Optional: How is Easter celebrated around the world?
A Year 4 optional lesson investigating Easter celebrations to find out how Easter is celebrated across the world and why these traditions are important to some communities.
Learning objective
- To explain the significance of community and beliefs by exploring Easter celebrations.
Success criteria
- I can give examples of different Easter traditions around the world.
- I can identify links between celebrations and beliefs.
- I can describe why celebrating as a community is important to some people.
Before the lesson
Check all images, videos, links and presentation slides are suitable for your class.
- Presentation: Expand and add detail.
- Presentation: Celebrating Easter.
- Presentation: Easter around the world.
- Presentation: Easter celebrations discussion.
- Presentation: Easter community celebration.
- Presentation: Wrapping up words.
Whiteboards and pens (one each).
A3 plain paper (one sheet between four).
Devices with access to the internet (Optional - see Adaptive teaching).
The Knowledge organiser provides a visual summary of the key facts and vocabulary for the unit. The children can use it throughout the unit to check keyword meanings or spellings and to help them remember important information when completing an activity.
Find further ideas for using the Knowledge organiser to support adaptive teaching here.
The pages have relevant information for each of the Key stages. As knowledge builds from year to year, it is recommended that the Knowledge organiser for the previous key stage be printed on the reverse for Key stage 2.
Subject knowledge
Easter
Most people who follow the Christian worldview believe Jesus died on the cross on a day called Good Friday and came back to life (resurrection) three days later as part of God’s plan to save humanity from sin (salvation).
The Easter story is a crucial part of this belief.
Easter is celebrated worldwide in either March or April every year, with Western Easter (the official date for the UK) being the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox. This varies by 4-5 weeks for Eastern or Orthodox Easter.
The Last Supper
- In English translations of the Bible, it explains how Jesus shared bread with his disciples at the Passover meal.
- According to Jewish law, leavened food (food made with a raising agent such as yeast) would not have been eaten at Passover so it is likely that this was an unleavened bread similar to flatbread or crackers.
- In the Pupil video: Holy week just the word bread is used reflecting the language used in English translations of the Bible.
Misconceptions
The children may believe that:
‘Easter is about chocolate eggs and bunnies’ - it is important to explain that while Easter is celebrated in different ways across cultures, its religious significance for many Christians focuses on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The symbols of eggs and new life often represent the Christian message of hope.
‘Easter is only celebrated by Christians’ - it is helpful to explain that while Easter is an important religious festival for many Christians, some people with different worldviews also participate in cultural or family traditions during this season, such as egg hunts or spring-themed celebrations.
Lesson organisation
The lesson includes information about Easter traditions in France, Greece, Spain and the United States. You could adapt it to include traditions from other communities represented in your school or local area.
Optional: Invite local community members to discuss how they celebrate Easter. For further guidance, see the link: Teacher guidance: External visitors.
If you know a child has specific issues, consider discussing the lesson with them in advance and adapting it as needed. They might benefit from adult support. If problems emerge during the lesson, consult your Senior Leadership Team.
It is the teacher's responsibility to check all resources and lesson content to ensure it is suitable for their class setting.
Jesus' crucifixion
Although this lesson focuses on Easter celebrations, there are some images of and discussion about Jesus' crucifixion, death and resurrection.
When teaching these themes, present them sensitively and age-appropriately, avoiding graphic details about death and punishment. Focus instead on the broader message of hope and forgiveness.
Some children might find the topics of crucifixion, death and resurrection to be a source of worry. Teachers should approach these themes with caution and be prepared to offer reassurance and clear, gentle explanations.
The wonder box
Remind children that they can use the wonder box if they have questions or concerns they would rather not share in front of the class.
The wonder box gives the children the opportunity to share questions they may not feel comfortable asking in class. More challenging questions can be researched and additional time can be given to consider them. Children who may find writing questions challenging could either use a recording device or ask an adult to scribe for them.
- See: Teacher video: The wonder boxfor information on how to create and use this resource.
Lesson plan
Display the Presentation: Expand and add detail and hand out whiteboards and pens.
Ask the children to expand each statement using their prior knowledge about Easter.
Answers may include:
- For some Christians, Easter is about forgiveness because Jesus forgave the people who crucified him.
- Easter is about forgiveness and inspires some people to forgive others.
- Many people celebrate Easter to remember when Jesus died and came back to life.
- Many people celebrate Easter even if they do not believe in God.
Watch the Pupil video: Easter around the world and discuss the following questions.
- What do the clips all have in common? (They all show people celebrating together.)
- What is being celebrated and how can you tell? (Easter is being celebrated because you can see things relating to Easter like images from the story, eggs and flowers.)
- What do they tell us about how people celebrate Easter? (People celebrate in different ways but they often celebrate with other people.)
Display the Presentation: Celebrating Easter and ask the children to talk in pairs about which celebrations appear to link directly with the Easter story and which do not.
Drag and drop the images under the headings based on the children's feedback, discussing any differences of opinion.
Introduce the word traditions (ways of doing things that have been passed down through generations) and point out that the video clips and images seen are all Easter traditions. Explain that while Easter is celebrated differently in many places, the traditions are often about beliefs, community and belonging.
Display the Presentation: Easter around the world and click on each country to share information about Easter celebrations in the United States, France, Greece and Spain.
Arrange the children into groups of four and hand each group one sheet from the Resource: Easter celebrations. Ask the children to read the information and discuss the questions on the Presentation: Easter celebrations discussion. Explain that one person from the group will need to feedback briefly to the class after their discussion.
Ask each group to give feedback on what the celebration was and why it might be important for the people involved.
Draw out that for many people, celebrating together is an important part of a community and for some, expressing religious beliefs with others who share those beliefs can help people feel connected.
Rearrange the groups into new groups of four so that children who looked at different pages form the Resource: Easter celebrations are working together.
Explain to the children they are going to plan a new Easter community celebration. Display the Presentation: Easter community celebration and talk through the criteria for their celebration.
Encourage the children to think about what symbols, actions, or activities would help their event meet the criteria, taking inspiration from the Easter celebrations they have already investigated and their own experiences of Easter and other celebrations.
Hand out a piece of A3 paper to each group and ask the children to work together to produce a picture of their celebration with notes and labels to explain what is happening and why those things have been included.
Ask the children to discuss ‘Why and how is Easter celebrated?’ with their partner and note their answer on a whiteboard.
After a few minutes, ask them to join with another pair and name one pair A and the other pair B. Explain that pair A should share their answer to the question and then pair B should try and build on or challenge what they have said. Repeat with pair B sharing their answer and pair A building on it or challenging their answer.
If needed, display the Presentation: Wrapping up words to support children to include vocabulary from the lesson in their responses.
Full-screen slides, ready for your classroom, chosen by you.
- To explain the significance of community and beliefs by exploring Easter celebrations.
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