this paragraph.
Jesus told parables for various reasons – sometimes to answer a question but he rarely explained the meaning – “he who has ears to hear, let him
hear” i.e. think about it yourself. He wanted people to find God for themselves. Jesus’ followers today continue to tell Jesus’ stories, passing on
‘good news’ from God himself.
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 3
What did Jesus teach about God in his parables?
ENGAGE
What’s inside?

Play ‘What’s inside?’ Have a game of ‘insides’ with 5 or 6 mystery containers. Give each group a container to
put a mystery object in. Back in a circle, the class has to guess what each group put in their container – What’s
inside? Rattle, shake, touch, weigh, think … guess! How can you be sure? Check all the insides at the end.

Introduce Tom and Tessa (see Resources); they have brought in a lovely parcel. What’s it for and what is
inside? It’s for a game of ‘pass the parcel’. Put on some quiet music (maybe one of Tom and Tessa’s song
about God’s love – see Resources. When the music stops, unwrap a layer etc. Sometimes children will find a
sweet – maybe tiny packets of lovehearts. Sometimes a plastic or wooden letter ready to spell PARABLE.

In the middle is a children’s Bible - What do they know about it? It’s the special book that tells Christians about
God’s love (loveheart connection) and about Jesus. Prior knowledge may emerge here.

There is also an envelope containing a letter and a riddle – Letter: I was in the parcel but you have not found
me yet! The letters of my name can be sorted with this riddle. Riddle is in the column to the left.
The Riddle:
My first is a vegetable
My second is always first
My third starts a race
My fourth is still first
My fifth likes to buzz
My sixth starts off love
My last follows d.
And my all is contained in
this book.

So, what was inside the parcel? What could they have missed? Look at the riddle and sort the letters out
to spell ‘parable’. What is a parable? How have they missed it?
P-A-R-A-B-L-E
Can we find an inside meaning in a parable?
with the concept of
a parable
Stories often have
meanings or a purpose for
telling e.g. Aesop’s Fables.
We may choose to read a
class stories because we
want to make a point .
A parable is a story with a
meaning inside: an ‘earthly
story with a heavenly
meaning.’
What is a parable?

Tom and Tessa can help. They are children from a Christian family. They go to church each Sunday and they
hear lots of stories about Jesus. They also love the special stories that Jesus told – the parables. What is
a parable? Tom and Tessa say they are special stories which have meanings inside them. Tom and Tessa
love acting out the parables and trying to work out what their inside meanings are.

Christians love to pass the stories on because they help people know more about God. Let me show you one
of Jesus’ parables. A Christian has turned the story into a short film to pass it on.

Show ‘The Lost Sheep’ video from www.max7.org. There are no words. What is it about? What do you think
its meaning is? Jesus’ parables usually teach about God. Where is God in this story?
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 4
ENQUIRE
into three of Jesus’
parables and what the
teaching about God
might be
What is our big question?

Gather children round three hoops laid out on the floor like a clover leaf (shamrock shape). Bring out three
special boxes. Place one in each hoop. I wonder what’s inside! Remember the riddle and the letters – lay out
the letters – revisit the riddle and spell out and say the word: PARABLE.

These are our Parable Boxes. Christians say Jesus told parables so his followers would think carefully about
what God is like, ask questions and then tell the stories to others, like passing on good news. We are going to
look inside some of the stories … our big question is What did Jesus teach about God in his parables?
What do you remember about this story?
Leave the riddle and letters
out for children to play with
as part of a display next to
copies of the three pictures
and the children’s Bible.

Carefully open one box and bring out an object – it’s a sheep. It reminds me of a parable Jesus told. In talking
partners recount the story in whispers or act the story out in groups but as quietly as possible, a bit like the film!

Sit down and hear the TA / teacher / child read the story. If you could choose 3 other things to put in the
Parable Box to help tell the story what would they be? Draw ideas on small whiteboards and share them.
Golden boxes are used in
the ‘Godly Play’ movement
for telling parable stories.

If you could put a question in the box, what would that be? Each pair of children should come up with a
question to ask about the story – write on a sheep shape to put in the box?

If this is a story about God – Who is God in the story? What words describe what the shepherd / God is like?
(Give children some words to choose from if this will help e.g. kind, caring, forgiving, strong).
The clover or shamrock is
a classic image of the
Trinity i.e. Christian belief
in the three ‘persons’ of the
one God.
http://www.johnfreemana
rt.com/about-me/ John
Freeman is an Australian
artist, a Christian and a
teacher. His parable
paintings offer bright,
engaging images and his
website provides insight
into how a Christian
understands parables.
How are we going to conduct our enquiry?
 We have three Parable Boxes altogether to help us with our enquiry. Shake the last 2 boxes gently and open
them to reveal a heart / coins (Lost Son) and a bandage / plasters (Good Samaritan). Then give out the John
Freeman pictures. Which one goes in which hoop? What can you guess about the story from the picture? What
can you ask?
 Our enquiry is going to look at these three parables. Think about the ‘enquiry’ questions we need to ask to help
us answer the main question. Finally tell children about:
The ‘Express’ task -– You are going to add things to the Parable boxes and present the Parable to another
group / some children in Nursery/ Reception. You will need to know the story well ready pass it on. You
are also going to have to tell us what you think Jesus was teaching about God.
How are these children passing on one of Jesus’ stories?

Listen to: You are the Shepherd (African Children’s Choir) OR join in the lively ‘I won’t wander off’ song.
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 5
EXPLORE
the three parables in
detail and consider their
inside meanings and
teaching about God
through creative
activities
This is the longest part of
the unit. Children should
have plenty of time to tell
and retell their stories so
they get to know them well.
What are we going to do? What do we need to work out?
 Our main job is to get to know our parables well and then be able to retell it in an interesting way and show we
understand what our story says about God.
 Split class into three groups. A less able group could use the Lost Sheep story. Re-introduce the Parable Boxes
and the three pictures. Ask group 1 about their object and picture to see what their first thoughts are and then
send them off to start exploring. Do the same with the other two groups.
Ideas and resources for each parable are in a separate table below.
Each time you finish a session, bring children back to the three hoops to ask about the teaching in the parables
about God (EVALUATE). Put the pictures by John Freeman in the hoops to help focus children on each story.
What does Jesus want his followers to know about God?
 What do you like best about your story? What do you think Jesus wants his followers to know about God from
your story? Where do you think God is in your parable?
Is God more like a father, a friend or a helper?
 Here are three ways Christians think about God. Show children the words: father, friend, helper. Which story
goes with each of these words? What other words would you use to describe God from your story?…
EVALUATE
your RE learning
Take opportunities
throughout the unit to
assess children with ‘I can’
statements but use this as
the main opportunity. It
What have you learnt about why Jesus told parables?

How has our learning gone? Let’s see if we can answer the key question and what else we should do if not.

Look at the hoops, Parable Boxes and pictures and ask:
 Can you tell a parable story?
 Can you say what Jesus is teaching about God in your parable?
 Do the stories teach about other things?
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 6
can run alongside the
Explore and Express
work.
An alternative way of ‘Evaluating’ using visitors.
 Listen to another parable from a Christian visitor or Open the Book Team or Reflective Storyteller (e.g. The
Hidden Treasure / The Lost Coin / The Precious Pearl)
 Ask your visitor/s about the story. Then think in talking partners about the meaning of this new parable.
 Ask the visitors which of Jesus’ parables they like best. What does Jesus teach them about God through it?
 Tell the visitors which parables you know and what you have learnt about Jesus’ teaching about God.
EXPRESS
your knowledge of
Jesus’ parables and
the things Jesus
taught about God
How are the stories passed on and who passes them on?

Take the Bible out of Tom and Tessa’s bag. Sit in a circle. Pass it around the circle. Jesus’ parables have
been passed on for 2000 years and lots of people know them. And when we think hard about them – about
their inside meaning - they kind of stick with us. Let me show you what I mean:
Put a generous amount of baby oil on a child's hand and then get them to go round in a circle shaking
everyone else's hand. Or shake hands round a circle. Children then put their oily hands onto a large piece of
black paper to make a mark. Sprinkle the marks with talc to show the handprints. Wash your hands with soap!
Children should have some
understanding that the
parables express how God
is like father, friend and
helper rolled into one and
that Jesus wants to show
that God loves all human
beings, everyone is
precious to him.

Triptych – three paintings
hinged together – here use
a section per parable.
Ever since Jesus’ time, Christians have passed on the Parables of Jesus by retelling them. Christians hope
that the good news that God loves and cares for people will begin to stick and help everyone know they are
precious to God.
How are you passing on the stories and their meanings? (just a few ideas – you will have more)

Response art work /poetry etc from the ‘Possible Activities’ can be used to create a huge triptych to display in
the school foyer / entrance or at the local church. Work together on the exact words to label their work.

Create, use and display their own Parable boxes – with objects etc inside. Tell their story to someone else and
inside the lid say what the story teaches about God.

Christians say God is Trinity – Father, Helper (saviour) and Friend (Holy Spirit). Can you create a display
which shows this using the parables to help you? Tough one!
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 7
Parable of
the Lost
Sheep
Bible: Luke
15 v.1-7
Parable of
the Lost
(Prodigal)
Son
Bible: Luke
15 v.11-24
Parable of
the Good
Samaritan
Bible: Luke
10 v.25-37
Possible activities: (i) Speech bubbles of shepherd and sheep before and after. (ii) A photo of every child in the class is
displayed but two are hidden in the room - who is lost? Explore feelings of being the ones lost. Send all children to seek and
find the lost pair. Explore feelings again. (iii) Draw round hands, stick cotton wool on, make thumb into the head and write the
sheep’s feelings on to the legs. (iv) Make a commentary for the max7 cartoon - what is each character saying or thinking?
Resources:
 www.bible4schools.org – make a parable story box
 Lost Sheep cartoon video – www.max7.org
 Big Bible Storybook p.187- 189
 Lion First Bible c.47 The Lost Sheep and the Good Shepherd
 Godly Play story of the Good Shepherd – from a DC team member
 Little Lost Sheep Song (www.daniellesplace.com - to the tune of Wheels on the Bus)
 African Children’s Choir – You are the Shepherd - www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H01rTZhiyw
Possible Activities: (i) Thought bubbles for each character. (ii) Children create a tableau of key moments finding appropriate
clothes; photograph and add captions. (iii) Write / dictate an apology letter from son to father, explaining why he wants to
come home. (iv) Use Reflective Story characters or small world figures to act out the story.
Resources:
 Lego animation of the story - www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqyV2lmdYso
 Big Bible Storybook p.191
 Lion First Bible c.48 Lost – and Found
 A Book of Reflective Stories – p.60
 Find other pictures of the story on the internet
Possible Activities: (i) Sound effects to accompany “The Story of The Good Samaritan” from “Our poems and no messin’”
(see Appendix). (ii) Hot-seat characters and record /write recounts from different perspectives. (iii) Newspaper headline with a
‘photo’ shot from the story. (iv) Helping hands - cut out hands and write on them good things to do with hands.
Resources:
 The Big Bible Storybook p.175
 The Lion First Bible c.46 Help! Help!
 Our Poems and no Messin’ – Margaret Cooling
 Good Samaritan – painting by Van Gogh
 www.bible4schools.org – make a parable story box
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 8
Attainment Target 1 ~ Learning about religion and belief
Level
1
2
How pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding
with reference to:
beliefs, teachings
practices and
forms of
and sources
ways of life
expression
How pupils, in the light of their learning about religion, express their
responses and insights with regard to questions and issues about:
identity and
meaning, purpose
values and
belonging
and truth
commitments
I can
I can
I can
I can
I can
I can
remember a
Christian story and
talk about it
e.g. remember one
of Jesus’ parables
and talk about it
use the right names
for things that are
special in a religion
e.g. use the words
God, Jesus, parable,
Christian, Bible,
correctly in questions /
answers
talk about some of the
things that are the
same for different
religious people
recognise and talk
about religious art,
symbols and words
e.g. recognize
pictures of the
parables and talk
about what I see
talk about things that
happen to me
talk about what I find
interesting or puzzling
e.g. talk about times
when I feel alone or
lost, or when I need
help
e.g. talk about what I
find interesting or
puzzling in one of
Jesus’ parables
say what some
Christian symbols
stand for and what
some of the art,
music, etc is about
e.g. say what you
think you can see
about God in John
Freeman’s paintings
of the parables
ask about what
happens to others
with respect for their
feelings
talk about some things
in stories that make
people ask questions
talk about what is
important to me and to
other people
e.g. talk about a story or
book that is important to
me and name an
important book for a
Christian
talk about what is
important to me and to
others with respect for
their feelings
e.g. interview some
Christians, with
respect, to find out
how Bible stories
affect them in their
lives
compare some of the
things that influence
me with those that
influence other people
e.g. compare how
Christians say Jesus
and his parables
influence them with
what influences me
e.g. talk about things
in Jesus’ parables that
make them, or others,
ask questions e.g.
Why did the sheep run
away??
ask important
questions about life;
compare my ideas
with those of others
e.g. compare ideas
about life based on
the parables e.g.
about who loves me
and about forgiving
tell a Christian story
and say some things
that people believe
e.g. tell one of
Jesus’ parables and
say some things
Christians believe
about God
3
Attainment Target 2 ~ Learning from religion and belief
e.g. talk about
different Christians all
learn about God from
Jesus’ teaching in the
Bible
describe what a
describe some of the
believer might learn
things that are the
from a religious story same and different for
religious people
e.g. describe what a e.g. describe some of
Christian might learn the same and different
from Jesus’ parables things Christians
e.g. about what God might do after thinking
is like
about Jesus’ parables
use religious words to
describe some
different ways people
show their beliefs
e.g. using religious
words, describe some
different ways
Christians retell
parables
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
e.g. talk about an
important messages I
want people to hear and
what is important to
Christians e.g. God’s
love
link things that are
important to me and
other people with the
way I think and behave
e.g. link ‘being forgiven’
or ‘being helped’ to the
way I think about and
treat other people
Page 9
Resources for this enquiry:
Tom and Tessa - are imaginary Christian characters who enable you to talk about things Christian children
learn or do. They provide a context for pupils’ learning which is easier to handle than talking abstractly about
religious people. You can create your own Tom and Tessa by enlarging and using our cartoon characters,
drawn by Dennis Buhr. However, you could use persona dolls or any suitable photos of children to create
similar characters. The names ‘Tom’ and ‘Tessa’ are immaterial; feel free to change.
Sometimes scenarios can be created around their lives to start a discussion. Sometimes they help by
bringing in a bag containing Christian artefacts or books! Here are suggestions for this unit:

Children’s story Bibles (see below)

A CD / downloads of Christian children’s songs (see below)

Pictures of Jesus / individual parables told by Jesus
Some recommended story resources:




The Big Bible Story book - www.scriptureunion.org.uk
The Lion First Bible - www.lionhudson.com
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
The Lion Storyteller Bible by Bob Hartman - www.lionhudson.com

The Life of Jesus (C4 Learning): Jesus the Storyteller
Two resources from the Discovery Centre, Bury St Edmunds /
[email protected] ‘
 A Book of Reflective Stories and A Book of Reflective Stories 2 (book with CD of
scripts, actions, patterns, etc)
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 10
Copies of artwork / paintings – a large range of these are to be found on the internet.

http://www.sermons4kids.com/ - look for the art work of Henry Martin

www.jesusmafa.com – a source of stories from Jesus’ life originating from France and the Cameroon

Good Samaritan (Van Gogh) – remember that many famous artists of the past and present take Biblical subjects. Type the name of a
parable in and search the results for some stunning examples from the past and present all over the world
Songs and Music from the Christian community – some you may have in school, some could be bought as CDs for ‘Tom and Tessa’s bag’
or downloaded as individual songs. Songs about love would complement this unit well and make good examples of how and what Christian
children might be taught about God, expressing the same ideas as are found in the parables.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/best-spring-harvest-kids-praise/id542257997
You can download, for example:
 For God so loved / The Lord loves me / I won’t wander off (Lost Sheep) – Spring Harvest Kids Praise / Little Kids Praise
 Your love – Kids Praise Party 3
 God’s love is Big - Kids Praise Party 1
Video material:

The lost sheep – www.max7.org
Poetry:
Our poems and no messin’ – Poetry for the classroom, assembly and Literacy (ed by Margaret
Cooling) buy from Amazon
Other Resources are shown in the grid at the end of the Enquiry section.
The initial ideas for this unit were worked on by Frances Kearn (Elmsett CEVC Primary) and Jill Fysh (The Norman CEVC Primary,
Northwold) at the Emmanuel Project days at Belsey Bridge Conference Centre 2012. Thank you for your hard work!
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
Page 11
The Story of the Good Samaritan
From (Our poems and no messin’ ed. Margaret Cooling)
Crinchity crunch crinchity crunch crinchity crunch
BANG WALLOP help! SMACK ow! SMASH
Where’s the money? KICK stop it!
Rush rush rush rush rush rush
GONE
Crinchity crunch crinchity crunch crinchity crunch
STOP
Oooh, oh no, poor man,
In a hurry hurry hurry hurry
GONE
Tick tock tick tock tick tock
Tweet tweet
Tick tock tick tock tick tock
Slither Slither
Tick tock tick tock tick tock
Crinchity crunch crinchity crunch crinchity crunch
STOP
Oooh, oh no, poor man
It’s dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous.
GONE
Tick tock tick tock tick tock
Sizzle sizzle
Tick tock tick tock tick tock
Clip clop clip clop clip clop
STOP
Oooh, oh no, poor man
Crunch
Smooth, soothe
Drip drip rip rip
Calm balm
Drip drip rip rip
Cool, aaaah
Shade, aaaah
Alley oop!
Crinchity crunch
Clip clop
Crinchity crunch
Clip clop
STOP
Aaaaaaah
Tick tock tick tock
Hoot hoot
Tick tock tick tock
Aa-ooooo
Tick tock tick tock
Zzzzzzz Zzzzzzz
Tick tock tick tock
Woooooooo
Tick tock tick tock
Cock a doodle doo!
tick tock
tick tock
tick tock
tick tock
tick tock
Chingle chingle
See you soon!
Clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop clip clop
Helen Matter, Diocesan Schools’ Adviser - [email protected] / 01473 298570
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